Copy Protection for Older games

[Alpha_Blue]

What kind of copyright protection do older games use?

For example, Starcraft-I ran a ProtectionID check on it and found nothing. When I load the program, it says there is no CD in the drive and it fails to start.

However, I have found two REG_SZ (string) values in the registry, under HKCU\Software\Blizzard Entertainment\Starcraft and HKU\(My SID)\Software\Blizzard Entertainment\Starcraft that contain the Value name of StarCD and data of E: (my CD drive). I am not sure if this is how the copy protection works or if there is some sort of CD check in the program that is older than most of the methods ProtectionID uses?

Also, Ive wondered the same thing with Command and Conquer, the original game. Its even older and it seems to have copy protection, but I have no idea how or where this is.

[Jito463]

Scan the installed files on the HDD to find out the copy protection. Some CP's can only be detected in this manner. I can say that C&C uses Safedisc, but I'm not sure if the exact version.

[Alpha_Blue]

Scan the Hard drive what with program?

[FordPrefect]

ProtectionID.
If you launch PID and right-click the tray icon additional options are offered.

[Alpha_Blue]

I've tried scanning CD/DVD but I get the same results; unknown or no copy protection- but I know there is copy protection because it says please insert CD! and its mounted (as a virtual drive)-starcraft works when mounted with D-tools but not with Virtual CLoneDRive...and yet it works with D tools but isnt in the d tools game database...there MUST be some protection on it...C&C doesnt work with clonedrive OR d-tools..well, with d-tools it doesnt run , and with clonedrive it says please insert CD -however, farcry works with clonedrive...amazingly..apparently only safedisc 2 or something works...cause safedisc3 doesnt work with clonedrive..

Its weird. Well, I tried scanning the whole hard drive and after the first file it shuts down completely..its a wmv movie (short) and i told it to scan files over 20MB and all that but it just doesnt work...also I have tried scannning C&C and Starcraft with CLonyXXL- Clony gives them each a 5 skull rating for copy protection strength, yet finds "none or unknown copy protection"...mysterious indeed.

How am I supposed to find what copy protection these games use? What program would look for older protections? maybe protectionID and CLonyXXL only look for newer protections

[Xtreme2damax]

Try making an image of the disc, and Install/Play Using the Image on the one Paticular Virtual drive.

My Unreal game uses a similar protection. You have to do a full install, and play off the drive you installed the game with.

For example, if you installed the game with drive D:\ , you also have to play the game off of drive D:\

So You create an Image of your Game Disc, Mount it on your Virtual Drive with Daemon Tools, Install Using the Image, and Play of of the Virtual Drive you installed the game with, using the Disc Image.

Hope this clears things up This is nothing more than a Simple CD check form of Copy Protection, actually quite simple to get by and create a working backup with, Compared to todays copy protection schemes.

Infact, games that use this form of Copy protection are so simple to create working backups of, that you don't nee any special image creation tools such as Alcohol or Blindwrite. In this case Nero would be sufficient to create a working backup image.

[Alpha_Blue]

Wow, so simple and so brilliant at the same time. And its true!! The registry key checks if the CD is in the drive that you installed it from - maybe i can still copy my saved game files to the new installed folder..hmm...

But if thats true, then why does the emulation work with Daemon tools but not Virtaul Clone DRive? D-tools uses a seperate drive from the one i installed the game on, so does virtual clonedrive...and starcraft only loaded with d-tools (from a different directory than it had been installed upon). Maybe this is because d-tools implements so many different copy protections and things?

I'll try that for C&C as well as for Starcraft and it should work- thanks a lot. Also that means I can submit an entry to the database for Starcraft-CD check and C&C Generals: CD check..once I make sure thats all it is. And also, I have a Yuris' revenge to submit as well. Cool.

[Xtreme2damax]

Be sure to let us know if it works If it doesn't, then we can probably help you further.

Or did you say it worked, and I misunderstood you?

I'm pretty sure that this is form of CP used for this game, I'm heading over to the Game Database to see if this game is listed, and see if this is in fact the copy protection it uses.

As for why it work's with Daemon Tools, and not Virtual Clone Drive, I'm not Sure. The only Thing I can think of is because Daemon Tools Emulates the Copy Protections, and Virtual Clone Drive doesn't.

:Edit: It's not listed in the game database, I didn't see at first that you had mentioned about submitting it for the database, one you got it working.

[et1990]

i don't no about starcraft but i dont think C&C is proteced... it copied and worked fine for me.

[k61824]

IIRC starcraft is with the earliest securom, the check should be in one of the DLL's you have in the folder
(well, if it isn't securom it is something that specifically does not work in Win95 because I don't need the disc to be in back in the days of win95 [haven't tried compatibility mode in XP for that however])

Unreal tournament uses Safedisc 1.xx until the 436 patch comes out that does not have the protection altogether (Not sure about unreal 1)