.DMS Access?

[Dengle]

Just to reiterate a problem I conveyed earlier in the mod section - does anyone know of any software or any method in which I could get into some very old Dms archives. The problem I have is that they were saved with password protection and basically I've forgotten them all after all these years. On advice from Paul (The Green Amiga Alien) I downloaded 'xDms' which he kindly offered (I thank you for this) but it obviously still required a password. Sorry to bother you all. Thanks.

[Akira]

I suppose you need a DMS password cracker... have you tried looking for one on the Aminet?

http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/aminet

[Dengle]

Sorry for the wait. Yes I have looked on Aminet but without success. I was actually posing the question from a PC pespective as I don't have access to my Amiga at the moment. I was wondering what type of encryption the Dms system is based upon. Perhaps it's similar to other types (Lha, Lzx etc) although I admit I know very little about this field. It's beginning to look as if I may never open these files at all!

[Amigaboy]

I've never seen a DMS password cracker

I've looked for one for many years now but with no luck

I have no idea how the DMS format works either. If I did, maybe I could have tried writing a brute forcer

I would love to see a password cracker though. On every Amiga Format CD, there was the Subscribers disk which was always a DMS protected file. I would love to see what kind of stuff subscribers got :)

[Dengle]

Many years ago I tried encypting files with a series of numbers or letters to try to determine whether each letter initiated a pattern of encryption, in the hope of being able to cross reference the hex code from my inaccessible Dms files with my experimental ones. I know this sounds very lame, but I was young at the time. But I suppose every archive would have been encrypted with a different algorithm or something wouldn't it?

[Paul]

Give this tool for the Amiga a try with DMS password cracker.

1. Copy xdms to C in Workbench.
2. Use CLI or shell

Hope this helps and works. Found tool with Google.

This is a newer version with DMS password cracker but it only works on the Amiga or emulated Amiga. Could not find the ms-dos one.


Ian: Removed Xdms, available at the WinUAE (http://www.codepoet.com/UAE/index.htm) site

[Dengle]

Sorry about this Paul but it was me who enquired about this problem in the 'mods' section. I downloaded Xdms there and used it in MsDos in Windows on the Dms files stored on my machine. I was under the impression that this program was for the PC and when I ran the program it simply stated that a password was required. I could view the contents of my inaccessible .dms files but without a password there would be no unpacking. If this Xdms can be used within the Workbench environment using Winfellow would I be able to copy and paste it into a Adf file somehow? Or I am completely stupid?

[Paul]

I will get back to you. PLEASE send a password protected dms file or direct me to a web site with one to test so I can help you more.

It is a good idea to register to be able to get into ADF-Zone.

[Dengle]

I appreciate your help. The most simple thing to do would be to get one of the problematic .dms files to you, but I suspect that I may have stored some pretty private files in there (probably CV's and letters - the Amiga was in regular use from other family members) so I wouldn't be happy doing that. I suppose I could try and work out something on the Amiga using Winfellow.

Well I must go for a while to save the telephone bills, I'll come back online around midnight (I should be sick of playing IssPro2 with Vgs by then too!). Thanks again...

[Paul]

;) Good news
I have made my own encrypt dms file to test the decrypt new function in xdms for the Amiga.

:nervous Bad news
I have tried to decrypt my own dms file by typing in CLI/SHELL window

xdms c path:filename.dms

Now it should show you your password but when I get to this stage it counts up crc numbers and that’s it. Left it doing this for 15 mins but when I came back it was still counting so I quit the emulator. So it is not straightforward and looks like it takes a long time to do this.

If you do manage to decrypt password you then type

xdms u -p password path:filename.dms path:filename.adf

Now I give up, I wish there was a quicker way to do this.

Sorry I cannot be anymore helpful.:sad


Ian: Removed screenshot.

[Dengle]

Paul - your help and assistance will not be forgotten, I appreciate your efforts. I'm new to this place and I'm surprised by the positive responses. Thanks again Paul and to everyone else. All I can do is keep trying. I may well join eventually...

[Amigaboy]

I tried it and got a similar response

The count stopped at #0087 for a file I tried

Either that's the offset for the password, or the program doesn't work properly

[Twistin'Ghost]

Well, it does say in the readme that it is beta, so...

Still, I have some old DMS files that have needed decrypting for about 7 years (clearly, I never gave up on being able to decrypt them after forgetting my password!) I may attempt decrypting them on my A2000 by starting it up and letting it run while I am at work or something. If it's still running when I get home, then I will just wait on a later release.

[Dengle]

Here's what I did using Winfellow:

Got into workbench, copied the following into Ram:
Xdms.exe
Crc.exe
Disk.dms

Set off Xdms on its little mission to crack the file with:
Xdms c Disk.dms

About 20 minutes later it stopped and gave me a hex reading #---- (obviously the #---- was a series of hex digits but I forget now). Then after reading the supplied .readme file I type up:
XDms -p #---- x Disk.dms

Then it comes up with 'probably the wrong password' - well why did the Crc program stop searching then? Maybe the experts here could take a closer look at the Crc.exe file as it initiates plenty of options when run through workbench which I don't understand. Or have you all gone to bed?

[Twistin'Ghost]

Well, I am definitely no expert, but I will look at it when I get home and see if I can make anything out of the crc options. I still have to make it work for me, too.

I'll report my experiences after I muck with it for a bit.

Oh, and I quit sleeping. Filthy habit!

[Paul]

Here is where I got the DMS password cracker from if interested

http://www.xfilesystem.freeserve.co.uk/

[Twistin'Ghost]

I tested it on a file. It appeared to have decrypted it and provided a CRC value, which I used to make an adf. The disk image was invalid, however, so I guess that's a caveat of using beta software.

[Dengle]

Oh well. Thanks for your time anyway. Maybe it'll be sorted out eventually.