IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

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Moebius
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IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by Moebius »

Greetings!

As is evident from the thread's name this is about early days' disk-based (floppy) copy protection and games that ever used it. It seems that it isn't exactly trivial to pinpoint every single type/version of CP brand or dig out its original name. I thought this has to be given a little more attention as we are about to launch extended support for various advanced sector-type (hybrid) and flux-based dumps on our website (you can see the address in my profile) and intend to provide every bit of information about protected products like that, ranging from hash values to exact types and names of CP schemes in question to help us and others verify their dumps. Some of it has already been discovered whereas the rest is still due investigation. Any additional notes and clarification regarding this would be very much appreciated.

At this point we are more or less familiar with the following brands and their methods:

- Az-Tech Everlock
- BBI StopCopy
- COPS Copylock 1/2
- Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
- Formaster Copylock
- HLS Duplication
- Microprose Protection 1/2
- Mindscape DEM
- Non-standard Sector Sizes (name?)
- On-Line Systems Protection #1
- Origin Systems OSI-1
- Rob Northen Copylock
- Sector ID Duplication (name?)
- SmartCAM (was this one ever used for PC games?)
- Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x.x/3.x.x
- SuperLock (another one?)
- Titus' A001prot/Megaprot/Best Protection Kit A/B (are these all the same?)
- Vault PROLok (versions?)
- Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1/2 (is that really what it's called?)
- Waydisk Minder/Minder03 (same thing?)
- XELOK/XEMAG

Below is the list of physically protected games both DOS and PC Booter type using some of the above identified methods:

DOS (KEY DISK)

