[MetalSnake]

I know there is an Uninstaller which comes with ShapeShifter but it doesn�t delete all files, for example the prefs are still there, and there are some other files from ShapeShifter but I don�t know where. I want to have a real clean OS when I install any apps so could anyone tell me where the other files are?

[Frisbee]

Running a quick search for 'shapeshifter' should give you everything.

[MetalSnake]

I did already, but found nothing, I think they saved it with a different name to hide it

[timdorr]

search for unsanity.

Also, how do you know there are files from SS, but don't know where they are?

[NetworkShadow]

Just delete the prefpane and any prefs in the prefs folder.

[decursive]

obvious: he wants to reset the shapeshifter time limit.

[MetalSnake]

I searched for Unsanity too, and for Enhancer and for ape

A friend found it out, he uninstalled SS and installed it again some days later (don�t ask me why) and he said it said Demo Expired so it has to save the info somewhere, I tried it here and I get the same when I install it again.

[NetworkShadow]

Wonder if it's an invisible file?

[Ozzpot]

I found a way round the whole demo expiry thing on Unsanity's site. You have to put this 16 digit number into a box and hit the "checkout" button. You then get sent an email with a code to "Krack" the program. How cool is that?



Come on, it's the price of a large pizza for f**k's sake.

[NetworkShadow]

Originally posted by Ozzpot:
I found a way round the whole demo expiry thing on Unsanity's site. You have to put this 16 digit number into a box and hit the "checkout" button. You then get sent an email with a code to "Krack" the program. How cool is that?



Come on, it's the price of a large pizza for f**k's sake.

lol good point. I've got my "krack" for it.

[MetalSnake]

Originally posted by Ozzpot:
I found a way round the whole demo expiry thing on Unsanity's site. You have to put this 16 digit number into a box and hit the "checkout" button. You then get sent an email with a code to "Krack" the program. How cool is that?



Come on, it's the price of a large pizza for f**k's sake.

lol,

but still I don�t want a Krack, I just want to uninstall it

[King Bob On The Cob]

Originally posted by Ozzpot:
I found a way round the whole demo expiry thing on Unsanity's site. You have to put this 16 digit number into a box and hit the "checkout" button. You then get sent an email with a code to "Krack" the program. How cool is that?



Come on, it's the price of a large pizza for f**k's sake.

How about you give a poor 16 year old kid a credit card to put all these "large pizza"s on.

[Ozzpot]

Oh. Well, remember to look in the Preferences and PreferencePanes folders in both your user/library folder and the system/library folder. They could be lurking in either. Also, there is a file in the Preference folders called "Unsanity Installer Receipts.plist". I think it stores data for any haxies that you may have installed, Although I don't know if it stores registration status stuff, and I'm not sure how safe it would be to delete that if you have other haxies installed. I have 6 haxies installed, all registered, and all set up just how I like, so if I deleted a preference file like that accidentally, it could be a pain in the ass!

I'd go for it if I were you. I don't imagine they would install "invisible" files, although it is possible.

[mrtew]

mmmmmm,,, large pizza.

[mrtew]

So let me get this straight... you won't be satisfied that you've got SS completely off your system until you've figured out how to re-set the demo period, and you want to receive this information that would defeat the copy protection and payment requirement of this popular program in a public forum. But you have no intention of reinstalling it once you achieved your goal?

If you want a pefectly clean system with no trace of any program that you've ever tried out, why don't you just do a clean install after wiping your drive? If you're just trying to get another 15 days of shAPEshifter why don't you just use part of that big wad of Christmas money you just got and buy a large pizza AND shAPEshifter instead. You know this kind of discussion is not allowed on MacNN!

[headbirth]

Check your Cache ... their should be folder in there that the uninstaller does not delete.

[MetalSnake]

It�s not allowed to ask where ShapeShifter creates some files? It�s completly legal. I�m thinking about buying it but if it installs some unknown files in my system, maybe I won�t buy it because of that.

[cloudaj]

if someone tells you how to delete all the shapeshifter files then many, many people will avoid registering ever. if someone doesnt tell you then unsanity "looses" one sale. So it aint happening.

why do you feel the need to abuse this system? All its going to do is make it more of a pain in the ass for everyone else in the end. Almost every piece of shareware you've ever installed will have done this same thing. Its common practice. So here you have an issue even greater than one software. This is the norm accross the OS. So if its a problem, rather than having to do this for every program you install, why not just switch operating systems, if its such a huge issue for you to pay oops i mean make sure you're system is "clean".

[sushiism]

i keep trying to buy it but every time i accidently buy a large pizza mm pepperonishifter. nah actually havent installed it yet, waiting till i get off my arse and make my theme im planning then i can make it over the trial and if it goes well INVEST����

[mrtew]

Mmmmmmmmmm.... PeperoniShifter

[H * � �]

Originally posted by cloudaj:
Almost every piece of shareware you've ever installed will have done this same thing. Its common practice.

