View source for MIX protectors

'''MIX protectors''' are tools used to alter valid [[MIX|MIX files]] in a way that makes them unreadable with [[XCC Mixer]] and similar tools, but still leaves them working with the game they're coming from.

The primary technique used for this is mangling the header field storing the body size to generate an invalid value. Westwood's games seem to ignore the header information (thus allowing them to use the MIX despite the wrong header), while XCC compares the stated body size to the actual body size, and rejects the MIX if the stated body size is bigger than the actual body size.

==XRML LeechKiller==
Originally released by [[User:Saberhawk|Saberhawk]] in 2005, '''LeechKiller''' is the oldest MIX protector available in the community. According to [[Unprotecting a protected MIX|the information made public by aristurtle]], LeechKiller uses a randomized header mangling technique described in his post; in addition to that, DCoder [http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=9943#pid9943 described in 2007] that LeechKiller also erases the internal reference to XCC's file index (lmd.dat) inside the mix, making it even harder to recover the contents.

It is of note that, even back then, it had already [http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=10035#pid10035 been admitted] that a little bit of math would restore the MIX.

=="DCoder's tool"==
It is planned that '''DCoder's MIX DLL''' will include protection capabilities, however, this DLL has yet to be released. DCoder has [http://ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=159847#159847 stated] that his tool will use the same method of protection as [[#XRML_LeechKiller|LeechKiller]].
:''Once released, the DLL will be used by '''[[LaunchBase:Overview|LaunchBase]]''', thus giving modders the ability to effortlessly create protected MIXs as part of the development process, without special preparation.''

==MIX Protector==
'''MIX Protector''' is a tool released in 2007 by [[User:CnCVK|VK]]. According to aristurtle, MIX Protector's protection is weaker than LeechKiller's, as it always increases the same position by the same value - this stands in contrast to [http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=9927#pid9927 statements by VK] claiming "you can't restore it back" as well as [http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=10049#pid10049 hints] towards more advanced techniques like "size cheking" [sic] and "CRC cheking" [sic].

==See also==
*[[MIX|MIX files]]
*[http://www.deezire.net/forums/red-alert-2-yuris-revenge-editing/7417-xrml-leechkiller.html#post85196 Announcement thread for LeechKiller on DeeZire]
*[http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=9916#pid9916 Announcement thread for MIX Protector on RPNF]
*[http://ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=159847#159847 Commentary by DCoder (on PPM)]
*[http://forums.renegadeprojects.com/showthread.php?tid=770&pid=9943#pid9943 Commentary by DCoder (on RPNF)]
*[http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=307837#307837 Unprotecting a protected MIX (original post on PPM)]
*[[Unprotecting a protected MIX|Unprotecting a protected MIX (formatted version on ModEnc)]]
*[[Unprotector:RA2YR_MIX_Unprotector_Master|Recover Protected MIX Files using RA2YR MIX Unprotector Master]]
*[http://forums.revora.net/index.php?showtopic=59056 Brief discussion on Revora about the practical use of MIX protection]
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