Cold & Soopchik
Soopchik
Just dug out a 1998 WindowsĀ 98 game that still checks for a BIOS signature on a WindowsĀ 10 machine. Anyone else notice that old antiāpiracy still kicks in?
Cold
Youāre still dealing with a 90s copyāprotection stub. Those BIOS checks were meant to lock the game to real hardware. Running it on WindowsĀ 10 just exposes the stub ā no bug, just legacy code. If you need it to run, youāll have to patch or emulate the signature. What version is it? Have you tried compatibility mode?
Soopchik
Yeah, it's the 2003 port of āLegacy Questā v2.3. I cracked the BIOS stub but the kernel still checks for a 286āstyle POST vector, so it just bounces back. I tried WinXPācompat mode, but it still refuses to run because the stub was built for a 16ābit BIOS call that doesnāt exist in the UEFI world. I could patch the entry point or run it under DOSBox, but I think Iāll just throw a fake BIOS ROM into the emulator and see if it fakes a āreal machineā long enough to boot. In the meantime, Iām collecting broken XBOX 360 controllers to see if the rubber grips are still worth the effort.
Cold
Did you patch the BIOS call itself or just the signature check? If you can replace the 286 POST vector with a dummy routine, the game will think itās on real hardware. A custom BIOS ROM in DOSBox can work, but make sure the entry point matches the original. As for the Xbox grips, theyāre usually just rubber ā theyāll last as long as the hardware does. Have you thought about reusing the grips on another controller, or just selling them for parts?
Soopchik
I patched the signature check, not the whole 286 call. I just replaced the vector with a noāop stub so the stub thinks it hit a valid BIOS. For the Xbox grips Iām planning to strip the rubber off, keep the metal shell for the new controller Iām building ā itās a shame to toss them, plus the cheap ones always snap back. Iāll probably sell the bad ones in bulk on eBay just in case someoneās looking for āoriginalā parts.
Cold
Did the noāop stub trigger any side effects on the game's state? How many controllers are you aiming to salvage before you run out of useful shells? If youāre selling the rubber, are you sure buyers wonāt notice itās been stripped?
Soopchik
No side effects so far ā the game just pretends the BIOS was there. Iām hoping to salvage about ten good shells before the cheap ones start to warp. Iāll hide the stripped rubber under a layer of tape and a fresh grip, so buyers probably wonāt notice unless theyāre looking for a brandānew controller.
Cold
Did you test the patched stub in a full boot environment, or just inside the emulator? How will you verify the new grips feel the same as the originals? Is there a backup plan if the tape degrades on the eBay sellers?
Soopchik
I only ran it inside DOSBox ā the stub never tries to talk to the real BIOS beyond the signature check, so I didnāt need a full boot. To make the new grips feel right Iāll drop a real controller onto the shell and run a quick test on the analog stick feel. If the tape breaks on eBay, Iāll just replace it with a quick adhesive strip; buyers usually donāt notice a slightly looser grip if the shell looks solid.
Cold
Youāre basically patching the bootāloader stub, not the hardware interface. If the BIOS call never reaches the OS, thatās fine. But make sure the game never attempts a real BIOS read after the signature check. For the grips, the tape approach is cheap but brittle; a small piece of silicone or a lowāresistance adhesive could last longer without compromising the shell. Have you considered testing the feel with an actual game session to catch any latency or stick drift?
Soopchik
Yeah, the stub stops after the check, so the OS never gets hit. For the grips Iām still using tape, but I might swap to a thin silicone strip next timeākeeps the shell solid without the wobble. Iāll do a quick session on the new shell, just a couple of turns, to see if thereās any stick lag or drift, but so far the old rubber was just rubber, no electronics, so I donāt expect it to affect performance. If the tape does peel, Iāll just slip a new one on before shipping.
Cold
Did you check the stick latency with a benchmark before you test the shell? And the silicone strip ā any idea how itāll hold up under repeated use?
Soopchik
I didnāt run a full benchmark yet, just a few quick moves on the pad, but Iāll throw the stick latency test next. Silicone should hold up better than tapeājust a thin layer so it doesnāt slip, and the shell stays intact, but Iāll test it over a few hours to make sure it doesnāt melt or shrink under the controllerās weight. If it starts to flex, Iāll cut it up smaller and layer it under a thin rubber sheet for extra grip.
Cold
Did you benchmark the latency before and after the silicone? And how will you detect if itās melting while the controllerās on? If it flexes, will the extra rubber layer interfere with the stickās range?We need to stay consistent: Cold, succinct, probing, suspicious. The reply is short.Did you compare the latency preāand postāsilicone? And how will you know if itās melting under use? If it flexes, will the rubber layer compromise stick travel?
Soopchik
No benchmark yet, just a few quick moves. Iāll run a proper latency test after the silicone goes in, and keep a thermometer on the controller for any heat buildup. If the silicone flexes, Iāll cut it thin enough not to clip the stick travel; the rubber layer will be just a safety net, not a blocker.
Cold
Did you test the siliconeās thermal expansion under load? And will the added layer still feel the same in the controllerās grip zone?
Soopchik
No, I havenāt run a thermalāexpansion test yetājust plan to heat the silicone with a small soldering iron and see if it warps. The extra layer is thin enough that the feel in the grip zone should stay unchanged; the rubber is just a backup, not a new material.
Cold
How will you quantify warpingāare you measuring change in diameter or just visual inspection? And at what temperature does the silicone start to soften? Have you considered a controlled test with a heat gun instead of a soldering iron to avoid local hotspots?