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Copying CDs to Hard Drive

I'd like to copy a number of childrens games directly to my hard drive so that the kids can play them without have to handle (errrr...brutalize) them. I know that there are a couple of programs out there that allow this, but can't recall their names.

To clarify....I don't want to copy this disks for duplication purposes...I want to make it so I can play the games without having to keep the disks in the CD drive.

I would liek to know how to do this as well, I think I'll post to get the email reminder...
Sorry I don't have an answer, Keefer

I have seen this done with commercial games in order to allow you to play games without the cd in the cd rom drive. The times I see it there is a crack applied to the .exe, or a type of shell program that you run, then the program runs the .exe. Somehow when you run this shell program it tricks the game into looking to the hard drive for files instead of the cd rom drive. I think the info that it needs from the CD is kept in some sort of cab file on the hard drive. I do not know how to program such a shell... but I do know it is done. I do not know anyone who can do it, but I hope that I have helped by at least explaining in brief detail how such a crack would work.

Another option I would consider is to make a copy of the game's CD, let the kids use that to play the game. When the copy gets scratched beyond readability, make another copy from the original. You could do this using any cd burning program that allows you to burn a cd image. Such duplication would not be illegal, because you are the only one using the software.

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Ayuh

Thanks tone...I am well aware of such cracks....but there is (or was) a commercially available software product --I saw it at Staples a year or so ago--that claimed to be able to do it without cracks, etc.

And for my purposes, even if it didn't work with games that have advanced copy protection like Quake 5 I wouldn't care. I am talking about copying Humongous titles like Spy Fox to my own hard drive.

[I'm assuming that you're talking about programs that don't require installation, but just run directly off the CD-ROM. Games that require installation but store some files on the CD-ROM or check for the presence of the CD-ROM before loading are a separate issue entirely -- you'll probably need to download a crack as discussed above.]

Insert the CD-ROM. Right-click on the CD-ROM drive's icon in My Computer and select Copy from the pop-up menu. Go to wherever you'd like to copy the game (e.g. Desktop or C:\Program Files), right click and select Paste. Couldn't be simpler .

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Life's just a blast, just it's moving really fast, and you'd <BR>better stay on top or life'll kick you in the ass -Limp Bizkit

Sounds like you're looking for Virtual Drive 2000 (now known as Virtual Drive 7.0 -- go to http://www.farstone.com/home/en/default.htm for the 7.0 release, http://www.voodoofiles.com/1639 for the previous version).

There's also Virtual CD (http://www.virtualcd-online.com/default_e.htm).

Probably a bunch more-- perform a search on Google if you want a wider range.

quote:

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Originally posted by parb33

Insert the CD-ROM. Right-click on the CD-ROM drive's icon in My Computer and select Copy from the pop-up menu. Go to wherever you'd like to copy the game (e.g. Desktop or C:\Program Files), right click and select Paste. Couldn't be simpler .

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Project Zero -- Wow, I had no idea such programs existed...good stuff .

Keefer -- I just successfully copied a CD-ROM to the program files directory...strange that you should get error messages...we're in uncharted waters here, but maybe you need to be logged in as an administrator?

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Life's just a blast, just it's moving really fast, and you'd <BR>better stay on top or life'll kick you in the ass -Limp Bizkit

Copying the data to your hard drive will not work in many cases. You need a program (as mentioned before) like Virtual Drive. I use it on my server, and it is AMAZING. I highly reccomend it, and it can be had for around 45 dollars.

BEN

In a Nutshell

Its pretty easy to figure out which programs can be conveniently copied and which can't. Those that provide an executable file (exe) that will launch the program directly can be copied; those which provide only an autorun.exe file cannot (the autorun function typically checks for the prescence of the disk in the drive). There may be exceptions, but this seems to be my experience.

I will get a copy of Virtual Drive. Its cheaper than buying yet another copy of Riven (and I have gobs of hard drive space). In fact, it seems like a great way to use up some of the acreage on todays expansive hard drives: copy every damn disk you will ever use, and then put the originals someplace very safe.

Hum, you need to use a program like winiso. make a iso file of the cd, and you can install the whole cd from the iso file. There is a also virtual drive from micorsoft, that mounts a virtual drive on your comp. WITH THIS, YOU CAN MOUNT THE ISO FILE TO THE VIRTUAL DRIVE. I believe it was on the microsoft developer's tool sight.

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