Agilent options -=recovery=? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 11:33:36 am
content: Since the lecroy thread was so helpful I wonder if there's a similar "recovery" option for those old Agilent infinium scopes? Since the early ones are getting cheap now it would be nice to get one of the later ones running XP and have some options "recovered".Did a search but all I found was that some people have modified the scope software to enable features, and another guy had looked at the key system but didn't say anything more than that he could generate keys.It appears these very old scopes use an old and insecure version of FlexLM so "key recovery" should be possible (I'm sure Agilent has improved the system on newer scopes so "key recovery" wouldn't work there unless they still use the same old insecure FlexLM version, which would be criminally stupid).So, is there a tool like the one for the old lecroy scopes that can "recover" option keys for the old infinum scopes?

author: darkstar49
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 11:50:26 am
content: QuoteDefinitely out-of-scope for this thread... but the short answer is 'no'. There's no commonly available tool that let's you generate valid keys for Agilent scopes.Hacks exist for several lines of scopes, but either by enabling service mode, or by patching the binaries to allow arbitrary keys to be seen as 'valid'...(this is based on my personal knowledge... I might not be aware of all tools/hacks)

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 12:07:27 pm
content: The existing option keys for each scope should be in a (hidden) text file in the scope/bin folder so just make this file viewable under windows and make a safe copy of it. I think all users should do this as a sensible precaution against a HDD failure. Then simply paste it back into the folder with the new OS or HDD.

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 12:11:14 pm
content: There are keygens for many other programs that use the same old FlexLM version, so I can't see why it shouldn't work for the old infinums. Another member has apparently done it already, he just didn't tell us how exactly he did it but it appears for him it was rather easy.Patching files often has other side effects, i.e. addons no longer working or stability issues.

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 12:12:49 pm
content: How does copying the existing license file help to enable new features?

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 12:26:21 pm
content: Sorry, I thought your initial post was referring to key recovery so you could recover the existing licence keys and safely change the OS to XP without losing the existing options. Otherwise they would be lost when the HDD was wiped (unless they are already stamped on a sticker somewhere on the chassis).

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 01:24:11 pm
content: I'm actually looking for "recovery" of the same kind as in the lecroy recovry thread - recovering those options that the original owner forgot to order

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 02:24:38 pm
content: There is a guy selling old XP based Infiniums on eBay. He blurs out the key and serial number in the screen shots showing all the options enabled. My guess is he got a scope with all the options enabled and is simply cloning that disk image. I was considering one until I looked at the 6 fans on the side.

author: darkstar49
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 02:40:55 pm
content: I surely can't pretend to know everything, but all hacks I've seen so far for Agilent/Keysight scopes (that do not consist in activating options in service mode, i.e. with the * in front of it...), patch the executable(s) to disable the key verification code, i.e. they bypass it and have the software behave as if the key (i.e. any key) was valid...But I'd love to be wrong and see some pointers pop up in this thread...

author: Mr Nutts
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2018, 05:13:00 pm
content: Have a look at these threads:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/agilent-infiniium-dso8000a-hacking-anyone-done-this/?alland especiallyhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/re-enabling-options-on-an-agilent-dso81204a/?allwhere another member clearly managed to produce valid keys. You should know these threads as you posted in themThe software is the same for all those old infiniums that run XP, and that means the key system is the same, too.Patching files to accept all keys is an alternative but more “dirty”, and there can often be side effects. I made contact with a former member of this forum, and he told me that on his old Infinum the modified exe causes occasional hangs of the software during startup. Also it seems other software that relies on the scope program can act up as well.Considering that there are so many applications that use the same FlexLM version have been hacked, I would think that for a creative person with the necessary skills (i.e. not me) it should be easy to build a key generator for the old infinum scopes. Because FlexLM is so vulnerable there should be a lot helpful information floating around, probably more so than for lecroy (and still, there are keygens for them).And I'd bet there are more of these old Agilent scopes around than lecroys

author: pquadrat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2019, 01:15:12 pm
content: Seems that Agilent used this option licensing scheme on a lot of products.Just for educational purpose, are others interested in working on the logic of how the keys were generated?For Example, the potions of the ESG signal generators are an example, or the key system for the 89601A or B VSA software.Only for the obsolte/no longer supported ones, of course.Maybe someone can trow in some tips, I have some sets of host IDs and options codes for the ESGs.