'Nam 1965-1975
007 Licence to Kill
4 Soccer Simulators / Waydisk Minder
4th & Inches
4x4 Off-Road Racing
Ace of Aces
Action Fighter
After Burner / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Air Duel
Airborne Ranger / Microprose Protection 2
Ajax / HLS Duplication
Alphabet Zoo
Allan Border's Cricket
Alter Ego (Female version)
AM-FM Trivia vol. 2 / Waydisk Minder
Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge!, The / Microprose Protection 2
Amazon
Ancient Art of War
Ancient Art of War at Sea, The
Ancient Land of Y's
Apollo 18
Arcticfox
Argus
Arkanoid (Imagine)/ Non-standard Sector Sizes
Arkanoid (Taito) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Arkanoid II: Revenge of Doh / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Astrilis
Attack
Attack On Altair
BC's Quest for Tires (PC version) / Formaster Copylock
BC's Quest for Tires (Tandy version) / Sector ID Duplication
Bad Dudes / HLS Duplication
Balance of Power / ?
Batman The Caped Crusader / HLS Duplication
Batman: The Movie
Battlestorm
Beverly Hills Cop / Rob Northen Copylock
Bionic Commando
Black Caudlron, The (AGI2) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Block Buster (1st release) / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Block Buster (2nd release) / Formaster Copylock
Blood Money / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Blues Brothers, The / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Bombjack (Rob Northen Copylock)
Bop'N Wrestle / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Boot Camp / HLS Duplication
Boulder Dash II (?) / Waydisk Minder
Boulder Dash II (?) / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Boulder Dash Construction Kit
Bruce Lee Lives
Bubble Bobble / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Bubble Ghost
Bully's Sporting Darts
Cadaver (?)
California Games / HLS Duplication
Carl Lewis Challenge
Carrier Command
Castle Wolfenstein
Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess
Championship Baseball
Championship Golf The Great Courses of the World - Volume I Pebble Beach
Chessmaster 2000, The
Chip's Challenge
Computer Baseball / Formaster Copylock
Contra
Cool World
Crazy Cars / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Crazy Cars III / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Creative Contraptions
Crime Does Not Pay
Crusade in Europe
Cyberball
Dam Busters
Dark Castle
Dark Century
Darkseed
Death Sword
Decision Base
Decision in the Desert
Deep Space Operation Copernicus
Defender of the Crown
Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes True!!
[censored] Tracy
Dive Bomber
Dream Warrior
Dunjonquest: Morloc's Tower
Earthly Delights
Entity
F-15 Strike Eagle II version 451.01 / Microrpose Protection 2
F-15 Strike Eagle II version 451.02 / Microprose Protection 2
F-19 Stealth Fighter version 435.01
F-19 Stealth Fighter version 435.02
F-19 Stealth Fighter version 435.04
F40 Pursuit Simulator
Fast Break
Final Assault
Fire and Forget
Fire & Forget II
Floppy Frenzy
Football Manager / Waydisk Minder
Forgotten Worlds
Four Crystals of Trazere
Frank Bruno's Boxing / Waydisk Minder
Frank Bruno's Boxing / Rob Northern Copylock
Frightmare
GBA Championship Basketball Two-on-Two No
GFL Championship Football
GFL Championship Football
Galactic Gladiators
GATO / Formaster Copylock
Games Winter Edition, The
Gauntlet (1st release) / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Gauntlet (2nd release) / HLS Duplication
Gemini-2
Gertrude's Secrets
Ghosts 'N Goblins / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Goal
Grand Prix Circuit (early version) / HLS Duplication
Gunship version 429.01 / Microrpose Protection 1
Gunship version 429.03 / Microrpose Protection 1
Gunship version 429.04 / Microprose Protection 1
Gunship version 429.05 / Microprose Protection 1
Hardball! (Disk 1) / HLS Duplication
HardBall! (Disk 2, EGA Disk, early version only) / Formaster Copylock
Hard Drivin'
Hard Drivin' II
Hard Hat Mack
Harrier Combat / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Heavy Barrel
Highway Patrol II / Megaprot
High Roller
Hook
Horror Zombies from the Crypt / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 2
Ikari III: The Rescue
Impossible Mission II / HLS Duplication
In Search of the Most Amazing Thing
Indoor Sports
Infiltrator
Infiltrator II / Mindscape DEM
International Open Golf Championship
Into the Eagle's Nest
Italy 90 / Mindscape DEM
Jackal
Jetsons: The Computer Game
Jr. Pac-Man
Jurassic Park
Karateka
Kickoff 3
Kids on Keys
King of Chicago, The
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (PC version) / Formaster Copylock
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (Tandy version) / Sector ID Duplication
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (AGI2) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne (AGI2) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
King's Quest III: To Heir is Human / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Knight Force
L.A. Crackdown
Labyrinthe des Pharaons, Le / A001prot/Best Protection Kit
Lamborghini American Challenge
Last Ninja, The
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (v1.00 AGI v2.440) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (v1.00 AGI v2.917) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Lemmings (1st & 3rd releases) / Rob Northern Copylock
Lemmings (?) / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 2
