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playing (not copying) SafeDisc2 games
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mhowe
Newbie
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16. August 2003 @ 19:59 |
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I have been able to install but unable to launch Age of Wonders 2 or Civ 3 and everything that I can test in my system tests okay. Could this be a SafeDisc2 problem? I have Windows 98se, Athlon XP1500+, 512 MB RAM, all my drivers are DirectX compatible, and I use a Benq 656A CD-ROM drive with firmware 56ja. I don't want to copy SafeDisc2 games, just play them! Can someone give me some advice? Thanks.
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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17. August 2003 @ 05:31 |
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Use Daemon Tools (free software) and mount the image(s). Use ClonyXXL to scan the images to determine the specific cd protection and launch the game(s) from the virtual stealth drives you create. Daemon Script "might" come in handy as well. After you install Daemon Tools, leave the Daemon Tools icon in system tray (startup) and enable whatever cd protection ClonyXXL tells you.
Shoey :)_
Asus K8N nVidia nForce3 Pro 250 GB, Athlon 64 3200+, Hitachi 80 gig SATA 150, Corsair XMS 1 gig PC4000, ATI Radeon Saphire 9600 Pro (256 DDR), Windows XP Pro (64 Bit),Lite-ON SOHD 167T,, Plextor PX-712SA,BenQ 1640.
 This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. August 2003 @ 05:33
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mhowe
Newbie
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17. August 2003 @ 08:31 |
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Thanks, Shoey, I'll try that. But does this mean that I'll have to do something like this every time I want to play a SafeDisc2 game? I'd really like to know what I need to change in my system so that I can install and play games normally -- would swapping my CD-ROM drive be the answer? It's a terrible copy-protection scheme that makes legitimate owners of games have to go through all this.
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mhowe
Newbie
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17. August 2003 @ 09:00 |
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Shoey, I wasn't able to do what you suggested. I used DaemonTools to mount a CloneCD image of the Civ3 CD onto a stealth drive, enabled all forms of copy protection emulation, reinstalled from that image, and was still not able to launch the game. By the way, I never figured out how to use ClonyXXL -- it's in German and has no help files. Also, I keep getting a message that binkw32.dll is not properly installed, and I can't figure out why. It's clearly in my Windows and my Windows/System folders.
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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17. August 2003 @ 10:34 |
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Quote:
By the way, I never figured out how to use ClonyXXL -- it's in German and has no help files.
Open ClonyXXL>Options\Tools>and enable English (British flag). Now scan the image of Civ3 and see what cd protection it is. It's possible the game "might" be on the blacklist= nothing you can do about that. Once you determine the specific cd protection, try burning to a cdr(w) m8. Many people using internet downloads of all different sorts of file types struggle to get working backups. If you're serious about backing up pc game protection (Safedisc& SecuROM) then you'll need the proper hardware& software to do so. There is a list posted in the sticky threads (2 sheep burners) and a good reader for Safedisc 2.9.x (pre-gap) would help.
Shoey :)_
Asus K8N nVidia nForce3 Pro 250 GB, Athlon 64 3200+, Hitachi 80 gig SATA 150, Corsair XMS 1 gig PC4000, ATI Radeon Saphire 9600 Pro (256 DDR), Windows XP Pro (64 Bit),Lite-ON SOHD 167T,, Plextor PX-712SA,BenQ 1640.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. August 2003 @ 10:43
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mhowe
Newbie
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17. August 2003 @ 10:56 |
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Once you determine the specific cd protection, try burning to a cdr(w) m8. Many people using internet downloads of all different sorts of file types struggle to get working backups. If you're serious about backing up pc game protection (Safedisc& SecuROM) then you'll need the proper hardware& software to do so. There is a list posted in the sticky threads (2 sheep burners) and a good reader for Safedisc 2.9.x (pre-gap) would help.
Well, it's SafeDisc2 v.2.8. But I have no idea what a cdr(w) m8 is. And I am not that interested right now in learning how to copy a protected CD. I'm only interested in being able to play from them without using exotic utilities. So when you say I need a good reader, does that mean I need to replace my CD-ROM drive in order to play the game? Is it possible that some drives cannot play SafeDisc2 games? Is it possible that the CD itself is faulty?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. August 2003 @ 16:19
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mhowe
Newbie
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17. August 2003 @ 10:57 |
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Sorry for the misuse of the quote function -- I'm new here. Everything in the second section is new and is not a quote. My apologies.
