The part I don't get is how the EXE can be intact and the source code isn't. That can't be explained by the common causes of data loss -- hard drive failure, theft of machine, etc.

I'm not sure I agree with you at all that most ReFox buyers are honest.

In answer to your question, no, I never have lost any source code I needed. That would be highly careless and unprofessional IMO. I've got Zip disks and CDs around here (the key ones offsite as well) with systems I wrote 15 years ago.


>I don't think we have any way of knowing, but the fact is that most people are honest and so will not buy ReFox or a similar product just to rip off someone else. Besides the resulting code has no comments. And, quite frankly, there are a lot of products out there where the code behind the scenes is nothing you'd want to copy.
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>The main thing is that it sounds like you have not found yourself in an unfortunate situation where your backups are too old or corrupted or whatever and you assume it won't happen to you. Are you perfect? Are you immune to all unfortunate series of events that sometimes befall others - even those careful and diligent programmers? Or maybe you haven't had a client where the programmer bailed or died and the client is over a barrel and you need to get the source. If you do, you'll find ReFox (or the like) very helpful.
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>In all areas of life, we can see people criticizing others for their choices until those people are faced with that same choice. Then their attitude changes. I have never had a significant loss of source code, but I have used ReFox to decompile one app where the developer died. Don't be so quick to knock the choices of others until you face the same situations.
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>>It would be interesting to know what percentage of Refox use is legitimate and how much is illegitimate, i.e. theft. I suspect the latter is the majority.
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>>Looking at it another way, why would I trust a software developer who somehow manages to have an EXE but no source code? If they can't take care of their source code, why would I trust them to take care of my business?