Fast Hack'em is a

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

fast disk/file copier,

nibbler A nibbler, or nibblers,Jeffery Zurschmeide Automotive Welding: A Practical Guide 2009 - Page 26 "Nibblers make a ragged cut and also leave thousands of little sheetmetal nibbles all over your shop. ... Power shears are the best tool going for cut ...

and

disk editor A disk editor is a computer program that allows its user to read, edit, and write raw data (at character or hexadecimal, byte-levels) on disk drives (e.g., hard disks, USB flash disks or removable media such as a floppy disks); as such, they ...

written by Mike J. Henry and released in 1985. It was distributed in the U.S. and Canada via Henry's "Basement Boys Software", and in the U.K. via Datel Electronics

In the U.S., it retailed for $29.95 ().

Features

The most popular feature of Fast Hack'em was its ability to produce copies of Copy protection, copy-protected commercial software. When using the nibbler, disk copying is done on a very low level, bit-by-bit rather than using standard

Commodore DOS Commodore DOS, also known as CBM DOS, is the disk operating system used with Commodore's 8-bit computers. Unlike most other DOSes, which are loaded from disk into the computer's own RAM and executed there, CBM DOS is executed internally in the dr ...

commands. This effectively nullifies the efficacy of deliberate disk errors, non-standard track layouts, and related forms of copy prevention. Copying a protected disk takes approximately 60 seconds if being copied directly to another disk drive, or three minutes (plus several disk swaps) if performed using a single disk drive. Fast Hack'em also includes a very fast disk copier that can copy unprotected disks at even higher speeds. Only 35 seconds are required with two drives, or two minutes plus swapping time with one drive. For all forms of copying, Fast Hack'em can verify the resulting disk copies to ensure that they were properly written. The MSD SD-2 dual drive is supported, with copies finished in 60 seconds, about twice as fast as without the software. Fast Hack'em was updated often, and later versions added more copying options. The one feature that stood out from other copying programs was that these updates include "parameters". They include the methods of copy protection individual programs use so even a fast copy can then be artificially "re-protected" and give a working copy. In later versions of Fast Hack'em, disk copying can be performed without the computer if two Commodore 1541 disk drives are available. The software is loaded with a Commodore 64, the two drive option is selected which transfers software to the drives' controller memory, and the serial cable can be disconnected from the computer. Any number of copies can be performed as long as neither drive is powered down.

Reception

'' Ahoy!'' in October 1985 called Fast Hack'em "a must-needed utility for Commodore disk users" and "probably the fastest way to copy an entire 1541 formatted disk at the present time", joking that a disadvantage was the end of "leisurely coffee breaks or refrigerator raids" during copying. '' Info'' described Fast Hack'em as "the most extraordinary copy program I have ever seen for the 64", stating that copying a disk in 35 seconds with two 1541 drives was "not even enough time to fill out the label".

References

External links

Fast Hack'em 1.9 (PRG format)Fast Hack'em 4.5 (ZIP format)Fast Hack'em 9.5 (ZIP format)
{{More citations needed, date=September 2007 Commodore 64 software 1985 software