X-Ways Forensics Dongle

As a genuinely licensed user of X-Ways Forensics, you are provided with a small sophisticated USB hardware device that unlocks the software. Currently (July 2010) dongles are mailed by us on these weekdays: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

Our dongle has the following advantages:

• The dongle driver does not need to be installed under 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista, and it is already included in Windows 98 SE/Me. No reboot is required after attaching the dongle. Since X-Ways Forensics does not need to be installed either, that means you can run X-Ways Forensics directly on a live machine from media such as a CD or USB stick, without unnecessarily destroying data by overwriting free space on the subject drive, without unnecessary changes to the system registry, etc.

• The dongle does not act as a USB mass storage device, but as a human interface device (HID), just like a USB mouse. Like that, the dongle usually is not affected by USB port security locks enforced by administration.

• The software may be installed on several of your computers at the same time even if you only own a single license, for your convenience. Attaching the dongle renders an installation executable. A dongle can be quickly exchanged between different computers.

• Your license is represented by a physical object. It is easy to connect to your system. Install or simply execute X-Ways Forensics, plug in the dongle, and everything works.

• You can store textual information inside the dongle from within X-Ways Forensics. Use this to have notes always available when working with X-Ways Forensics or simply to personalize your dongle with your name and address. The dongle could thus be a good place to store some hints, best-practice procedures or the like you wish to keep handy when using X-Ways Forensics.

• The dongle helps us to protect against software piracy and consequently to keep prices reasonably low.

Weight: approx. 7 g ~ 110 grains ~ 1/4 ounce per pc
Dimensions: 5.3 × 1.6 × 0.7 cm or 2.07 × 0.62 × 0.37 inches
Color: green
Material value declared when mailing the dongle overseas: EUR 6

As a licensed user of X-Ways Forensics until further notice you will continue to have the option to run WinHex with the same full functionality as X-Ways Forensics, plus the ability to edit disk sectors, with a special WinHex version that also requires the dongle.

Please note that we will replace malfunctioning dongles (i.e. errors not related to a loose connection at the USB port) at no cost if sent back to us. Physically damaged dongles can usually be replaced for a reasonable fee if sent back to us. Please note that we will not replace lost or stolen dongles. To receive another dongle you need to purchase another license.

X-Ways Forensics Dongle for Disk Imaging

As a genuinely licensed user of X-Ways Forensics you may buy more licenses for usage of X-Ways Forensics as a disk imaging tool, at a special rate. For each such license you will receive an additional dongle that only unlocks this function in the software (Tools | Open Disk, File | Create Disk Image). The contents of the sectors are displayed in a hex and a text column; the directory browser shows the partitions on physical disks. You can image entire physical disks or individual partitions, sector-wise, and create either raw images or .e01 evidence files. The so-called technical details report is output at that occasion, too. Almost all other functions and display elements are grayed out/not available. You can use the same software download as for ordinary dongles. The special dongles just for disk imaging are compatible with X-Ways Forensics from version 15.4 SR-7.

Order dongles for disk imaging

These licenses for imaging only were introduced based on a request from a major customer in the US. The request was based on performance tests in which X-Ways Forensics compared very favorably with other imaging tools, especially when used together with hardware write blockers.