Hi guys,

As you know, a demo version of FL Studio doesn't allow project files saved with a demo version to be opened as part of its limitations. It is very annoying to export a project to audio and then re-import it next time you want to work on a project. Here is a tutorial on how to patch an FLP to make it open again with FL Studio. This tutorial has been prepared on Windows, but it can work on Mac too (I cannot test).

You will see this when you save an FLP in trial version:



Now when you try to reopen it in FL Studio:





A minor modification needs to be done via a hex editor like HxD.
For example, I am using HxD here, once you install it drag and drop the FLP inside it.



Now we need to find the bytes to patch.

Find the 2 bytes, 1C 00. Its usually at offset 0x29 (or 41 in decimal) depending on the version string of FL.
The 1C is event ID and 00 is a boolean value indicating True or False.

00 means FLP was saved in a demo version of FL Studio and hence won't open in a demo version.
01 means FLP was saved in a registered version of FL Studio and can be opened in the demo version.



All we need to do is change the 00 to 01. Place your cursor at the 00 byte and enter 01.



Save this modified FLP with a new name or overwrite it. HxD will also create a backup (without the changes) automatically when you save.

Now open the FLP and enjoy. This action needs to be performed everytime you save the FLP.
Trial versions of plugins like Maximus or Transient Processor for example, store the trial version byte elsewhere as a flag, on a per instance basis. They will not be loaded even if the FLP gets loaded - that's demo FL Studio behaviour. I got that bit of information from Image-Line's very own forums (this reply)

It is also possible to automate this step (and remove trial version byte stored by plugins like Maximus) using my FL Studio project file parser library PyFLP, if you have some Python knowledge. Look at the snippet here

FL Studio 21 has made this check more stringent. The above methods don't work when you try it for a project created with FL 21 (and possibly, edited projects created with older versions as well.)

 

Last edited: May 1, 2023

Hi. I've done it and the program opened the file just as you said. Unfortunately two of the songs that i made were missing most of the patterns i created and these were displayed on the board as empty. Do you think it has something to do with your method or the problem lays somwhere else? Thanks.

 

Did you do it with PyFLP or the hex editor? If you did it with PyFLP, can you please open an issue (bug report) here?

If you did this using a hex editor I think you accidentally overwrote some other byte. Can you attach the FLPs, before and after?

 

Hi,

Thanks for sharing this! Would you be able to help with a solution for the new FL 21? I tried doing the exact same change but then FL won't open the file. It'll stay processing for a long time and eventually crash.

It would be great to have a solution!

 

Did you do it with PyFLP or hex editor?
If this indeed doesn't work with FL 21, then yea FLP format just got stronger

 

Last edited: Dec 26, 2022

I tried it with the hex editor. No luck then I guess

 

Might as well be a bug in FL, 21 is yet too new. But I'll need to check myself.

 

Then at least FLS 20 should still work.

 

Hi, i did exactly what you did but the main line (was named bf) wast just empty but other audio files i imported are still there, i dont know if was something that i made or something else (im using the hex editor) thank you :D

 

A screenshot of HxD would be helpful. I understood nothing from your first sentence.

 

Yeah sorry its difficult to explain

 

Yea that's correct, save the file after changes and open it with FL.

 

I did that but all the notes are gone

 

Send me the unmodified FLP

 

Sorry if made you wait
https://www.mediafire.com/file/ytd2zpw32w6tlaw/BF's+bread+was+burnt+to+a+crisp.flp/file

 

well shit

 

it just says the flp is corrupted now

 

I Think this Way always works, but you need someone with legit license.

https://meteoritesound.com/how-to-open-saved-projects-in-fl-studios-trial/

 

Is there any solution for FL 21?

 

Nope, unless someone sends me a legit FLP saved with FL 21.