ePOS data locked in
November 7, 2019 2:59 AM Subscribe
I'm a customer of an unscrupulous ePOS company - all of my stock holding is stored in a Firebird database. Pictures, barcodes, stock levels, descriptions etc. I'd dearly like to move to a new ePOS provider and import my current data into their system. My current provider won't help with this and they won't disclose the username and password, either.
I'm wondering how I can either break the security on the database (containing my data!) or somehow capture the keystrokes the remote support sometimes enter over GoToAssist so that I can have permanent access myself.
It should be noted that I don't owe the old provider any money - so it's not that they have a valid reason for doing this.
Any help most welcome!
Thank you!
I'm wondering how I can either break the security on the database (containing my data!) or somehow capture the keystrokes the remote support sometimes enter over GoToAssist so that I can have permanent access myself.
It should be noted that I don't owe the old provider any money - so it's not that they have a valid reason for doing this.
Any help most welcome!
Thank you!
If you have access to the actual files of the database, it seems like there are a couple of options to reset a password without knowledge of the old one. I would copy the database files to another computer with Firebird installed in that case in order to minimize the risk of corrupting the working installation.
Otherwise it depends on how the system is set up, but if the database and/or something that can access the database is under your control, it should be possible. For example, the credentials might be in a configuration file for the application that access the database (easy) or embedded in the application binary (a bit harder) it self.
posted by rpn at 6:47 AM on November 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
Otherwise it depends on how the system is set up, but if the database and/or something that can access the database is under your control, it should be possible. For example, the credentials might be in a configuration file for the application that access the database (easy) or embedded in the application binary (a bit harder) it self.
posted by rpn at 6:47 AM on November 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
I've had to do a few migrations from various eras of POS systems, some easy, most not. They're all different levels of terrible-- but as long as you have access to item maintenance, which you likely do (setting your retails, changing you descriptions-- adjusting stock etc) it's possible, because given enough time you could go through each product, and copy the details down, right?
Good if you've got 50 products, not so workable with 40,000- but at the very base level, assuming nothing else works-- you can use an automation tool (I use AutoIt) to literally do those human-export actions on a loop-- move mouse to here, click, copy and paste it over here-- etc. Loop that for the entire size of the product database and you're golden.
Drop me a memail if you want more info.
posted by Static Vagabond at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2019
Good if you've got 50 products, not so workable with 40,000- but at the very base level, assuming nothing else works-- you can use an automation tool (I use AutoIt) to literally do those human-export actions on a loop-- move mouse to here, click, copy and paste it over here-- etc. Loop that for the entire size of the product database and you're golden.
Drop me a memail if you want more info.
posted by Static Vagabond at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dance at 5:41 AM on November 7, 2019