Help Me Play a PC Game Without the Discs

ZU,

Every summer, I must use some of my free time to replay Final Fantasy VIII. It's a tradition I established four years ago. The problem is that my PlayStation version of FFVIII has been long-lost, and I've had the PC version for quite a while. Now, here's the problem:

My CD-ROM drive has not been working properly. This means that the program FF8.exe ends up with a "Wrong Disc" screen every time I try to start a new game or load a saved one. What I am looking for is a solution to playing the game without the need of the discs. When inserting one of these 4 discs, a folder opens up with all of the files that make up that disc. These files may be easily copied to my computer and unto a new folder. After googling for solutions, I've found no real one, but I understand that editing the registry may help. So, if anyone has some idea of how this may work, please help me out.

Just get a new DVD drive. They cost nothing, for all intents and purpose, now.

NoCD crack.

Look it up, get one from somewhere relatively legit, and virus scan it.

Basically, it's a cracked version of the executable file which doesn't check for the CD before it starts drawing files from the game's directory. You simply replace the exe file with the new exe file. (It's better to rename the old exe, and keep it, just in case- so name the old one something like old_finalfantasy.exe)

a. get a new dvd drive

b. find a no-cd patch online (essentially you just replace the exe in program files)

c. find a cd image and run that with some program

pick your favorite one; no-cd takes the least amount of time though

^I've already tried the crack, but it feels like it was specially made for people who download it from a torrent or something In any case, I didn't understand how to use it due to some incoherent readme. If someone is willing to help me out with the crack and how to use, I'd be so greatful.

Also, I think it's more than a drive problem. DVDs run like a charm. It's just the CD-ROMs that are a pain.

Originally Posted by Ignotus Hyrule

a. get a new dvd drive

Pros:
-Is in no way illegal
-Presents zero chance of virus/spyware infection
-Can be used later for anything a DVD drive would do (long term solution.)

Cons:
-Takes a long time, as you have to order it, or go pick it up yourself, install it, etc
-Takes some slight manual labor, installing it and all. (Though that's pretty easy)
-Costs money

b. find a no-cd patch online (essentially you just replace the exe in program files)

Pros:
-This is the quickest solution
-It's pretty easy to do
-It's free
-It's something you should really learn how to do anyway, as it's really nice to not have to use discs to run games

Cons:
-Most likely to be infected with a virus, trojan, or spyware
-This is only questionably legal
-This won't allow you to use the DVD player for installing other games, or for reading other discs, thus, this is a very temporary solution

c. find a cd image and run that with some program

Pros:
-This is also a good thing to know how to do
-Relatively quick when compared to ordering and installing a new DVD drive
-You could, theoretically, do this for every game you get, thus replacing the DVD drive, as this technique can be used to install software too

Cons:
-Compared to just finding a NoCD crack this is a pain
-It's relatively possible to run into a CD image with a virus or spyware, but not as common as a NoCD crack
-In most cases, this is completely illegal
-While it could, theoretically, replace a DVD drive, you'll end up spending a lot less of your time trying to get things to work if you just buy a new DVD drive

Originally Posted by IGNIS

^I've already tried the crack, but it feels like it was specially made for people who download it from a torrent or something In any case, I didn't understand how to use it due to some incoherent readme. If someone is willing to help me out with the crack and how to use, I'd be so greatful.

Also, I think it's more than a drive problem. DVDs run like a charm. It's just the CD-ROMs that are a pain.

All you should have to do is rename the crack so that it matches the name of the executable, and then replace the executable with the crack. There are occasionally NoCD cracks that do this differently, but 99% of the time, that's all you have to do.

Originally Posted by 8bit

NoCD crack.

Look it up, get one from somewhere relatively legit, and virus scan it.

Basically, it's a cracked version of the executable file which doesn't check for the CD before it starts drawing files from the game's directory. You simply replace the exe file with the new exe file. (It's better to rename the old exe, and keep it, just in case- so name the old one something like old_finalfantasy.exe)

If FFVIII is anything like PC FFVII, then it needs the CDs to run movies off of, meaning you can't just crack it away.

