How To Reset Trial Period On Mac

This article aims to requite an overall description of diverse strategies on time trials of software. Its findings are mostly applicable for Mac Os X (Snowfall Leopard), but some findings are general for other Unices and unix-like systems (Linux). A basic knowledge of Mac (or some other unix or unix-like) system is required.

It is not intended to encourage somebody to repeatedly reset the trial period in purpose to use the commercial software without payment, hence no hints for concrete software are included.

Time trials in general

Fourth dimension trials permit developers to offer their software to potential customers for a brusk period of fourth dimension (more often than not 2-4 weeks) so the user can explore this software in his preferred settings (own computer, calm place etc.) and decide to buy it. The trial software is sometimes combined with reduced functionality (e.g. if the output is an image, it contains a watermark with the proper noun of the application). After the trial period expires, the awarding stops work (e.yard. Slidepad) or the functionality is significantly reduced (east.g. you cannot save annihilation — applications from iWork).

Men is more often than not a curious creature, so he/she wonders how the applications knows, when the trial time started, wether the time trial is over and wether information technology is possible practice some trick (I hateful simple fob, not reverse applied science) and reset the trial menstruum.

Mutual ways how to implement trial time

When you download and install the software with trial fourth dimension, the application (software) must get know, when the trial period started and wether the trial menstruum is finished. So let's retrieve how to tell the application the start engagement of the trial period:

• The application "phones" home. If it does, annihilation is possible, and so I won't to analyse this example.
• The applications wait onto "creation" appointment of its binary (or other) files, for example. This method is a fleck pointless, considering in that location is zero such a "cosmos date" of a file. There are several timestamps on a file, but each of them tin can exist changed by the system (if you copy files, the new files may have the same timestamps every bit the original file). Moreover technically speaking such a trial is measured from installation date, which may differ from the first usage date (preinstalled computers). I haven't met any software which uses this blazon of starting of the trial period.
• The application is informed from exterior – the nearly mutual is probably registration process when you lot enter your electronic mail address on the developer's page and an email is sent to you with some code you enter into the application. The code contains data about showtime or stop appointment of the trial and has some redundancy (checksum), and then it is non easy to fake the date. The application doesn't work without the code. Case of such an application: Araxis Merge.
• Another method which is more than comfortable for user is that the application stores silently the information about start of the trial menstruation somewhere in the estimator. When the application is run for the first time, a dialog appears with the information that the application is non registered and y'all have some fourth dimension to try and explore it. In afterward runs it usually displays how many days all the same you can use it. This case looks very appealing for a curious man who wonders: "How is it washed"? So we will subsequently explain some bones methods. Case: Apple iWork.

Time trials overview

I leave aside the question, how the awarding computes the end of trial period. I assume that it simply takes electric current date and subtracts the start date. So one tin can recall that it if he/she changes the current date in the computer, the application will think that the trial is not over. Yes, it may work, but delight practise non endeavor it on unix (unix-similar) system, this may lead to unexpected consequences. Moreover Macs use by default NTP (Network Time Protocol) daemon which synchronises the clock (it is convenient for normal user — it always displays the precise fourth dimension).

Bones analysis

In this section we will analyse in detail the terminal detail from the previous list.

Offset of all nosotros must say that the information well-nigh trial period must be hidden somewhere in the filesystem. I don't know about any system service where you can store some arbitrary information and and so option it up. So the question is: "Where it is?". In the post-obit text we will talk about "hidden data" (as developers tend to hide this from the user).

There are several types of installations in Mac Os:

• classical installation bundle (.pkg, .mpkg) they are installed by Installer.app (/Applications/Utilities/Installer.app)
• applications with a special installer (technically at that place is no reason why it cannot be done by installation bundle above, developers probably don't like to reveal their installation process)
• application bundles — they are but copied into the Applications folder (it is only a convention, they can exist run from anywhere), so it tin can be hardly considered every bit an installation.

