imbaleetskillz anyone?

[Dziunglius]

Here's the deal,

As far as I know, every single PC has a hKey, a key that lets you identify a machine. For reasons unknown, I need to change this key. Is there a way to do it? I've tried googling around, but unsuccessfuly. Using XP windows SP3. I've thought that some of you might know something Is there a way to edit it through the registry? Would installing a different OS help? Could BIOS be the answer?
Oh and searching through the registry for the key itself did not give any results.

Help is more than welcome,

I want your babies,

Vik

 

[Dark_Angel]

I've never heard of a hkey that uniquely identifies your machine, I can't imagine why you'd need one, either.

A MAC address uniquely identifies your machine, but I don't think thats what you're talking about, nor is it possible to change this.

 

[Dziunglius]

This hKey is a 16 character combination of numbers and lower-case characters and it seems that every machine has one of these. I've heard bout this today for the first time when my friend got banned from one mmo. As far as I know, some online games use this code to prevent unwanted machines from connecting. It is a strange system and I want to know more about it.

 

[f0xx]

What you are talking about is definately not HotKey. Perhaps you mean phisical adress, or even IP adress, but by definition HotKey = a key (or combination of keys) of your keyboard which does an action.

I would suggest googling either IP adress and Phisical adress.

Just to give a small example - the HotKey combo to bring up the task manager is Ctrl+Alt+Del.
The HotKey combo to bring up your start up menu is Ctrl+Esc.

 

[Dziunglius]

I'll look into the physical adress, as that's something I've never heard before either, but it definitely is not an IP adress.

 

[f0xx]

I've heard bout this today for the first time when my friend got banned from one mmo. As far as I know, some online games use this code to prevent unwanted machines from connecting. It is a strange system and I want to know more about it.

Usually, when you get banned from something on the internet, be it an online game, online chat or something else, most of the times the ban is directed at your IP, since changing your IP usually results in evading the ban.

 

[Dziunglius]

I get that, but the problem in this case is that loging in is not a problem with the same IP adress, 2 PC's with 1 IP adress, 1 can log on to the account, the other can't.

To DA: MAC adress can be changed and was, no results tho, it uses some other system to identify a machine.
We've tried even editing the MAC adress so that the system could not see a difference between the 2 PCs with no effect, it still gets the one it banned. MAC can not be the answer there, using 1 router for both of the PCs.

The information with the ban was: IP: [an ip adress here](which was quite irrelevant), hKey: [16 digit,lower-case letter and number combination] which seems to be the key. After talking to the administrator, all he said was: "Removing a ban from this automated system takes some effort and I cba to do that, you want to play: get a new PC."(That's the short version)

 

[Dark_Angel]

What you are talking about is definately not HotKey. Perhaps you mean phisical adress, or even IP adress, but by definition HotKey = a key (or combination of keys) of your keyboard which does an action.

I would suggest googling either IP adress and Phisical adress.

Just to give a small example - the HotKey combo to bring up the task manager is Ctrl+Alt+Del.
The HotKey combo to bring up your start up menu is Ctrl+Esc.

He didnt mean hotkey mate, he meant hkey, which stands for "Handle to Registry Key".

Dz, can you tell us what game you're talking about? Is it online/web-based or is it a game you install?

 

[Dziunglius]

I've been thinking about it and, since we're pirates and not playing legaly, I recon that protection system uses one or more scripts to make use of those open ports which we use to connect to the server. It could gather more information than required, see all the other soft we're using, probably even identify our system by one or another standart(tbh I have no idea if it does that and what it does whatsoever, these are just pure thoughts). Is there anyone more familiar with such mechanics? What information could be gathered?


It's Lineage2, an install-able game.


Now as I'm playing on an official server I can tell, that cheating there is so much easier, as these protections can not be added due to violation of human rights(probably) and other law documents(EULA?). People playing do not agree to give their information away.

 

[Garrett]

perhaps when installing the mmo software they placed the key in your registry so their programs can identify the individual computer. not so much that your comp automatically comes with this key.

you/your friend needs to look at the installation package... find out if someone has reverse engineered it and look on google to see if someone has identified the mmo's key that imbeds in the registry.

(i skimmed over most of the responses)


now hotkeyboard pro is a fun program, but not what you are after.

 

[Dark_Angel]

It sounds to me you're describing flawed anti-piracy software server-side.

Doesnt look to be much you can do your end.

 

[Twigley]

HWID?

Hardware ID.

 

[Welshie]

aren't the keys in the windows registry called HKEYs ? I guess the program makes some registry entries, nothing more mystical than that.

 

[Polo]

aren't the keys in the windows registry called HKEYs ? I guess the program makes some registry entries, nothing more mystical than that.

Indeed.

 

[BlackWolf]

Pretty normal for a game to generate its own unique ID key from some parameters of the comp. Sounds like reinstalling windows and you can play again thing to me. If you cant google for some people who have found this hkey and how to delete it from registery, and then make new account. Simple thing is to use start/run/regedit and then search for that hkey if you know it. That admin guy sounds like complete idiot, he cant be gathering more info from your comp than your comp allows and its usually not that much really. To actually dig deeper and collect stuff like what you have on comp etc should ring some bells on online community and such people would be publicly claimed very fast.

As such I suggest first to remove, then maybe run some reg cleaning software, try searching for that ID, reinstall and then try again from different IP. If no success then format windows... if still no success than I must say I am very confused too. The one last thing is as Twigley said hardware ID which is what windows generates for you every time you install it, change some stuff in your comp etc. and if it changes enought you must "reregister" your windows. Tho it still exists to my understanding it was given up by windows long time ago...

Easy way to test that is to took something out of your comp (if you can) like sound card, some other add on card, CD-rom drive or so and then try reinstalling... and try playing. as your ID should be different than what it was when you installed last time... I doubt they keep updating those IDs of the game every time you run or so... sounds bit hard to keep up with bans like that. Problem may be that windows may generate such number only when its installed... as such you would need to change yoursetup and then reinstall windows to change that number.... but mysterious are microsofts ways so I can not say... first time I hear of such ban anyways.

 

[Dziunglius]

Regedit search for the key was the first action taken with no results. Removing/adding any hardware without reinstalling windows does not solve this. The key is in the registry of the pc, as the game kills itself when RegMon is running as a counter reaction to prevent ban bypassing.

Registry was the first thing that came to my mind, but the problem is: there is a zillion of hkey information in the registry, searches did not give any results.

 

[Garrett]

how about a search on the game itself and the type of ban or how it goes about banning? surely someone has talked about being banned on some forum somewhere...

other than that, i fear there is little else you are going to gain from this thread.

format hard drive replace hard drive. is it really worth all that? contact admin/company about the ban? make amends? etc etc etc

 

[Dziunglius]

It ain't worth **** tbh, but it's just human curiosity that drives me and my friend. We want to crack this one. If googling would have helped I wouldn't have turned up here. Thanks for help and ideas to all of you.

 

[Hippie]

whenever you install a game, it creates a file in the registry. maybe if you can find that file you might be able to modify it. mind you though, it is never a good idea to modify the registry if you have no idea what you are doing...