Sorry, this isn't common practice. A correct UNIX application will create files and directories, invisible or not, in identifiable locations. Usually a person who doesn't buy the product will become tired of reinstalling it, and will then just buy it. I have never seen one like this that doesn't let you completely uninstall it. It makes me nervous when a developer does something like this, what else has been done to my system that I don't know about?

It hasn't worked for me on one of my Macs, demo expired or not. Today I installed it again, I'll check tonight's backup logs to see which files have been created or changed.

I'd like to know how many other people have the same issue. Has anyone has figured out why on some machines it just doesn't work?

[StarManta]

Okay, I too want to get rid of Shapeshifter. Not because I want to keep using it without paying, but because i want to NOT buy it and NOT use it. Every so often it flashes up on the screen saying "Register shapesfiter now!" Thing is I haven't applied any themes since the first day I had SS, and decided I liked the mac default better.
So I did the searching for shapeshifter files, and they're all now in the trash can... and it STILL flashes on the screen wanting me to register!
(And no sarcastic "It'll go away if you pay for it" replies. I am not paying for something I never use simply because the remnants of it are annoying.)

[NetworkShadow]

Originally posted by StarManta:
Okay, I too want to get rid of Shapeshifter. Not because I want to keep using it without paying, but because i want to NOT buy it and NOT use it. Every so often it flashes up on the screen saying "Register shapesfiter now!" Thing is I haven't applied any themes since the first day I had SS, and decided I liked the mac default better.
So I did the searching for shapeshifter files, and they're all now in the trash can... and it STILL flashes on the screen wanting me to register!
(And no sarcastic "It'll go away if you pay for it" replies. I am not paying for something I never use simply because the remnants of it are annoying.)

There also is a ShapeShifter.ape in the 'Application Enhancers' folder in your Library folder. You may also want to deactivate it under the APE manager before removing it.

[cloudaj]

Originally posted by H * � �:
Sorry, this isn't common practice. A correct UNIX application will create files and directories, invisible or not, in identifiable locations. Usually a person who doesn't buy the product will become tired of reinstalling it, and will then just buy it. I have never seen one like this that doesn't let you completely uninstall it. It makes me nervous when a developer does something like this, what else has been done to my system that I don't know about?

It hasn't worked for me on one of my Macs, demo expired or not. Today I installed it again, I'll check tonight's backup logs to see which files have been created or changed.

I'd like to know how many other people have the same issue. Has anyone has figured out why on some machines it just doesn't work?

I figured that he named the preference file differently from the application...anyway i have noticed the same thing with several of the applications I have used. Perhaps more is at work here then?

[StarManta]

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
There also is a ShapeShifter.ape in the 'Application Enhancers' folder in your Library folder. You may also want to deactivate it under the APE manager before removing it.

If by the APE Manager you mean system preferences (and if you don't i have no idea what you *are* talking about), I already deleted the prefpane. i've also killed the process and emptied the trash, but one of the files in the trash is in us and can't be deleted. So, it's now flashing on the screen from the Trash. :/
It wasn't even running tho when I deleted it, particularly since the trial had run out.

[StarManta]

Oh.... THAT ape manager
Well SS isn't there... I'm going to reinstall it and disable it then remove it....

[slava]

Originally posted by StarManta:
If by the APE Manager you mean system preferences (and if you don't i have no idea what you *are* talking about), I already deleted the prefpane. i've also killed the process and emptied the trash, but one of the files in the trash is in us and can't be deleted. So, it's now flashing on the screen from the Trash. :/
It wasn't even running tho when I deleted it, particularly since the trial had run out.

Just logging out would be sufficient to remove all traces of ShapeShifter after you've put it in the Trash. It is still flashing at you because you still probably have some processes running that has ShapeShifter loaded in them. =)

[Stevos]

It is quite annoying that programs don't always remove themselves... for example, I got a computer from someone else and it hadn't been wiped. When I installed AIM, their info was there, clearly not removed by the uninstaller. Irks me, but that's the extent of it.

[Holigen]

Unsanity has always had problems with people trying to steal their software. Somewhere down the line it got to a point where they needed to add some serious protection. Now, all of their haxies check with Unsanity's servers to make sure that any serial number entered is legit. Also, it creates a file that tells any haxie how long the demo period has left and if it even is in the demo period. This file is probably invisible and is difficult if not impossible to find and delete. Its not like Unsanity wants to make your life hard when you want to uninstall something. They are simply protecting themselves. Whether or not your cause to remove the file that determines its demo period is legal, it wouldnt make much sense to give a potential buyer the opportunity to use it for free, right?

[Apple Pro Underwear]

i paid for my windowshade and shapeshifter


2 of the least annoying things about OSX. thanks unsanity!

[Vi0]

The easiest way to find out every file unsanity or shapeshifter installs is to start with a new system and then install the haxie, in this case shapeshifter, and then do an advanced search with the hidden file search option included for files that have been created within the last day or earlier. This will give you the info you need. They put a preference file in some unconventional directory or name it so that it appears to be a system file.

