DIY Ilok repair Works Pics Inside

[pucho812]

Help

Fooking client broke my Ilok. Rig was out on a rental and the jerk fooking hit the Ilook snapping off the metal USB connector that sticks out the plastic. Now ILOKS are only 35.00 US so no biggie but the hassle of having to contact all the plugin companies and serials and such is going to be a fooking pain in the ass. So my question is has anyone ever done ILOK repair Ideally I should be able to solder a new connector and or a fooking USB cable... and should work without issue. Time to get dirty.... :twisted:

Next question would be has anyone ever tried to clone an Ilok. I was down at frys the local computer store and found a USB copier that copies usb flash divices. I wonder if it will copy Ilok information? in theory it should work without issue I wonder... :?

Edit: I do not I repeat do not advocate copying Iloks for the purpose of making $$ and or plug authorization theft just for the sole purpose of having a back up in cause of such stuipidity which I could go into a rant about Ilok design but that would be downright nutty as we know whats wrong with it in the first place...

 

[Geert Heyrman]

Hi Pucho,

If you need my help I wouln't mind giving the copied Ilok a test during an indefinate trialperiod. I'm all about sacrifice :wink:

I doubt though that its possible, I have read this on the paceap site "http://www.paceap.com/technical.html"

SECURITY

Finally, we'd like to note that the ease-of-use provided by InterLok can sometimes hide the fact that InterLok is the culmination of over 14 years of software protection expertise. While we can't go into the details in a public document such as this, the InterLok system employs a variety of field-proven anti-hacker protections such as multiple encryption, comprehensive self-checking and debugger killing algorithms. All of this makes InterLok extremely difficult to defeat or remove.

The challenge/response and serial number authorizations use a variety of cryptographically secure technologies to ensure their robustness, including algorithms from RSA Data Security and Internet standards such as S/Key.

This "under the surface" technology is as large a part of the InterLok system as the many features already described here. We wish we could say more about it, but we can't. Trust us. It's in there, it's very good, and it works.

Another person wrote:

I just used the iLok auth card that I got with another product to move my Mach 5 auth from one iLok to another. I'm not sure if this will work for all plugs, perhaps it needs to be implemented by the manufacturer. Here are the steps as outlined to me by MOTU tech support.

1. Launch Protools and hold down option + space.

2. You will get an auth/de-auth dialog box for each plugin you have installed with an iLok auth. Click "cancel" to move through the plugins that you aren't moving.

3. When you get the dialog box for the plug you want to move, select the option to de-authorize and follow the onscreen directions.

4. When you are asked to insert a licence card, you can use any card that doesn't currently hold an authorization. The cards are all the same. For example, I used a card that originally came with CompressorBank. Since the card's original auth was on an iLok, it was "empty" and could be re-used.

5. After Protools finishes launching, quit and relaunch.

6. When the auth dialog box for the plug that you're moving appears, select "authorize" and use the card that you moved the auth to in step 4 above to authorize any iLok that you choose.

someone replied

I got the same message the first time I tried. The second time it worked. Yes all my (iLok) auths showed up. If you want it to go a bit quicker you can remove your other plugs from the DAE plugins folder while you go through this process and then put them back when you're done.

You can read about it here: http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=184315&page=3&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1

I really don't know if this is of any help, but you never know.

Regards,

Geert

 

[clintrubber]

[quote author="Geert Heyrman"]

SECURITY

Finally, we'd like to note that the ease-of-use provided by InterLok can sometimes hide the fact that InterLok is the culmination of over 14 years of software protection expertise. While we can't go into the details in a public document such as this, the InterLok system employs a variety of field-proven anti-hacker protections such as multiple encryption, comprehensive self-checking and debugger killing algorithms. All of this makes InterLok extremely difficult to defeat or remove.

The challenge/response and serial number authorizations use a variety of cryptographically secure technologies to ensure their robustness, including algorithms from RSA Data Security and Internet standards such as S/Key.

This "under the surface" technology is as large a part of the InterLok system as the many features already described here. We wish we could say more about it, but we can't. Trust us. It's in there, it's very good, and it works.

[/quote]
If I were them I'd add the same kind of Big Word Message.
I mean, say they've spent a certain amount of sweat'n'effort on the tech side of things, resulting in a certain level of difficulty to clone the thing.

An additional fraction of that effort about squares the perceived level of difficulty.
The added description triggers a few more hardcore hackers of course, but that won't be too many I guess.

 

[Geert Heyrman]

Hi,

It was only a description of what I found. I'm actually clueless..... as I don't use protools at all. I use Logic..... I also have a usb-key for it but no additional plugins. I think my money is better spent in hardware anyway ... and logic gives me everything I need..... although beat detective sure looks nice, but I prefer good drummers more :roll: and if I really get frustrated there is still drumagog.

Anyway based on the info I found, at this time it is not possible to make a copy of the USB key and have all the plugins on both activated.

regards,

Geert

 

[pucho812]

Update. Ilok has been fixed. Photos below. I do however disagree about copying a USB key. In basic form it is a USB flash drive. Although the installed soft does not allow to pull it up as a drive, I am sure one can copy it without issue. I do not wish to test as what little plugs I own are of value to me. Plus one must have the USB key as The authorizations(sp) for the PT software is stored via Ilok this time VS serial... this would be a time to have Ilok insurance but now I got this I can hid it away without issue and keep it out of sit out of mind... you would think they would have designed it similar to this in the first place...
Maybe there is a market for this... Ilok mods

 

[gyraf]

In basic form it is a USB flash drive.

It would only involve one single "special-function", like an add or multiply routine, to make it uncopyable the way you mention. I'm pretty sure it's no simple piece of flash ram, or it would have been broken years ago.

It probably has some extensive crypted self-check routines going on internally to prevent debugging on a hardware level.

After all, it's lasted longer than the DSS system :razz:

Jakob E.

 

[pucho812]

[quote author="gyraf"]
After all, it's lasted longer than the DSS system :razz:

Jakob E.[/quote]

true... :wink: But no matter really as I fixed mine. However for getting rid of downtime, it would be nice to have extras in case of emergency...