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Cracks And Numbers RIP? Not Exactly.

What ever happened to Cracks and Numbers?  Well the author got fed up with the people who program the software making it so you could not use any codes from C&N in there software.  Some software would go so far as to corrupt itself as soon as you typed a pirated code in it.  

For those of you who dont know what C&N is, it is a collection of serial numbers and hacks with its own application to view them in a database form.  Its been around for years now and will continue to exist because of the need for serial numbers for pirated software.

So at this moment C&N has gone deep underground and you have to know trusted sources to get a copy of it or be very lucky to find a copy laying around.  C&N is also not a monthly issue anymore.  So there is no more C&N Febuary, C&N March, there will just be new issues when the author decides he has enough serial numbers to release the next issue.  So if you see an issue of C&N February floating around its a fake.  Ive seen many of these and they are simply a hacked version of January's with a few serial numbers tossed in (proubly whatever the person could find) and packed up to say C&N Feb.  Its not the real issue.

Hopefully C&N will surface back up to the public, but for now the macintosh pirates of the world have to use alternative databases for thier serial numbers.  HackUser and HackersNest are the best choices for reliable source of numbers.  Another great application for making serial numbers is called Bucks Serial Number Generator.  This program lets you pick the program you want to hack, type in you name and generate a serial number customized to your name.  Also makes random serials for many software applications, control panels and extensions.

Actual letter from the author of C&N below:

The Problem:  company access to C&N:

I have been contacted repeatedly by the various krakers/hackers in our elite community about the proliferation and easy availability of C&N in even public domain areas of the Internet.  This easy access to the C&N file is making their job of finding the serial numbers and cracking the files more difficult.  Although it is wonderful that so many people have easy access to the numbers, at the same time the companies also have access to the numbers and have been using this access to write the numbers out of existence as fast as the crackers can find them.  Often a number is made obsolete in the month after C&N is issued.

The Need:  company access to C&N must be eliminated:

If companies could not easily access the C&N file, then the need to re-crack software on a monthly basis would be eliminated. This means that not only C&N but also the various clone lists must have a much more controlled circulation. As an interesting oxymoron, the file that helps prevent restrictions on software access, must itself become restricted.

The Solution:  controlling the spread of C&N:

In order to control the company access to C&N, I will be undertaking a series of steps that I have put off for a year too long:

1.
In order to cut down on the cloning of the C&N list I will recombine

the Nov. 1995 archival serial numbers with the current list. I will also

add any new numbers from Buck’s last list and from HackUser 

Jan 1998 Edition. This should eliminate the need for all the ‘complete’

lists that are floating around. I will keep the existing format, so that about

400 cracks and 2000 numbers that are NOT in the current  ‘complete’

lists will still be available. This large increase in file size will mean

changing memory allocation to the viewer to avoid crashes.

2.
The viewer will be distributed in the Feb 1998 issue only, after which

just the text file will be distributed.

3.
C&N will no longer be posted on any boards. A serialized copy will be 

given to users by personal request only. BTW, if I don’t KNOW you,

don’t bother to ask.

4.
All sysops of the boards I frequent will be given 10 serialized copies

to hand out to their users. If you have a good working relationship 

with your sysop, get your copy there.  I will be contacting all the BBS

sysops to see if they will be willing to get involved in the distribution

of C&N.  Zeus will also have 10 copies for distribution.

5.
My hope is that this will cut down the total available copies every

month to about 100 and will keep them out of the ‘wrong’ hands.

I am hoping that these measures will be enough to ‘help’ with the problem.  I realize that it is impossible to stop the spread of C&N, but this will hopefully slow it down enough to give our crackers a bit of breathing space.

The Future:  if these mild restrictions do not work:

Not a threat here, just a fact. I have been speaking with Buck Rogers, and if these measures do not stop C&N from its current over-distribution, future issues will go out to people I know only with PGP keys to encrypt them.

 *** Of course any user found uploading his C&N file will automatically be OFF the list of recipients! ***

If you have comments or ideas, please pop me some personal mail.  
(Constructive ideas only please, I really don’t have time for ranting!)