The kickoff ii groups tin can maybe store some information during the installation process on any place on the disc (it runs with Administrator privileges), but to be honest I don't know any such awarding. The last grouping cannot shop any information, which needs admin privileges. From these sentences we can deduce that it the application itself, not the installer, who stores the hidden information somewhere.

First run

And then we run an application from our user account (without admin privileges). The awarding stores somewhere data that the trial period has started, and then guess where it is?

• Habitation folder – yes, this is a place where it tin write, and it is the simply reasonable location.
• Some other place – equally system temporary directory or cache, but it is not very reliable for the developer, considering the information may be lost after restart or some regular cleanup (without intention to interruption anything).
• Some hidden place on unused part of (physical) disc (there may be some free space after the final division on the concrete disc) — this shouldn't exist possible on unix. However I've heard well-nigh application on Windows, whose "protection" survived complete reinstallation of the computer.

Macintosh special features

At present information technology is time to say something more about file organization HFS+ used by Mac Bone X. For each file, yous can store data in the file itself (every bit expected), then also in then chosen Resource Fork (see due east.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_fork) and in extended attributes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_file_attributes). The later on two cases are hidden for normal user (et least at its raw grade, e.g. if you "colour" files in Finder, you use the extended attributes), y'all need use commandline utilities to view them (e.m. lsmac from osxutils, xattr) and it is a bit uncomfortable to display them.

How to find the subconscious data

In this section I will describe basic procedure how to find a place where the application stores the information about the trial catamenia.

In the text above we deduced that the hidden information is in the home directory, where information technology can be in particular?

• on some regular place – applications are expected to save its preferences in a single file in directory ~/Library/Preferences (e.m. com.apple.iWork.Pages.plist, notice, how the name is created — it is very similar to internet accost with reversed order followed by suffix .plist)
• awarding support information in directory like ~/Library/Application Support/AppName (due east.g. ~/Library/Application Support/DVD Player)
• somewhere else – rather common instance. Very popular are files starting with dot, because they are non displayed in Finder past default.

Let's meet our new friends which will help us:

• Finder with subconscious files displayed: search internet for "Show hidden files in Finder". Normally Finder does not display some files (due east.g. name starting with dot – so chosen dot files), considering user does not need to see them ordinarily. Or you can utilize any other file manager.
• Guest user account – (Mac OS specific) user account abode directory is past default created when Invitee logs in and deleted when the Guest logs out, and then after logging out the awarding losts its hidden information. It can be enabled in User preferences/User Accounts
• enabled fast user switching in Mac OS X – you tin log in as Guest without logging out from your ordinary account and vice versa.
• utility fs_usage – open Terminal and type "man fs_usage"
• Instruments.app – it is a frontend to dtrace utility with, it is installed with XCode (/Developer/Applications/Instruments.app).
• another utilities installed together with XCode (in /Developer/Applications/Utilities/) – Holding List Editor.app, FileMerge.app

Now I will requite some advices, how to find the hidden information ordered from easier to harder.

At starting time nosotros must clarify, how to check that the trial was reset. Some applications display a big dialog window with information that this as a trial version etc. In the showtime run and in the consecutive runs it displays only smaller window showing how many days are left. So it is easy to see that the big window appears over again. All the same some applications prove the same window all the time (so there is no indication that y'all start the trial period ), so the only clue is number of days left. In such a example you have to expect one or two days, and check the number of days left. In the following text I will only write something like "check wether the trial time was reset", which may mean to wait one or two days, delight keep this in mind (this is the primary reason to enable fast user switching – you can go along in work in your regular account).

Step ane – preliminary cheque:

1. Login as guest and run the awarding
2. At present logout and login, once more run the application and cheque wether the trial time was reset. If yes, you lot can exist sure that the information is stored in the home directory and you can keep to the step 2. Otherwise it is weird.

