I have this application that I would like to rip the resources from. The program is completely abandoned, and I discovered it was written in RealBasic by using a window inspector application (it’s made up of elements like RBWindow and RB_Panel). Now I would like to extract the resources from it. Keep in mind my goal is not to decompile it completely (I’m not looking to get the program’s source code), but rather to extract resources such as images, sounds, ect. I tried to use ResHacker but that didn’t show the sounds or images in the program’s .exe files or the .dll files. I am not a programmer, but I though this would be the best place to ask such a question. How would I go about doing this? Thanks very much in advanced.
Is it a windows version? or OSX?
OSX is easy… just open the app with “show package contents” in finder
WIN is a bit more difficult, but there are resource extracters out there to use on any Window EXE file
For Windows, if http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/ does not show the pictures in the resources, it will be real difficult. Beyond regularly available tools for sure. Such an endeavor requires hacker tools or custom made programs.
Beware of the fact that if you have not been formally granted the rights to extract pictures from a program, you do not have in fact any legal authorization to do so. Any usage beyond private viewing will be considered breach of copyright. Even a program that the author no longer maintains remains subject to copyright law.
Why don’t you try to get in touch with the original author ? Since it has been written in RealBasic, maybe you can tell us which one it is ? Someone could help you with that. It is even possible the author reads this forum.
Sadly, this is practically meaningless unless the copyright holder has a lot of money and is passionate.
I speak from experience, when some ^%&^% ripped all the resources from my best selling app and used them to create a competing one.
Despite threats of litigation, nothing happened, because frankly I don’t have the cash to prosecute.
Nor have I the power to chase and prosecute a random Chinese business using the same name as my company: when I asked them to stop, all I got in reply was a long rambling angry email about how the name ‘could not be changed due to the hosting company’, and ‘its OK for you in the West, you are allowed to have more than 1 child’
(Yes, honestly…)
I’m not saying its OK for the OP to rip resources, completely the opposite in fact.
But I am pointing out that ‘its against copyright’ is about as effective as ‘go to your room’.
Don’t know in UK, but in the US, there are bunch of lawyers ready to go pro bono if there is enough money to be made. And there are courts like Tyler, Texas, which love prosecuting copyright and patent infringement.
Fact is, whatever the possible outcome, stealing from an author is not right. Even if I technically knew how to do what the OP wants, I do not see the point in providing a method to infringe the law.
a. is the software still running (say in OS X El Capitan, Windows 8 - 10) ?
b. if a is false, do this software have a large user base ?
c. Is there already one “similar” (or concurent) software in the market ?
d. Do you know why that application is abandoned ?
[this may be due to a lack of sale, for example]
e. Why someone will want to upgrade his working software to yours ?
If a and b are True and c is False, you may simply write your own version without stealing anything from the original author.
To be able to sold that brand new software, you may have to add import functions (features) for the data the user base already have,
And, add a bunch of new features as an incentive for the current users (installed base) to upgrade to your new application.
Guys you all make valid points, but just do this. Don’t say anything on how to accomplish the OP’s request. Let them figure it out if they want to do it badly enough. WE all have more important stuff to do today I am sure.
