I don't understand what "cracks" are....

[revlimit]

....and how to use them. I'm an engineering student and the only access we have to programs like Autocad 2007 is in the computer lab. What sucks is how early it closes and if I could have a copy to use at home I could get some of my work done without spending all day in the lab. (I mean ALL day) I have a trial version that a friend said I could use a crack with so it would not "run out." Is this possible?

[Ezekiel]

Yes, it's possible.

Cracks are cracked versions of the program's executables. People disassemble the executable(s), modify to bypass limitations, then reassemble. When you find a 'crack', it is either the whole modified executables ready to replace the old ones or a program that patches everything for you.

Say you have a program called autocad2007.exe. Someone cracks it, then sends around his modified version to his friends. They find the location of autocad2007.exe on their machine then replace it with the new one.

Check out Bittorrent/Limewire/other P2P to find such files -- no links here. You'll have no problem using P2P programs.

[revlimit]

So if I find this "crack," I would download it to a location I choose? Then I would install my trial version. Then I would somehow merge the crack into the existing executable of my trial version? If so, how do I just replace a file like this? Thanks for your help so far, this is interesting.

[Ezekiel]

So if I find this "crack," I would download it to a location I choose? Then I would install my trial version. Then I would somehow merge the crack into the existing executable of my trial version? If so, how do I just replace a file like this? Thanks for your help so far, this is interesting.

Yes. The cracks usually have instructions that explain how to use them, whether it's a simply copy and paste or an automated tool.

[revlimit]

Thanks for the help and advice. :)