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tonton · Oct 9, 2001, 04:34 AM

I have a PowerBook with a noisy DVD drive. I really want to run Brood War (and other games) without the CD. Anyone know a source, or can email me the crack file?

I am not Warezing. I own the game. I just think game companies who require CDs in drives don't have notebook users in mind when they make this decision. And by no means does it stop people from warezing. You just make a CD copy of the original, and it works fine. Or you download the .img file from HL and burn to CD and it works fine. The only thing the CD requirement does is make it inconvenient to run the program.

Please send me the crack file. Thanks!

hmr · Oct 9, 2001, 05:06 AM

Hello.

This one is easy to solve. Simply take a copy of the disk using Apple's DiscCopy, save it as a writable disk image file and then delete each file's resource and data fork (File Buddy can do that). Then you can make a compressed disk image from the writable image. This way, the image only takes about 10-100 KB of disk space, and you don't need to have the CD-ROM in your drive if the disk image is mounted.

Works for me.

Heimir.

P.S.
I forgot to mention that it is very important that the mounted disk image has the same name as the original CD!

[ 10-09-2001: Message edited by: hmr ]

tonton · Oct 9, 2001, 07:14 AM

Very Cool!!

Thanks, I'll try it out now...

Fran441 · Oct 9, 2001, 07:48 AM

Are you sure you aren't warezing?

tonton · Oct 9, 2001, 08:31 AM

Doesn't work... two things...

First, after deleting resource and data forks from the three files on the read/write image file (and I verify that file size is zero k), the compressed disc image still takes up 530MB (only 8MB less than the uncompressed image). The mounted image would then report 536MB available. Is Apple's compression algorithm so horribly bad? Do I need to zero all free space on the mounted image before compressing?

Then, Starcraft cannot recognize the mounted image file as the CD. Is there something I'm doing wrong here? I'm using Disc Copy 6.3.3 and OS 9.2.1. Maybe I should try ShrinkWrap instead?

This was the same problem when I tried using a read-only disc image of my original Starcraft CD (albeit without deleting file data). Starcraft wouldn't recognize the mounted image as the CD.

Oh... I'm using retail Starcraft version 1.0.5. Might this be the problem? Maybe Blizzard updated the file from 1.0 to disable the use of CD images. Should I search for a copy of 1.0?

[ 10-09-2001: Message edited by: tonton ]

tonton · Oct 9, 2001, 10:43 AM

Okay... I tried again, using Shrinkwrap the .img file is now 56k, but Starcraft still won't accept the mounted image as the CD.

Oct 9, 2001, 11:31 AM

I found a file which is described as "starcarft and broodwar" cr ack...
http://www.ifrance.com/beberfiles/fi...tandbrrodk.sit

a2daj · Oct 9, 2001, 06:06 PM

Try making an image with DVDExtractor or Toast. I use DVDExtractor disk images for all my games that require CDs, and they work fine. Yes, I own all of the games I made disk images for.
After you save the disk image in DVDExtractor, change the Creator Type in the resource fork to DVDX. Then you can just double click the image file to load it.

OverclockedHomoSapien · Oct 9, 2001, 08:24 PM

I know a really unethical dude who uses this technique to crack his game CDs, then he sells the game CD on eBay and keeps the "game" for himself. He's a really evil guy...when Dubya proclaimed that he would "rid the world of evil-doers," this guy freaked out because he thought Dubya would send special forces out after him.

tonton · Oct 11, 2001, 07:08 AM

Alas, the crack linked by anon above showed promise, but it didn't work with my version of the software. I'll try Toast, then as a last resort I'll see if I can download an installer off Hotline that works with the crack.

I buy the game and because of stupid azz copy protection I resort to a method that in a way encourages piracy.

Just like the RIAA, another stupic company shoots itself in the foot making things difficult for the end user...

redJag · Sep 28, 2004, 01:29 AM

I know this is an old thread but I'm sure some people are still interested in playing SC: Brood War without a CD in their drive (like me on my powerbook). I found a solution: FireStarter FX!

Put your CD in, open this app, and go to "Burn Data." Drag the CD into the well and click "Save as iso.." wait..wait.. that's it. The file is about 560MB but its better than having a CD in the drive. This ISO is mountable by the OS.

Randman · Sep 28, 2004, 01:42 AM

Use Toast to create a Disk Image, then move the disk image to the folder where you want it, then use apple i and lock the disk image. Then when you want to play, use Toast again to mount the disk image and there you go.
Works for any game that requires a CD. Great for on-the-go stuff if you have the disk space for it.

redJag · Sep 28, 2004, 09:24 AM

Yeah, people had already been successful using Toast. Let me rephrase: I've found a FREE solution!

WOPR · Oct 4, 2004, 07:38 AM

The Toast or FireStarter tricks don't work on Call of Duty - any help appreciated!

Randman · Oct 4, 2004, 07:45 AM

If you used Toast and did it correctly, it has to work. That CD is no different than any other.
You locked the disk image after you were done with it? Apple-i? You then mounted the disk image using Toast? Then it's the exact same as if you have the CD inserted.

WOPR · Oct 4, 2004, 09:13 AM

I did exactly as you said and Call of Duty still asks me to put the DVD in the drive

I loaded Toast 6, clicked the copy tab, then chose the CD/DVD Copy button on the left, then went to File > Save as Disc Image. Locked the resulting .toast file, then mounted it using Toast. Was that right?

blizzard · Oct 4, 2004, 10:28 AM

I was hoping this would die by itself, but it seems I was hoping in vain.

No discussion of cracks, guys.