Stride ii – try simple tricks:

1. Login equally guest and run the application
2. Quit the application
3. Delete the awarding'southward configuration file (~/Library/Preferences/SOMETHING.plist) and its support directory (~/Library/Awarding Support/SOMETHING).
4. Run the application and check wether the trial fourth dimension was reset. If yes, you lot are lucky, y'all tin try to investigate, which file is actually important (consider also extended attributes).

Pace iii – use Instruments.app

1. Log in as Invitee (if you lot are already logged in, log out first).
2. Run Instruments.app (/Developer/Applications/Instruments.app). From menu on the left mitt side select "File System" and then from the menu on the right hand side select "File Action".
3. In the toolbar open the drop down menu chosen "Launch Executable", select "Launch Executable" and so "Select" and select your awarding.
4. At present click on Record.
5. The Instruments.app runs your awarding. The application probably displays some dialog window, where it informs you that you can endeavor it for several days. Click on Try (or something similar) and then Quit the application.
6. At present study the output from Instruments.app (you can save information technology and written report later–simply remember that Guest's dwelling house is deleted when logging out). Expect for something suspicious, mainly for created files and writes into files. I recommend to first with "Directory I/O" and look for paths in column marked as "To" (files are usually created equally temporary and so renamed). At present go through the files you spot and check their content for anything interesting. Sometimes simply existence of the file is important (its "creation" engagement).
7. Endeavour to delete suspicious files and check wether the trial time was reset. If yes, y'all are done. You lot can play with the files to identify which file is actually important.
8. Sometimes the information is stored in extended attributes, employ xattr to display extended attributes of all files in Guest's home (including /Users/Guest). There will exist several items related to ACL (admission command listing) on several directories, only annihilation else is suspicious.

Step iv – comparison method

1. Log in as Invitee (if you are already logged in, log out kickoff).
2. Open Last and backup all files from the Guest home: tar cvf /tmp/fresh.tar /Users/Guest
3. Run your awarding, showtime the trial period and then Quit the application.
4. Now backup again all files from the Invitee home: tar cvf /tmp/after_run.tar /Users/Guest
5. Switch to your normal user account
6. Now motion both created files from /tmp somewhere and unpack them into dissimilar directories (they both create new directory of the same name). Now utilise FileMerge.app to compare both directories. Again expect for something suspicious.
7. I'm not sure wether FileMerge.app takes into account extended attributes. Probably not. One solution is to unpack the tars on non-Mac organization and then the extended attributes will be unpacked as a file with a prefix "._". Yet there are non many files where to stick the subconscious information. Once again y'all can display all the extended attributes and look for suspicious entries.
8. Try to delete suspicious files and run the application again. Check wether the trial time was reset. If yes, you can play with the files to identify which file is actually important.

Footstep five – using fs_usage

This is the about painful method, so I apply it afterwards failure of previous methods. It is like to usage of Instruments.app, but uses a unlike utility.

1. Log in every bit Guest (if y'all are already logged in, log out get-go).
2. Gear up Finder so you can run your awarding on i doubleclick. Every click in Finder usually produces huge list of accesses to files (go names of all files in a directory, get its extended attributes, icons etc.)
3. Run Terminal and in its preferences set up its output buffer size to some big value – 10000 lines should be enough. Enlarge the Final window and then you can read very long lines (over 100 characters).
4. In Terminal run fs_usage (consult human page for contingent options)
5. Run your application, click on Try (or something similar) and then Quit the awarding.
6. Switch to Last on press Ctrl-c, the fs_usage quits.
7. Copy from Final the output and save it to a text file.
8. Now written report the content of the file. The output from fs_usage may be really huge, so information technology is actually boring activity.
9. Again, look for anything suspicious.

If yous still didn't manage to reset the trial, information technology may have two reasons:

• You lot've omitted something important
• The programmer of the app is really clever.

Source: https://iichamp.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/how-to-reset-trail-programs-on-mac/

Share this post