Using virtual machines to circumvent SecureROM, etc?

[Brickman]

Hi folks, this is my first post. The point of my post is to learn and hopefully to figure out alternate ways for running my CD games without spinning a piece of hardware, generating noise and heat in my laptop.

I've read about the other pieces of software that hide various aspects of DT, but I was wondering if anyone has tried using virtual machines to solve this problem.

For instance, assume you install DT on a Host machine. Then using say VMWare you create a WinXP virtual machine with a virtual CD that uses the host machine's CD player. Then you install your (SecureROM, etc) game in the virtual environment (from an ISO on the Host machine via DT - which is autodetected by the VM).

Does this effectively hide DT from the virtual machine?

I realize the speed hit you'd get from this approach, but I was just curious if this approach has been batted around ever.

Thanks!

[Blazkowicz]

I remember one post in which Diablo hasn't worked in VMWare (i think it was 2nd one). Also no sense in running games in VM due to speed.

[Brickman]

Well, I certainly hear you regarding speed. However, if you're not playing a first person shooter (maybe like CIV4) then speed becomes a lot less important.

Also consider that if you want to play the game 10 years from now and you've lost your physical game/os disks, and the hardware in the future is faster, maybe speed isn't so important in the long run. Having all your games installed in a VM might be a good idea. Although granted, maybe not for everyone.

[evlncrn8]

For instance, assume you install DT on a Host machine. Then using say VMWare you create a WinXP virtual machine with a virtual CD that uses the host machine's CD player. Then you install your (SecureROM, etc) game in the virtual environment (from an ISO on the Host machine via DT - which is autodetected by the VM).

Does this effectively hide DT from the virtual machine?

I realize the speed hit you'd get from this approach, but I was just curious if this approach has been batted around ever.

Thanks!

1. iso wont have the protection information -> cd/dvd check will fail
2. its using the host machines cdplayer, which throws your argument about "without spinning a piece of hardware, generating noise and heat in my laptop." right out the window (unless the hosted machines drive is a daemon tools virtual drive which you didn't specifiy... and even if it was its effectively you're running the game in vmware... which is already eating up clock cycles which in turn is heating up the cpu)
3. if the cd/dvd drive on the host machine (forwarded to the guest) is daemon tools drive and the image is mds/mdf format then it'll probably work (excluding blacklisting etc..)

so in essence all of the possibilities above more or less show that using the vmware is pointless, as it'll only take more time, more processor cycles (and more hdd space), achieving what you could probably achieve on the real machine with the real cd/dvd..

and speed is VERY important, especially when it comes to disk signature reading and the like... so nice idea (though i think other people had the same idea a long time ago), but there's no real benefit from your theory..