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Praetor
Moderator
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17. August 2003 @ 16:29 |
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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17. August 2003 @ 16:37 |
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But I have no idea what a cdr(w)
CD-R(W)= Recordable media.
Quote:
m8
Well m8= "mate". It's Australian talk like that Steve "Crazy" Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter.
If you can't play a backup using any virtual sleath drives such as Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120, then you would need the "proper" hardware to make a backup to recoradable media (cd-r or a cd-rw). In Daemon Tools (options), enable all and try again. Safedisc cd protection generally lies within the first 1-10,500 sectors of the "original" cd or image. The file binkw32.dll could "possibly" be cd protected. Do you encounter this error during the install process or trying to launch the mounted image from a created virtual stealth drive?
Shoey :)
Asus K8N nVidia nForce3 Pro 250 GB, Athlon 64 3200+, Hitachi 80 gig SATA 150, Corsair XMS 1 gig PC4000, ATI Radeon Saphire 9600 Pro (256 DDR), Windows XP Pro (64 Bit),Lite-ON SOHD 167T,, Plextor PX-712SA,BenQ 1640.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. August 2003 @ 16:44
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Praetor
Moderator
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17. August 2003 @ 17:14 |
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Possible however I wouldnt imagine that the bink32dll would not be protection since it should be the same bink32dll that is freely available with the RADTools program. But then again, anything is possible.
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mhowe
Newbie
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17. August 2003 @ 17:31 |
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Well perhaps I'm not being clear enough. I'm not trying to burn a backup, nor am I trying to play from a backup. I'm trying to play from the original Civilization 3 CD. I apparently can install the game, but when I launch it I get the splash screen and then nothing happens, including no error messages. I don't want advice on burning or using stealth drives -- I just want to know if there's anything I should do to my system so that I can play this game from the original CD using my CD-ROM drive.
Thanks.
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grug
Newbie
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18. August 2003 @ 01:31 |
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Well perhaps I'm not being clear enough. I'm not trying to burn a backup, nor am I trying to play from a backup. I'm trying to play from the original Civilization 3 CD. I apparently can install the game, but when I launch it I get the splash screen and then nothing happens, including no error messages. I don't want advice on burning or using stealth drives -- I just want to know if there's anything I should do to my system so that I can play this game from the original CD using my CD-ROM drive.
Thanks.
I think I have an answer to that. It seems as though Civ 3 is set up to run at a higher refresh rate (above 60). There is a fix for this documented. Firstly, you need to download the latest update for Civ 3 (about 10mb). Then, once you have installed the patch, open the Civilization3.Ini file and add the line "Refresh=60".
This forces the refresh rate to 60hz for monitors (like my girlfriends) that can't handle a refresh rate of higher than 60 (at the resolution it is running which is the same as the windows res).
I on the other hand am trying to work out how to back up her copy of it as I'm paranoid about scratching the damn thing (it was her birthday present!! :-P)
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Praetor
Moderator
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18. August 2003 @ 07:06 |
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Quote:
higher refresh rate (above 60)
Whoa.... what would you consider a low refresh rate then? eeeek :)
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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19. August 2003 @ 10:59 |
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I have no problems launching C&C Generals (Safedisc 2.8.x) from my virtual stealth drive.
I can run the game with Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120% virtual stealth drive. As I said before, it's "possible" that Civilization 3 and Age Of Wonders 2 are "blacklisted".
Shoey :)
Asus K8N nVidia nForce3 Pro 250 GB, Athlon 64 3200+, Hitachi 80 gig SATA 150, Corsair XMS 1 gig PC4000, ATI Radeon Saphire 9600 Pro (256 DDR), Windows XP Pro (64 Bit),Lite-ON SOHD 167T,, Plextor PX-712SA,BenQ 1640.
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mhowe
Newbie
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19. August 2003 @ 11:10 |
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Shoey, you're still not answering my question. Why can others play Civ 3 normally just by popping the original CD into their CD-ROM drives, but not me? And I guarantee that they're not using stealth drives or emulation utilities. And it's not about the refresh rate, though thanks to the poster who suggested that. I tried every refresh rate available to me, and the game doesn't launch. The Civilization3.ini file never even gets created.
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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19. August 2003 @ 15:20 |
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Could be several factors and I'm sorry I misunderstood your original post. Latest DirectX installed? Antivirus disabled? Run scan disc for any hard disc erors? Update latest video graphic card drivers? ASPI conflict? "This device working properly"(CD-ROM) in Device Manager?.....Try manually installing Civ 3?
