AnyDVD works great, but comes out with updates on an almost daily basis. If you own it, I highly recomend staying current with updates, and if you don't I suggest you buy it. Most DVD's have a lot of additional content so copying the entire dvd using Nero will usually resuly in needing a dual layer disc. However, Slysoft has clonedvd which works in conjunction with anydvd to make a selective copy. Often if you just copy the movie and audio without the extras it'll fit on a single layer disc. Also, it'll further provide compression options which will slightly lower the quality (not perceivable to most) to make it fit on a single layer disc. ----- Original Message ---- From: Grant Hallman <unilogic@xxxxxxxxx> To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 4:43:31 AM Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: Enough, already! Hi again, and thanks to all who replied. What i know now: I have SlySoft's "AnyDVD" product, which lets me copy copy-protected DVDs. (I use it because i live far from the video store, so i rent 6 movies at a time, watch one and copy the other 5, and return them all the next day, watch them when i get a chance.) Most of them aren't worth the $2 blank DVD. BTW, anyone know why a 4.7 Gb blank can't hold 120 minutes of video? I hafta use double-layer blanks to hold a typical movie. Howsomever, AnyDVD only strips the copyright bit, thus allowing good-citizen Nero to make a copy, it doesn't (AFAICT) change the copy process, so i still get a non-playable copy. According to gamecopyworld, AoE II uses "SafeDisc", but no further help. Now what? I'd really prefer to copy the media rather than eliminate it via HD, i think what i need is a bit-for-bit, sector-for-sector, trach-for-track copy utility. I'm surprised they're hard to find. As to these: http://torrentspy.com/ or http://www.demonoid.com + http://www.utorrent.com/ Huh? The first site needs a password, the other two are 404'd... ? On a completely difft OT topic, i did watch the ISS (International Space Station) make a pass tonight, brighter than Venus, popped out of Earth's shadow right overhead at 3:36:35 and swept off to the NW. Look here for details, register your long/lat and get 10-day notice of passes visible in your area: <http://www.heavens-above.com/orbitdisplay> It's really well done IMO. cheers - grant At 03:21 PM 7/18/2007 -0500, you wrote: >If you have the original discs, you can use GameJackal. It creates a >profile while you play the game. All you have to do from then on is keep >a copy of the map created with the profile key for your install, and you >shouldn't need the original media again. This has been the case with my >BattleField 2142, BattleField 2, and Call of Duty 2 games. >Again.. it does require that you have the original media. > >There's another alternative for you. You can find it at www.slysoft.com >for the cost of $29.99. > >Jake Briggs wrote: >>A problem with the alcohol 120 solution is that you /may/ need to use drm >>emulation - if you copy a game that uses starforce (i think that is what >>its called) using alcohol 120, then you'll need to use alcohol 120's >>starforce emulation. >> >>This probably won't work until 2019 :D >> >>On the other hand, maybe the copy protection is weak and alcohol will >>copy it properly.... >> >>Bradley Mclain wrote: >>>I don't know if it'll work specifically for Age of Empires but a similar >>>solution to the one posted above is Alcohol 120%. This allows you to >>>copy your CD to your hard drive as an image and run it in a Virtual >>>Drive, therefore you shall never need to use the CD again. I do this >>>with a lot of my CD's to preserve the originals, the only game/DVD I >>>have come across so far that will not work properly is Rome: Total War, >>>Gold Edition. >>> >>>On 7/18/07, *Sam Nova* <sam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>><mailto:sam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote: >>> >>> I would much rather suggest Virtual Drive. They do support Age of >>> Empires III and 2 and the gold edition.. So might be worth to check >>> http://www.farstone.com/software/virtualdrive.htm >>> <http://www.farstone.com/software/virtualdrive.htm> >>> >>> Enjoy, >>> >>> Sam >>> --------------------------------------- >>> Blog: http://www.SamuelNova.com >>> Games Portal: http://www.NovaCastle.com <http://www.NovaCastle.com> >>> >>> > -----Original Message----- >>> > From: gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> <mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >>> > [mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> <mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On Behalf Of Jake Briggs >>> > Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 10:59 PM >>> > To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> <mailto:gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >>> > Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: Enough, already! >>> > >>> > >>> > http://torrentspy.com/ or http://www.demonoid.com + >>> > http://www.utorrent.com/ >>> > >>> > Let someone else do the hard work for you.... I know it sucks >>> > to have to >>> > resort to this kind of activity, but that is just how it is :( >>> > >>> > Grant Hallman wrote: >>> > > Hi folks: >>> > > >>> > > I've been lurking the last while for a variety of personal >>> > RL reasons, >>> > > but Bob may remember me. I thought someone here might be >>> > able to help >>> > > an old-timer ;) with a problem i'm having with M$ >>> > anti-piracy vs media >>> > > backup. >>> > > >>> > > I confess up front, i'm seriously addicted to Age of Empires, >>> > > developed by Ensemble and sold by Microsoft. And i understand big >>> > > companies' concerns that people don't copy their games and hand >>> > > freebies out to their friends. But i am pi$$ed that i cannot >>> make a >>> > > working backup of the software i paid for and have the >>> > legal right to >>> > > use. >>> > > >>> > > Awhile back, my game CD started showing a hairline crack off the >>> > > center spindle. The crack got longer, then another one >>> > started on the >>> > > other side, and finally the game went dead. Microsoft's answer was >>> > > "buy another game". My position is that i already bought >>> > and paid for >>> > > the dang game and it's their media that failed, and their >>> paranoia >>> > > that kept me from making a playable backup, so a non-evil company >>> > > would at a minimum offer to exchange a broken media for a working >>> > > replacement. Not M$, unfortunately. >>> > > >>> > > So now i've paid twice for this game, and i /still/ can't make a >>> > > playable backup, and i wonder whether anyone here knows how to get >>> > > around their fool copy protection? Because i'm still gonna >>> > be playing >>> > > it in 2019, and it will eventually go out of stock, and i'm >>> > not giving >>> > > anything away or doing anything illegal, and dammit i have >>> > the right >>> > > to back up my own media. >>> > > >>> > > Now i've heard lots of theories, and i've tried CloneCD, >>> > and i'm only >>> > > looking for advice from people who AKS (Actually Know >>> > Something), like >>> > > how to copy the dang thing, and off-list reply is fine if we >>> don't >>> > > want a bunch of high-school kids being naughty (like they'd >>> > need help >>> > > from us anyway). So if u feel like u can trust me that you're not >>> > > being accessory to a felony and i just want a backup for my >>> > own use, >>> > > and you AKS, please reply, on or off list as u see fit. >>> > > >>> > > TIA for any assistance - grant >>> > > >>> > > PS: It's Age of Empires II, Conqueror's Expansion. AoE III >>> will only >>> >>> > > play on XP, and i won't accept the EULA for that piece >>> > of... software. >>> > > I run W2000, and have Nero, CloneCD and AnyDVD, all of which i use >>> > > legally. --------------------- To unsubscribe go to http://gameprogrammer.com/mailinglist.html