What I would do is try to burn images of the CDs to your PC with CloneCD or the like, which you can then read with a Virtual Disk drive through Daemon Tools or similar program. It takes lots of time and space, but it's lets you run everything off your hard drive and serves as a backup at the same time.

If anyone can help me decipher this readme:

FINAL FANTASY 8 NOCD's and HOW WORKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See ANY of the 3 crack-file and follow the instructions!

IMPORTANT: COPY ALL THE CDs to your HDD!! (see !CRACK.NFO).
DURING game YET WILL ASK for the CD, but e.g.
IF ASK CD#02, then press ALT+TAB and DELETE
the DISK1 identity-file and COPY the DISK2
identity-file!
Press ALT+TAB again to back the game and play
the next disk.
After the CD#2 will aks the CD again and MAKE
this procedure for the CD#3, etc. etc.



no carrier +++
--== FBSA ==--

Originally Posted by Dr. von Fish

If FFVIII is anything like PC FFVII, then it needs the CDs to run movies off of, meaning you can't just crack it away.

What I would do is try to burn images of the CDs to your PC with CloneCD or the like, which you can then read with a Virtual Disk drive through Daemon Tools or similar program. It takes lots of time and space, but it's lets you run everything off your hard drive and serves as a backup at the same time.

That actually sounds good. But is it that easy? I already have CloneCD.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

If anyone can help me decipher this readme:

IMPORTANT: COPY ALL THE CDs to your HDD!! (see !CRACK.NFO).

It looks like you're going to need to get an ISO anyway. Probably for the reason that Fish mentioned.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

That actually sounds good. But is it that easy? I already have CloneCD.

The question is, will CloneCD work with your bunk DVD drive? If not, you're going to have to pirate the ISOs, and then mount them with Daemon tools.

The drive does in fact read the disc immediately. It's just the ff8.exe that is no longer allowing the disc to run. When inserting the disc, these files pop up immediately on the computer:

If its an issue with Final Fantasy and not your drive just uninstall and reinstall. When it uninstalls make sure it really does, check your program files.

Originally Posted by Bradapalooza

If its an issue with Final Fantasy and not your drive just uninstall and reinstall. When it uninstalls make sure it really does, check your program files.

Tried that as well to no avail.

So, with what we know now, do you guys suggest a CDclone run and then use Daemontools to play the game?

That's what I suggest. It's been a while since I used CloneCD, so I can't give you specific direction, but the idea is to try to write the CDs to your hard drive as an ISO files, then mount the ISO files in Daemon Tools as they are needed by the game. See if that workds.

I agree with Dr. Von Fish if you want to go that route, although a new drive would prevent this problem with later games.

Although if the problem is with FF8.exe, I'm not convinced it will work, because essentially your just making a new drive, just a virtual one. If your physical drive is functioning properly and FF8 just fails to recognize it, you might still have a problem even after completing this.

Well, I'm going to try one of you all's suggestions. Thanks for the help. I'll post here if I found a solution or not.

Originally Posted by IGNIS

Also, I think it's more than a drive problem. DVDs run like a charm. It's just the CD-ROMs that are a pain.

All CD-ROMs, or just these, specific, ones?

Also, I think it's more than a drive problem. DVDs run like a charm. It's just the CD-ROMs that are a pain.

Didn't catch this the first time. Definitely makes me think its an issue with Final Fantasy and not your drive if just these don't work.

I suppose you could just emulate the PSX version. You own the game, so it would technically be legal.

Download psX (emulator) and search for an ISO of the game (Google).

Originally Posted by SheikahSage

I suppose you could just emulate the PSX version. You own the game, so it would technically be legal.

He'd have to rip the rom from his own copy of the Playstation, which he lost, so no, it would not be legal.