Removal of Activation Overlay/Watermark in unactivated RTM. Need Help!

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by dummekuehe, Aug 7, 2012.

  1. betonesto

    betonesto MDL Novice

    Oct 5, 2010
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    Hi. can you please post the original so we can compare. For some reason my file is a different size i'm using the same version of windows???
     
  2. LiveFreeDead

    LiveFreeDead MDL Member

    Aug 3, 2012
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  3. Mrx47

    Mrx47 MDL Addicted

    Apr 6, 2011
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    @woot332: Can you please make also a x64 patch? Thank you!
     
  4. LiveFreeDead

    LiveFreeDead MDL Member

    Aug 3, 2012
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  5. aurise

    aurise MDL Novice

    Jun 3, 2007
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    #45 aurise, Aug 10, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2012
    LiveFreeDead im very pleased with your commitment to get this nasty bugger patched
    as for woot332 he probably doesn't have x64 cpu if that's so maybe it would be a good idea to upload
    the original twinui.dll x64 version for him if he decides to do the patching.
     
  6. WinFührer

    WinFührer MDL Novice

    Jun 17, 2011
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    #47 WinFührer, Aug 10, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2012
    I have Ida64

    What do I look in the code?
     
  7. LiveFreeDead

    LiveFreeDead MDL Member

    Aug 3, 2012
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    I have that too, but that is the hardest tool to edit asm commands or hex. It doesn't offer any context menu command for editing the data, they are all about tracing as read only. If I could figure out IDA I may have a lot more to offer. The thing I find with IDA is that it makes virtual addresses and this makes the hex positions even harder to determine as it jumps to the code block position and not the current command position when you sync your Flowchart/code listing to the Hex Window.
     
  8. WinFührer

    WinFührer MDL Novice

    Jun 17, 2011
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    I use w32dasm to listing and editing code.
    What is reference adress to fragment code?
     
  9. woot332

    woot332 MDL Senior Member

    Feb 18, 2011
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    @LiveFreeDead lol, as for a x64 patch maybe patching the first instruction
    with a retn (C3h) could work?. Haven't had time to download Windows 8 x64 version
    and it does take some time to test. twinui.dll file size changed coz resource
    BITMAP\7701,7703,7704 was swapped out with alpha transparent images.


    example:
    CALL sub

    sub:
    PUSH EBP ---> RETN (C3h byte)
    MOV EBP,ESP
     
  10. LiveFreeDead

    LiveFreeDead MDL Member

    Aug 3, 2012
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  11. Fragil1ty

    Fragil1ty MDL Novice

    Aug 10, 2012
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    I don't really know as this thread is all over the place in my opinion.

    What are the steps, in lament terms on getting rid of the watermark on x64 - Professional edition.
     
  12. LiveFreeDead

    LiveFreeDead MDL Member

    Aug 3, 2012
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    #56 LiveFreeDead, Aug 10, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2012
    Ok I've placed it in my x64 VM to test to see if the address I traced and the file you patched works :D, be damn great if it does, will take 4 hours minimum for effects to be known, I'll report more in 7-8 hours when I wake up. Or if anything occurs before then.

    Keep in mind mine was just an idea to skip the call to the function that draws the text to the screen, I have no way of knowing if I picked the right one or not, woot said their was 2 addresses to patch in the x86 so it may not work still. I did notice I was unable to open your patched on in PEExplorer, but I can the original, so the whole thing may fail (I don't recommend anyone try it on a real OS yet, even if your curious :p).

    -EDIT-

    We're still working on a x64 solution, woot332 knows what he's doing but is yet to get x64 let alone patching it like his working x86 version :),WinF?hrer has just tried my patching method I traced, but we need to wait 4 hours for it to take effect (the Watermark can not be invoked manually yet). I can say that the patched twinui.dll above was able to boot fine and the Metro and charms bar are still working fine, so it may be safe to use still, just not sure if it'll work or not yet :D
     
  13. gersma

    gersma MDL Junior Member

    Sep 20, 2008
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    #57 gersma, Aug 10, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2012
    is the zippyshare downloadable dll for x64 and does it remove the activate overlay?

    ignore this post, answer above ..
     
  14. aurise

    aurise MDL Novice

    Jun 3, 2007
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    don't rush it LiveFreeDead is testing it atm and will report as soon as possible
     
  15. gersma

    gersma MDL Junior Member

    Sep 20, 2008
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    i had my reply window open and then i was called away, when i posted my reply 15 min later he already had answered my question. my bad ..
     
  16. betonesto

    betonesto MDL Novice

    Oct 5, 2010
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    offset address

    Thanks Woot332 is it possible you can give us the offset address of the call that gets returned, or a way to find it.
    thanks for all your work and time...