MakeMKV Expired Key Work Around (MakeMKV-Loader)

[Terron1]

Hello Folks,

With Mike currently MIA I decided to upload a super small application I made in order to work around the expired beta key. This is not by any means a crack or anything crazy, it is a simple application that changes your system clock and then resets it back to current time after completion. This is done to boot up the MakeMKV program without you having to manually keep changing your clock.

Please refer to my Youtube Video

You can find the link to the application (hosted on Google Drive) here

Let me know if anyone has any questions.

*EDIT*
I have added a Mac version on the google drive. Feel free to use it and just make sure to read the README file to setup the executable correctly.

TODO LIST:
1. Add both Windows and Mac version to GitHub for those who want it.
2. Make a tutorial video for the Mac Version (A bit more confusing than the windows)
3. Get slammed about file size when someone realizes that the Mac version is like 60MB lol

[Kizar]

Thanks for your work. Great idea, but could you please host this as Open Source for self compiling?

[newgen2005]

Thank you for sharing your work, really appreciate your effort.

[madacj]

Is this Suitable for Mac Users?

[Kizar]

Tested under Windows and working, but the BluRay Part of the App isn't working, because Test is over.

[dyoung]

You spent 1.5 hours creating a file which is 30.2MB in a .zip and call that a "super small application"?
And you needed 30.2MB in a .zip to change the system date, launch MakeMKV, then reset the date?
I cannot speak to its uncompressed size because I did not bother downloading it.

I created a powershell script which does exactly this in 453 bytes.
Admin privilege is required to change Windows system time, so if you lack admin privilege on your PC then this shall fail.
The 1st line requests admin privilege so the script can function, which shall cause the elevation request pop-up where Windows asks for permission.

EDIT: I remembered after posting this I use a non-typical date format compared to typical US, so the date format below shall probably fail for you unless you change it to what your system needs.
For most people in US, this would be "month/day/year" format, so "7/30/2025".
To determine it precisely, open a command prompt (open your start menu then type CMD), then type "date /t", then press enter.
The result it shows shall be your system's date format.
END EDIT.

Save this text in a .ps1 file named whatever you want (for example, "MakeMKV-Launcher.ps1"):
if (!([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] "Administrator")) { Start-Process powershell.exe "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File `"$PSCommandPath`"" -Verb RunAs; exit }

$T = get-date
set-date -date 2025-07-30
start-process -filepath "C:\Program Files (x86)\MakeMKV\makemkv.exe"
start-sleep -seconds 2
set-date -date $T
W32tm /resync /force

[Terron1]

Thanks for your work. Great idea, but could you please host this as Open Source for self compiling?

Yes I will upload it to GitHub today.

[dyoung]

Tested under Windows and working, but the BluRay Part of the App isn't working, because Test is over.

What you need to do is (through whatever means) change your Windows system time, launch MakeMKV, then PLUG IN THE BETA KEY which is presently on the forum.
You know, the key which says it functions until the end of July?
This is the purpose why 2 of us now created an automated method to change the system time to launch MakeMKV.
Using either his tool or my tiny (especially compared to his "super small application") script to launch MakeMKV only solves part of the issue if you have no functioning key registered, so you must use either of our tools or your own method to launch MakeMKV then register the beta key again then relaunch MakeMKV again using either of our tools and every time you want it to function after.
At least unless/until Mike returns.

[Terron1]

You spent 1.5 hours creating a file which is 30.2MB in a .zip and call that a "super small application"?
And you needed 30.2MB in a .zip to change the system date, launch MakeMKV, then reset the date?
I cannot speak to its uncompressed size because I did not bother downloading it.

I created a powershell script which does exactly this in 453 bytes.
Admin privilege is required to change Windows system time, so if you lack admin privilege on your PC then this shall fail.
The 1st line requests admin privilege so the script can function, which shall cause the elevation request pop-up where Windows asks for permission.

Save this text in a .ps1 file named whatever you want (for example, "MakeMKV-Launcher.ps1"):
if (!([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] "Administrator")) { Start-Process powershell.exe "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File `"$PSCommandPath`"" -Verb RunAs; exit }

$T = get-date
set-date -date 2025-07-30
start-process -filepath "C:\Program Files (x86)\MakeMKV\makemkv.exe"
start-sleep -seconds 2
set-date -date $T

I compiled it so it didn’t require .NET Framework installed or whatever. I did a single file deployment. I assumed that’s why it was so big. I made it in C# instead of powershell just to make it an executable for people

[Terron1]

Is this Suitable for Mac Users?

This doesn’t work for Mac. Windows specific. If you give me a bit I can borrow my girlfriends MacBook and see what’s possible.

[Kizar]

Tested under Windows and working, but the BluRay Part of the App isn't working, because Test is over.

What you need to do is (through whatever means) change your Windows system time, launch MakeMKV, then PLUG IN THE BETA KEY which is presently on the forum.
You know, the key which says it functions until the end of July?
This is the purpose why 2 of us now created an automated method to change the system time to launch MakeMKV.
Using either his tool or my tiny (especially compared to his "super small application") script to launch MakeMKV only solves part of the issue if you have no functioning key registered, so you must use either of our tools or your own method to launch MakeMKV then register the beta key again then relaunch MakeMKV again using either of our tools and every time you want it to function after.
At least unless/until Mike returns.

Sorry, I think I expressed myself incorrectly. I mean, no BluRay could be decrypted.

This disc uses newer version of AACS protection. Please let us know about it by visiting http://www.makemkv.com/[...]
Saved AACS dump file as C:\Users\[...]/.MakeMKV/[...].tgz
The volume key is unknown for this disc - video can't be decrypted
Failed to open disc

Tested some BluRays (some years old). With the setting Internet Access enabled and disabled in MakeMKV

[dyoung]

I compiled it so it didn’t require .NET Framework installed or whatever. I did a single file deployment. I assumed that’s why it was so big. I made it in C# instead of powershell just to make it an executable for people

I have fully-functioning programs which do much, much more than change the date then launch a program then reset the date, and the smallest of them is 115KB.
1 of the programs is Process Explorer, a full replacement for Task Manager with a full GUI and MANY sub-functions inside it. It is less than 3MB.

What did you do to bloat your program to 30MB to perform such a simple task?

[madacj]

Is this Suitable for Mac Users?

This doesn’t work for Mac. Windows specific. If you give me a bit I can borrow my girlfriends MacBook and see what’s possible.

Thanks that would be great

[dyoung]

Sorry, I think I expressed myself incorrectly. I mean, no BluRay could be decrypted.

This disc uses newer version of AACS protection. Please let us know about it by visiting http://www.makemkv.com/[...]
Saved AACS dump file as C:\Users\[...]/.MakeMKV/[...].tgz
The volume key is unknown for this disc - video can't be decrypted
Failed to open disc

Tested some BluRays (some years old). With the setting Internet Access enabled and disabled in MakeMKV

I tested 1 disc with same result.
I shall test more and post if I find a solution.

[dcoke22]

Is this Suitable for Mac Users?

This doesn’t work for Mac. Windows specific. If you give me a bit I can borrow my girlfriends MacBook and see what’s possible.

This might be worth looking at: Workaround for Mac (spoofing date and time)