The following is a method to unprotect MultiLink ver 3.01 to allow booting directly from a hard disk without the need to insert the MultiLink distribution diskette. ENTER COMMENTS ---------------- ------------------------------------ C>copy mlink.com mlink.bak Make a backup first! C>debug mlink.com Start the debug session. -u 4269 Unassemble from address 4269; you should see the following. If you don't, enter 'q' to quit the debug session. xxxx:4269 8036A14132 XOR BYTE PTR [41A1],32 xxxx:426E B90329 MOV CX,2903 xxxx:4271 E81E00 CALL 4292 <-+ xxxx:4274 732D JNB 42A3 |_ need to xxxx:4276 B90829 MOV CX,2908 | change xxxx:4279 E81600 CALL 4292 <-+ xxxx:427C 7325 JNB 42A3 xxxx:427E FE0E602F DEC BYTE PTR [2F60] xxxx:4282 7FEA JG 426E xxxx:4284 FE065F2F INC BYTE PTR [2F5F] xxxx:4288 803E5F2F01 CMP BYTE PTR [2F5F],01 -e 4271 f8 90 90 Change CALL 4292 to CLC, NOP, NOP -e 4279 f8 90 90 Change CALL 4292 to CLC, NOP, NOP -u 42a0 Unassemble from address 42a0. xxxx:42A0 CD21 INT 21 xxxx:42A2 C3 RET xxxx:42A3 A17333 MOV AX,[3373] xxxx:42A6 39067038 CMP [3870],AX <- need to xxxx:42AA 75D8 JNZ 4284 <- change --+ xxxx:42AC 8036A14132 XOR BYTE PTR [41A1],32 <---+ xxxx:42B1 EB02 JMP 42B5 xxxx:42B3 51 PUSH CX xxxx:42B4 06 PUSH ES xxxx:42B5 B8E8FF MOV AX,FFE8 xxxx:42B8 50 PUSH AX xxxx:42B9 8B365600 MOV SI,[0056] xxxx:42BD E871EC CALL 2F31 -e 42a6 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 Change CMP [3870],AX, JNZ 4284, & XOR BYTE PTR [41A1],32 to all NOPs (11 bytes) -u 4370 Unassemble from address 4370. xxxx:4370 F8 CLC xxxx:4371 3B17 CMP DX,[BX] xxxx:4373 740B JZ 4380 xxxx:4375 8D161638 LEA DX,[3816] xxxx:4379 B409 MOV AH,09 xxxx:437B CD21 INT 21 xxxx:437D FA CLI <-- need to xxxx:437E EBFE JMP 437E <-- change xxxx:4380 C606DB0DFF MOV BYTE PTR [0DDB],FF xxxx:4385 33C0 XOR AX,AX xxxx:4387 803E9C0D00 CMP BYTE PTR [0D9C],00 xxxx:438C 740B JZ 4399 xxxx:438E B80031 MOV AX,3100 -e 437d 90 90 90 Change CLI, JMP 437E, to NOP, NOP, NOP -e 3916 20 20 20 Also change "ZZZ" to blank-blank-blank. -w Write out the changes. -q Quit the debug session. *End of MLINK301.UNP*