[mrtew]

Originally posted by Vi0:
The easiest way to find out every file unsanity or shapeshifter installs is to start with a new system... edit ....appears to be a system file.

Thanks for the clear instructions on how to defeat sharewareware registration. Budding young pirates everywhere are saying to themselves, "That doesn't sound too hard". What a tool!

[Vi0]

Unsanity has no right to keep any file on someone's private property after they've decided to uninstall their software.

[mrtew]

Originally posted by Vi0:
Unsanity has no right to keep any file on someone's private property after they've decided to uninstall their software.

So how are they supposed to keep you from just pushing uninstall every 15 days and reinstalling ShapeShifter so you never have to pay? Or are they supposed to let you do that if you want?

[MetalSnake]

Originally posted by mrtew:
So how are they supposed to keep you from just pushing uninstall every 15 days and reinstalling ShapeShifter so you never have to pay? Or are they supposed to let you do that if you want?

What keeps you from rent a cd burn it and bring the orig back? a video cam would help, so now we should place video cams everywhere so we can live save in a supervisory state

or just stop talking about damn pirates, no one here has the intention to pirate shapeshifter or something else.

[york28]

Where is that loud locking sound coming from? Can anyone else hear it?

[digitaljames]

Its called no more trials....buy or miss out.

Originally posted by mrtew:
So how are they supposed to keep you from just pushing uninstall every 15 days and reinstalling ShapeShifter so you never have to pay?

[microrario]

Originally posted by MetalSnake:
What keeps you from rent a cd burn it and bring the orig back? a video cam would help, so now we should place video cams everywhere so we can live save in a supervisory state

I don't post much, but who the hell rents cds? If you mean dvds, encryption that is difficult to bypass for regular people is what keeps you from doing that. Unsanity has perfect rights to install whatever the hell they want onto your computer, because after all, you said 'yes' to the terms of agreement, so please, be quiet. Thanks.

[Holigen]

Look, after you agree to the terms of agreement Unsanity legally has the right to put a file that ensures that people will not steal a piece of their property. As I said before, this is not unusual for Unsanity or any other software company who uses shareware to do. Get used to it and go on with your life. The little file that is on your computer doesnt take up nearly any room and its not hurting anything.

[Vi0]

Well sure they've got permission to install it. But once you uninstall their software, the license is no longer valid. They've got no right in stopping you from deleting a shady file they put on your computer. I mean, their "software protection" scheme as it seems to me is so ridiculously stupid that it just wants to make me laugh out loud. That said, I'm not a pirate. If you like the software, pay for it. But if you want to uninstall it, you have every right to delete every file that it installed, even if it defeats their shareware. Go ask Apple to put a registry in OS X if you don't like the current shareware limitations of OS X. But it's not the user's problem and it shouldn't be.

[H * � �]

I was unable to find the file. All of my Macs had SS installed, so I don't have a clean system to compare against. I suspect several files, but this will have to wait until I reinstall or buy a new one.

I went back to using Max's SmoothStripes, which I gladly paid for. I can use it with ThemeChanger, it gives me a themed login panel, time menu, etc.. I didn't like the ugly APE preferences panel icon, and the missing themed pieces.

The hidden trial instal date file sword cuts both ways.
By having a strict 15 day trial, it doesn't allow honest users to come back to check out and buy a later improved revision of SS that may fit their needs.

[slava]

Originally posted by H * � �:
The hidden trial instal date file sword cuts both ways.
By having a strict 15 day trial, it doesn't allow honest users to come back to check out and buy a later improved revision of SS that may fit their needs.

Why is that? The new versions will always reset or extend your trial so you have an opportunity to test drive the newer stuff that got added.

[H * � �]

Originally posted by slava:
Why is that? The new versions will always reset or extend your trial so you have an opportunity to test drive the newer stuff that got added.

Not in my experience. I had a private email conversation about this with smeger. I couldn't get it to reset with 1.0.1 or 1.0.2d1, it was a problem on a 667MHz/256KB PB.

[StarManta]

Originally posted by Vi0:
Well sure they've got permission to install it. But once you uninstall their software, the license is no longer valid.

The license is valid until the license says it's not valid anymore. What's that? you don't read the license before you click Accept? then stfu.

[JellyBeen]

Originally posted by StarManta:
The license is valid until the license says it's not valid anymore. What's that? you don't read the license before you click Accept? then stfu.

Relax!!

[olorin15]

I'm amazed at how much anger there is in these forums ... everybody shuld try to be like instead of

[mrtew]

Originally posted by olorin15:
I'm amazed at how much anger there is in these forums ... everybody shuld try to be like instead of

OK... I'll try it.

So you want to figure out how to delete the ability of a shareware app to detect if you're using it without paying for it huh? I don't know how, but I sure hope you can get some help with that question on this forum. People here can often help with just about anything so if the moderators don't lock this thread I'm sure you will have your answer soon!

Better?

[olorin15]

I agree with mrtew ... stop messing around with licences and just pay the damn $20 for SS and it will work as promised!!!
Just like 90% of the time on MacNN, there's no reason for this thread to exist ...