password protected vi 7.1

[old_man]

I recently started working for a new company.  They have an old application that someone built who is no longer with the company.  I  have been asked to modify the app.  It was written in 7.1.  It appears that they password protected the vi's.  Can I get NI to unsecure these vi's or crack them myself.  The company is a well established company and will vouch for the need to crack the vi's.

I have been trying to locate the project file as well.  Can anybody remember what the file extension is on that vintage?  I have searched a couple of terabytes using lvproj and not found it, so I am thinking that the extension may have changed.  I don't even have a 7,1 install anymore.

[GerdW]

Hi,

back in the days of LV7.1 there were no project files, so you don't need to search for any longer...

For the password protection there are a lot of similar requests in the forum, and most likely they result in:

- remember the password

- get an unprotected backup of the VI

- recreate the funtionality with a new VI

[altenbach]

The LabVIEW project was introduced in version 8.0 and did not exist in LabVIEW 7.1. A small subset of the functionality is probably contained in build scripts for executables. They can be converted.

Try to ask around for the password in the company. Somebody might remember it.

[old_man]

I am persuing all of those ideas, even getting IT to restore their old personal directories but this is quite a few years ago. 

[old_man]

I know everybody says this is impossible, but don't believe it.  I was able to get to the diagram without finding the password.  In respect to NI's needs, I don't really plan on sharing how I did it but it can be done.

[MikeS81]

Hi,

why do you ask for a way to do it, if you know a way?

Did you read the EULA before you open the password protected vi without the password?

Mike

[Henrik_Volkers]

---

@MikeS81 wrote:

Hi,

why do you ask for a way to do it, if you know a way?

Did you read the EULA before you open the password protected vi without the password?

Mike

---

See it in that way:  It took him half a day to crack restore his own vi.  I personally never expected that it is impossible.....

[Ben]

---

@old_man wrote:

I know everybody says this is impossible, but don't believe it.  I was able to get to the diagram without finding the password.  In respect to NI's needs, I don't really plan on sharing how I did it but it can be done.

---

wink wink nudge nudge. Say no more say no more.

Ben

[altenbach]

Well, anything is crackable, giving infinite time and resources (look at WEP!).

A few points:

1. Even if you found something that works in 7.1, it might not work in newer version. (In ancient times, it was even possible to brute-force VI passwords)
2. Were the VIs actually passworded, ir simply stored in e.g. run mode?
3. As Mike already said, cracking VI passwords is impossible without breaking the EULA, so you might want to consult with your legal department.