Lemmings 2: The Tribes / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Lethal Weapon
Lode Runner
Lombard RAC Rally
Loremaster
Lost Patrol
Lothar Matthaus Championship Soccer
M-Chess
M-Chess Professional
M1 Tank Platoon / MPS protection 2
Master Ninja Shadow Warrior of Death
Math Rabbit
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing!
Maxit
Mean 18
MegaTraveller 1 (?)
Mental Blocks
Might & Magic I: Secret of the Inner Sanctum
Might & Magic II: Gates to Another World
Mindfighter
Mindshadow
Mind Probe
Mind-Roll
Mini-Putt / HLS Duplication
Mixed-up Mother Goose / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony / Origin Systems OSI-1
Moon Bugs
Moptown Parade
Nobunaga's Ambition
Off Shore Warrior
Oh No! More Lemmings / Rob Northern Copylock
Omncron Conspiracy
Oo-Topos / XELOK/XEMAG
Oil's Well / Formaster Copylock
Operation Wolf / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Operation: Cleanstreets
Original Scrabble
OutRun / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Paperboy (1st release) / Mindscape DEM
Paperboy (2nd release) / Formaster Copylock
Paperboy (3rd release) / Rob Northern Copylock
Pipe Dream (EU version) / Minder03
Pinball Wizard / Formaster Copylock
Platoon
Pole Position
Portal
Positronic Bridge
Prehistorik / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Prehistorik II / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Project Neptune
Pushover
Puzznic / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Quink / Formaster Copylock
QIX / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Race Drivin'
Rack'em
Rad Warrior
Rambo III / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rampage
Rastan / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x)
Reader Rabbit v3.0
Reader Rabbit
Red Storm Rising / MPS 2
Rendezvous with Rama
Renegade / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x (?)
Revenge of Defender
Rick Dangerous / Microprose Protection 2
Rick Dangerous 2 / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 2
Rising Dinasty / Cops Copylock II
Robocop
Robot Rascals
Robot Odyssey
Rocky's Boots
Rocket Lander
Rogue
Rollo and the Brush Brothers
Rush'n Attack / HLS Duplication
S.D.I.
Sapiens
Sarge
Sargon III / XELOK/XEMAG
Savage / MPS 2
Search & Destroy
Serve & Volley
Seven Spirits of Ra
Shadowgate / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Shangai
Shinobi / Weak Bits Generic Implementation 1
Shufflepuck Cafe
Sid Meier's Pirates! (432.02+) / MPS 2
Sierra Championship Boxing (1984 version) / Formaster Copylock
Sierra Championship Boxing (later release) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Sierra's 3-D Helicopter Simulator / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3 with Sierra's Loader
Sky Shark / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x with original loader)
Sleepwalker
Snack Attack II
Snooper Troops: Case #1 (version 1.0)
Snooper Troops: Case #2 - The Case of the Disappearing Dolphin
Snow Strike
Socrates (don't know if it's a game or not)
Space Harrier / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Space Racer
Space Station Oblivion
StarQuest: Rescue at Rigel
Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative
Star Wars
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Stormlord
Street Sports Basketball
Street Sports Soccer
Stunt Car Racer / Stunt Track Racer / MPS 2
Sub Battle Simulator
Sub Mission
Super Caulrdon / A001prot/Best Protection Kit A/B
Super Hang-On
Super Pac-Man / HLS Duplication
Super Tennis / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Superbike Challenge
Superstar Ice Hockey
Super Tennis / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Sword of the Samurai / MPS 2
TFX
Temple of Apshai Trilogy
Test Drive / HLS Duplication
Test Drive II: The Duel / HLS Duplication
Test Drive II: Car Disk Muscle Cars
Test Drive II: Car Disk The Supercars
Test Drive II: Scenery Disk California Challenge
Test Drive II: Scenery Disk European Challenge
The Games: Summer Edition
The Train: Escape to Normandy
Thexder / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Think Quick! version 1.0
Three Stooges, The
Thud Ridge
ThunderBlade
Thunderstrike
Times of Lore
Titus the Fox: To Marrakech and Back / Best Protection Kit A/B
Toobin'
Top Gun / Formaster Copylock
Tracer Sanction, The
Train Escape to Normandy, The
Trains / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Treasure Trap
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness / Origin Systems OSI-1
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress (Trilogy version) / Origin Systems OSI-1
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress (1983 & 1984 versions) / Formaster Copylock
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress (1985 version) / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.x/3.x with original loader
Ultima III: Exodus (1984 & 1985 versions) / Formaster Copylock
Ultima III: Exodus (Trilogy version) / XELOK/XEMAG
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar / Origin Systems OSI-1
Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny / Origin Systems OSI-1
Uridium
Video Trek 88
Voyager
WWF: European Rampage
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego
Wild Streets
Willow
Winter Challenge World Class Competition
Wizardry III
Wizball
Wizkid
Word Search Puzzle
Word Spinner
World Championship Soccer / Waydisk Minder
World Karate Championship
World Tour Golf
X-Men: Madness in Murderworld / MPS 2
Xenon 2: Megablast / Rob Northern Copylock
Zap'em


