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N4 Copy-Protected CD - A few observations

9 posts by 6 people · 10 Feb 2001 09:55 UTC - 12 Feb 2001 00:05 UTC

Larry 10 Feb 2001 09:55 UTC#205266
1. Pioneer DVD-113. Doesn't appear to be a problem, at least when it's the only CD Drive in the system. 2. CloneCD, using the default settings, DOES make a useable backup copy of your purchased N4 Game. The Demo works fine, though it is restricted to 2x copying. It took 21 minutes on my machine. 3. My other machine (the non-server) has an HP SCSI Writer as drive Z, and a Kenwood 72x as drive X. Though this is a potential double-whammy when it comes to the brain-dead copy protection on the N4 CD, I think I get away with it because my primary CD drive, the Kenwood, is the LOWEST lettered drive in the system. 4. My Kenwood 72x firmware was at rev 212 when I first installed the game. Though I didn't have any problems, I noticed that the latest firmware available was 227 (or something like that) so I went ahead and installed it. It did help in that the startup time for N4 has been greatly reduced. The real shame is that we really didn't need all this crap. I'm sure this decision was Sierra's, and I know they have no interest in hearing in what we have to say about this subject, so all we can do is take care of it ourselves however deemed necessary. It's really kind of ironic hearing from those that bought the CD, can't install/run it because of the stupid copy protection, and have to play it by downloading the cracked warez version... -Larry
So what's the solution? Either I buy a new CD drive or run with the cracked exe and give up on online racing. And ecen if I do decide to buy a DC drive, which one will work? My processor, video and memory are more than adequate, I never expected to have to upgrade my CD drive. Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xe8h6.57672$[email hidden]... > 1. Pioneer DVD-113. Doesn't appear to be a problem, at least when it'sthe > only CD Drive in the system. > > 2. CloneCD, using the default settings, DOES make a useable backup copyof > your purchased N4 Game. > The Demo works fine, though it is restricted to 2x copying. It took21 > minutes on my machine. > > 3. My other machine (the non-server) has an HP SCSI Writer as drive Z,and > a Kenwood 72x as drive > X. Though this is a potential double-whammy when it comes to the > brain-dead copy protection on > the N4 CD, I think I get away with it because my primary CD drive,the > Kenwood, is the LOWEST > lettered drive in the system. > > 4. My Kenwood 72x firmware was at rev 212 when I first installed thegame. > Though I didn't > have any problems, I noticed that the latest firmware available was227 > (or something like that) > so I went ahead and installed it. It did help in that the startuptime
Quoted text (9 lines)> for N4 has been greatly reduced. > > The real shame is that we really didn't need all this crap. I'm sure this > decision was Sierra's, and I know they have no interest in hearing in what > we have to say about this subject, so all we can do is take care of it > ourselves however deemed necessary. > > It's really kind of ironic hearing from those that bought the CD, can't > install/run it because of the stupid copy protection, and have to play it
by > downloading the cracked warez version... > > -Larry > >
>So what's the solution? Either I buy a new CD drive or run with the cracked >exe and give up on online racing. And ecen if I do decide to buy a DC >drive, which one will work? My processor, video and memory are more than >adequate, I never expected to have to upgrade my CD drive. I'd say demand Sierra fix it and, if that doesn't happen, start work on class-action proceedings. -Tim
The only suggestion I can think of is to make sure the CD you are using for install and running games protected like this is to make sure that CD has the lowest letter of all your CD drives. For example, in my case: X = Kenwood ZEN drive - Main drive for installing and running software. Y = Pioneer DVD 113 Drive - Only used for DVD Playback. Z = HP 8x CD Writer - Only used for burning CD's. I learned this trick a while back with, I believe, Test Drive 4 (or maybe 5) that also had this obnoxious copy protection. Someone else also mentioned putting the CD in a CD on their server, and mapping a drive letter to it on the client. It was slow, I believe he said, but I think it worked? -Larry "Steve Rosko" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9642ce$50p$[email hidden]... > So what's the solution? Either I buy a new CD drive or run with thecracked
Quoted text (13 lines)> exe and give up on online racing. And ecen if I do decide to buy a DC > drive, which one will work? My processor, video and memory are more than > adequate, I never expected to have to upgrade my CD drive. > Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:xe8h6.57672$[email hidden]... > > 1. Pioneer DVD-113. Doesn't appear to be a problem, at least when it's > the > > only CD Drive in the system. > > > > 2. CloneCD, using the default settings, DOES make a useable backup copy > of > > your purchased N4 Game. > > The Demo works fine, though it is restricted to 2x copying. It
took
Quoted text (24 lines)> 21 > > minutes on my machine. > > > > 3. My other machine (the non-server) has an HP SCSI Writer as drive Z, > and > > a Kenwood 72x as drive > > X. Though this is a potential double-whammy when it comes to the > > brain-dead copy protection on > > the N4 CD, I think I get away with it because my primary CD drive, > the > > Kenwood, is the LOWEST > > lettered drive in the system. > > > > 4. My Kenwood 72x firmware was at rev 212 when I first installed the > game. > > Though I didn't > > have any problems, I noticed that the latest firmware available was > 227 > > (or something like that) > > so I went ahead and installed it. It did help in that the startup > time > > for N4 has been greatly reduced. > > > > The real shame is that we really didn't need all this crap. I'm sure