Shoey :)
Asus K8N nVidia nForce3 Pro 250 GB, Athlon 64 3200+, Hitachi 80 gig SATA 150, Corsair XMS 1 gig PC4000, ATI Radeon Saphire 9600 Pro (256 DDR), Windows XP Pro (64 Bit),Lite-ON SOHD 167T,, Plextor PX-712SA,BenQ 1640.
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mhowe
Newbie
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19. August 2003 @ 16:18 |
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My DirectX is 8.1, not the newest, but more than meets the requirements of Civ3, and tests okay. Video drivers are up to date. CD-ROM is working properly, according to Windows system control panel. How do I check for "ASPI conflicts"? And how do I install "manually" other than running the setup.exe program from the CD?
Thanks
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grug
Newbie
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21. August 2003 @ 02:24 |
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(sorry about the double post)
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 21. August 2003 @ 02:25
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grug
Newbie
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21. August 2003 @ 02:24 |
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---- Notes about refresh rates ---
The refresh rate problem is not to do with how quickly the game can print the screen, it is to do with how quickly the monitor scans (refreshes). A low refresh rate (like 60hz) means that the screen is printing from top to bottom 60 times every second. If you look at the screen in your periferal (sp!!) vision, you can often see it flickering. The way to fix this is to specify a higher refresh rate (advanced properties of the display control panel in Windozes).
Civ 3 changes the screen mode when it starts and while I don't know what resolution it uses, I know it sets the refresh rate at higher than 60. In the original version you can't change this.
--- General Civ 3 note!!! ---
There is a patch (and I suggest that anyone who is playing Civ 3 gets it) that fixes the refresh rate issue. However it may also fix whatever other problems you are having.
Also, the Civilization3.ini file can sometimes be in the c:\program files\ directory somewhere (no idea why).
--- Backing up Civ 3 ---
I've downloaded ClonyXXL and it gives me 9 skulls and tells me the disk has SafeDisk2 protection. I then run Alcohol and specify SafeDisk2 for the Datetype under the Image Making Wizard. Is there anything else I need to do as it doesn't work.
The rip says there are disk read errors almost constantly and it when I mount it and try to play the game, it still says insert disk.
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grug
Newbie
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21. August 2003 @ 03:51 |
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Fixed the problem. It helps to have the installation pointing to the virtual drive, not the one I installed it from.
I did a reg hack and found the entry that specified the CD drive, changed it to the virtual drive and now it works.
Thanks for the tip on using ClonyXXL. :-)
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Praetor
Moderator
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21. August 2003 @ 05:24 |
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Kind of like Jedi Knight 2.... the CD doesnt work with the straight-off-the-cd-install but with the 1.04 patch, it works fine. Glad to hear you got it working! :-)
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Shoey
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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21. August 2003 @ 05:38 |
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My question is then: Can you download& install the Civ 3 patch without Civ 3 installed? If mhowe has the "original" Civ 3 game then the pc game should install. I've yet to encounter where I need to download a "patch"\install, then install the pc game (makes no sense). Sure the "patch" can update the cd protection (Safedisc) and when this happens it's usually because of those using virtual stealth drives to play the game and the patch eliminates that! (not in all cases though).
Shoey :)
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mhowe
Newbie
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21. August 2003 @ 08:03 |
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Since I have the Civ3 "Game of the Year" edition, it is already patched to 1.29f. Even so, I tried reapplying the patch and it didn't help. The game never launches, so no Civilization3.ini file is created, anywhere on my HD. I'm beginning to think that either the CD is defective or I have a system setting or error somewhere that prevents my CD-ROM drive from passing the SafeDisc2 CD check, though I can't imagine what it is. And I have now tried two different drives, a Benq 656A and a Cyberdrive DM166. Is a bad CD the most likely cause at this point?
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mhowe
Newbie
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21. August 2003 @ 08:28 |
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Well, I found a no-CD crack for Civ3 1.29f and now the game launches fine. So the CD check was indeed the problem. Now I need to try to install and run a different SafeDisc2 game so that I can find out if it's my system or if I just had a bad CD. Suggestions?
Thanks
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Praetor
Moderator
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22. August 2003 @ 09:40 |
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What specific version of SD2 is it using? Because I have seen problems with whatever it is for Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 (cant remember the revision number but is 2.80.040 i think).
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