PC Booter

Adventure in Serenia / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Agent USA / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Amnesia / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Arac (Spiderbot)
Archon: The Light and the Dark / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Battlezone
Below the Root / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Boulder Dash II: Rockford's Revenge / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Bruce Lee
BurgerTime
Centipede
Commando
Conflict in Vietnam
Crossfire (IBM PCjr version) / Formaster Copylock
Defender
Dig Dug
Donald Duck Alphabet Chase
Donald Duck's Playground / Softguard SUPERLoK 2.0.3
Eden Blues
F-15 Strike Eagle
Frogger / On-Line Systems Protection #1
Galaxian (Tengen version by Thunder Mountain)
Galaxian (Atari version)
Gremlins / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Guerrilla War
Hacker II / Vault PROLok 2.0
Hard Hat Mack / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Harrier Combat Simulator / Weak Bits Generic Implementation
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road
Jungle Hunt / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Karnov
King's Quest I (IBM PCjr version) / Non-standard Sector Sizes
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne
Lock On
Lode Runner
Marble Madness / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Microsoft Flight Simulator (v1.00) / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Microsoft Flight Simulator (v2.10)
Moon Patrol
Mr. Cool / Formaster Copylock
Ms. Pac-Man (Namco version by Thunder Mountain)
Murder on the Zinderneuf / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
One-on-One / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Pac-Man (Namco version by Thunder Mountain)
Pinball Construction Set / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Pitstop II / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Robotron 2084
Seven Cities of Gold, The / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Sid Meier's Pirates! (v432.03) / Non-standard Sector Sizes
Sierra Championship Boxing
Silent Service
Solo Flight
Spiderbot / Waydisk Minder
Stargate
Summer Games II
Super Boulder Dash / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Timothy Leary's Mind Mirror / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Touchdown Football
Trivia 101
Troll's Tale / Formaster Copylock
TV and Cinema 101 Trivia from Talkies to Trekkies
Ulysses and the Golden Fleece / On-Line Systems Protection #1
Will Harvey's Music Construction Set / Electronic Arts IBM Interlock
Winter Games
Wizard and the Princess / Formaster Copylock
World Games / Non-standard Sector Sizes

If any related titles are missing don't hesitate to post updates, please. Also, it would be great to know which tools and software/hardware combinations are most suitable for every specific type of CP method e. g. Teledisk, Transcopy, Kryoflux, Supercard Pro, etc. This has been discussed sparsely on different boards, but I think it's time to consolidate it all into one thread. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by Moebius on Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

vlad557776
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Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 10:11 am

Re: IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by vlad557776 »

Games? You forgot Balance of Power 1985. It's a game made for Windows 1.0. It even bundled a Windows 1.01 runtime.

The dump from WinWorld includes TransCopy and PSI images (but it looks like only the game disk is protected, other 2 with the runtime are not protected and dumped to raw images).

Don't know which type of protection this thing uses. I'll PM you later with the disk image and some more information.
The developer of Win1 Packet - https://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewt ... 59&t=40233
The developer of IM1024 INSTALL.BAT Patch: https://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewt ... 59&t=40317

Moebius
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Re: IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by Moebius »

vlad557776 wrote:Games? You forgot Balance of Power 1985. It's a game made for Windows 1.0. It even bundled a Windows 1.01 runtime.

The dump from WinWorld includes TransCopy and PSI images (but it looks like only the game disk is protected, other 2 with the runtime are not protected and dumped to raw images).

Don't know which type of protection this thing uses. I'll PM you later with the disk image and some more information.
Thank you, the list has been updated! Interestingly enough, we have this game in raw IMA/IMG format, but I didn't know it's protected because it ran fine. I just checked PROGRAM.IMG and it does look like CP is actually there, you can't mistake them patterns.

yksoft1
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Re: IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by yksoft1 »

Chinese developers even used disk-based + hard disk fingerprint-based protection in 1995, even in some Windows 3.1 software.
For example, Kingsoft's WPS NT for DOS and Pangu Office for Windows 3.1 uses BITLOK protection system developed by Lei Jun, who later co-founded and leaded Xiaomi.

Moebius
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Re: IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by Moebius »

yksoft1 wrote:Chinese developers even used disk-based + hard disk fingerprint-based protection in 1995, even in some Windows 3.1 software.
For example, Kingsoft's WPS NT for DOS and Pangu Office for Windows 3.1 uses BITLOK protection system developed by Lei Jun, who later co-founded and leaded Xiaomi.
Thank you, noted.

Vilmar Vampyr
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Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:44 pm

Re: IBM PC disk-based copy protection schemes and games

Post by Vilmar Vampyr »

Thank you for this! I believe the original Microsoft Adventure also had a protection on it, but the disk appears to be quite rare nowadays. Anyway, pcjs has a blog entry regarding this. Unfortunately, I do not have an original disk to determine this, just going by what I read.

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