this > > decision was Sierra's, and I know they have no interest in hearing inwhat > > we have to say about this subject, so all we can do is take care of it > > ourselves however deemed necessary. > > > > It's really kind of ironic hearing from those that bought the CD, can't > > install/run it because of the stupid copy protection, and have to playit
Quoted text (8 lines)> by > > downloading the cracked warez version... > > > > -Larry > > > > > >
Don't. There will be a "crack" soon. "Steve Rosko" <[email hidden]> wrote:
Quoted text (51 lines)>So what's the solution? Either I buy a new CD drive or run with the cracked >exe and give up on online racing. And ecen if I do decide to buy a DC >drive, which one will work? My processor, video and memory are more than >adequate, I never expected to have to upgrade my CD drive. >Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:xe8h6.57672$[email hidden]... >> 1. Pioneer DVD-113. Doesn't appear to be a problem, at least when it's >the >> only CD Drive in the system. >> >> 2. CloneCD, using the default settings, DOES make a useable backup copy >of >> your purchased N4 Game. >> The Demo works fine, though it is restricted to 2x copying. It took >21 >> minutes on my machine. >> >> 3. My other machine (the non-server) has an HP SCSI Writer as drive Z, >and >> a Kenwood 72x as drive >> X. Though this is a potential double-whammy when it comes to the >> brain-dead copy protection on >> the N4 CD, I think I get away with it because my primary CD drive, >the >> Kenwood, is the LOWEST >> lettered drive in the system. >> >> 4. My Kenwood 72x firmware was at rev 212 when I first installed the >game. >> Though I didn't >> have any problems, I noticed that the latest firmware available was >227 >> (or something like that) >> so I went ahead and installed it. It did help in that the startup >time >> for N4 has been greatly reduced. >> >> The real shame is that we really didn't need all this crap. I'm sure this >> decision was Sierra's, and I know they have no interest in hearing in what >> we have to say about this subject, so all we can do is take care of it >> ourselves however deemed necessary. >> >> It's really kind of ironic hearing from those that bought the CD, can't >> install/run it because of the stupid copy protection, and have to play it >by >> downloading the cracked warez version... >> >> -Larry >> >> >
> "The Enigmatic One" <[email hidden]> wrote > start work on class-action proceedings. Yeeeeaaaahhhh.... <roll eyes> -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- People think it must be fun to be a genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
On Sat, 10 Feb 2001 20:44:49 GMT, [email hidden] (The Enigmatic One) thus spoke: > I'd say demand Sierra fix it and, if that doesn't happen, start work >on class-action proceedings. > > > -Tim > Gamers often mention class-action law suits, but I've yet to see one actually happen. -- Jagg
On Sat, 10 Feb 2001 15:44:51 -0800, Braun Tacon <[email hidden]> thus spoke: >Don't. There will be a "crack" soon. There already is. -- Jagg
From what I've heard, you can't play on-line with the No-CD patch. -Larry "Braun Tacon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted text (7 lines)> Don't. There will be a "crack" soon. > > > > "Steve Rosko" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >So what's the solution? Either I buy a new CD drive or run with the
cracked > >exe and give up on online racing. And ecen if I do decide to buy a DC > >drive, which one will work? My processor, video and memory are more than > >adequate, I never expected to have to upgrade my CD drive. > >Larry <[email hidden]> wrote in message > >news:xe8h6.57672$[email hidden]... > >> 1. Pioneer DVD-113. Doesn't appear to be a problem, at least whenit's > >the > >> only CD Drive in the system. > >> > >> 2. CloneCD, using the default settings, DOES make a useable backupcopy > >of > >> your purchased N4 Game. > >> The Demo works fine, though it is restricted to 2x copying. Ittook
Quoted text (17 lines)> >21 > >> minutes on my machine. > >> > >> 3. My other machine (the non-server) has an HP SCSI Writer as drive Z, > >and > >> a Kenwood 72x as drive > >> X. Though this is a potential double-whammy when it comes to the > >> brain-dead copy protection on > >> the N4 CD, I think I get away with it because my primary CD drive, > >the > >> Kenwood, is the LOWEST > >> lettered drive in the system. > >> > >> 4. My Kenwood 72x firmware was at rev 212 when I first installed the > >game. > >> Though I didn't > >> have any problems, I noticed that the latest firmware available
was
Quoted text (7 lines)> >227 > >> (or something like that) > >> so I went ahead and installed it. It did help in that the startup > >time > >> for N4 has been greatly reduced. > >> > >> The real shame is that we really didn't need all this crap. I'm sure
this > >> decision was Sierra's, and I know they have no interest in hearing inwhat > >> we have to say about this subject, so all we can do is take care of it > >> ourselves however deemed necessary. > >> > >> It's really kind of ironic hearing from those that bought the CD, can't > >> install/run it because of the stupid copy protection, and have to playit
Quoted text (8 lines)> >by > >> downloading the cracked warez version... > >> > >> -Larry > >> > >> > > >

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