Do disk images (.dmg) work instead of CDs?

[Matt01792]

As an iBook user it's a pain to carry CDs around with me, but the games I play require them to run it so...

Would it be possible to create a virtual CD (a .dmg file with the same name as the disc) that I can then mount instead of the using the disc? Somehow, I don't think it'll be as simple as that though... :confused:

Many thanks for any help you can give. :)

[ryan42]

Shure should.

A DMG when mounted is the equivilant of a regular CD. It should work. I see no way that the game can figure out if there is a regular cd in the drive or if it's an image.
Try it and find out?

[Matt01792]

Just did, and it doesn't. The CDs have the same name, with the same data (I went into Disk Utility and selected 'Images > New > Image from folder...') and it doesn't work. Am I doing something wrong?

[applekid]

You are definitely doing something wrong. This topic has popped up a few times before.

[musicpyrite]

What you need to do is is create a blank disk image, and select about 50 more MB than the total size of the data on the CD. If you have 500 MB of data you want to copy, then make a .dmg about 550 MB. Once you've done that, just directly copy the data from the CD to the .dmg.

[Blackheart]

It depends on the game. Some games (i.e. UT2004) "know" that you don't have the CD. Other games (i.e. Blizzard games) will let you play of a .dmg. It works on a case by case basis.

Name the game(s) you're trying to do this with and people on this board might be able to help guide you if they've done this with their games.

[haiggy]

Sometimes you have to try different combinations to get it to work, but I have done it with all of my Blizzard games. I don't think you have to make a new disk image and then copy information, somehow I think hidden files will be missed.

[Matt01792]

Thanks for the help everyone!

As for hidden files, couldn't I use tinkertool or something to unhide the files, would that work?

[Nermal]

I went into Disk Utility and selected 'Images > New > Image from folder...'

No, don't do that. You need to choose the session and make an image of that instead. Once you've made the image, lock it (write protect it), before mounting it.

[Matt01792]

Thanks for the screenshot! I thought I should've been doing that but the option was greyed out - I thought it would come up with a dialog asking which device to image, I didn't realise I had to select it first. .... feels stupid now :o lol, thanks though!

[dan-o-mac]

you can also use a no cd patch. which takes up no space on your hard drive.

[SilentPanda]

I usually make a disc image and select DVD/CD Image when I go to make it. Works with almost all the games I've tried.

[jtgotsjets]

some games are also troublesome to get a good image of, so that is a potential problem. beasically, this will work in general, but not 100% of the time

[applekid]

you can also use a no cd patch. which takes up no space on your hard drive.

Why patches/cracks are "no-no's" (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=92610&highlight=crack)

[Matt01792]

Just to check before I actually do this, am I within my rights to do this, as I bought the game?

[Blackheart]

Just to check before I actually do this, am I within my rights to do this, as I bought the game?

Does it matter? I personally don't care. As long as I own the game, I feel that I'm within my right to do this. There is the "letter of the law" and the "spirit of the law". I believe I'm following the law to the extent that it was meant.

[yamabushi]

Fair Use clause would imply that you can legally do this in order to use the software in the way that you desire. However, the DMCA may or may not apply as well. As long as you own the game and follow any other usage restrictions it probably won't be a problem. However it remains to be seen whether or not a particular method is legal or not. Legal experts tend to agree that a complete unaltered disc image or software workaround that does not alter any application code may be easier to argue as being legal than a patch that alters any code. Fair Use also permits the creation of a backup and a disc image might be considered such as long as there is only one image and it is not altered in any way or shared with others. Regardless most software publishers are not pleased with the practice and will not provide tech support to anyone who admits to doing this.

[aswitcher]

No, don't do that. You need to choose the session and make an image of that instead. Once you've made the image, lock it (write protect it), before mounting it.

Its that simple?

[Nermal]

Its that simple?

It is. :)

Occasionally you'll come across a game that checks to ensure that it's not running from a mounted image, but you can often get around this by mounting with Toast instead of Disk Utility.

[applekid]

Just to check before I actually do this, am I within my rights to do this, as I bought the game?

Think of it as a backup and think of it as legal.

[pgc6000]

Awsome, just got this too work with Age of Mythology. Now trying to trick Halo, but it's not easy.

[WhiteSavage]

It is. :)

Occasionally you'll come across a game that checks to ensure that it's not running from a mounted image, but you can often get around this by mounting with Toast instead of Disk Utility.

Yeah, I have entirely forgotten how to use the Toast Disk Image option. I just tried again recently, and for some reason, I cant remember how to do it. Recently as in right now, and right now as in 2 AM (I just bought Call of Duty). Can someone help me? I mean.. its probably just because I'm tired but still...

[slooksterPSV]

Wow reading this topic has given me ideas. Thanx you guys. I mean, its not bad, but I mean, I'd like to make DMG's of certain CD's that have critical information. I never thought of doing it like this. I mean I've done it trying to get Bochs to work on Jaggy, but it doesn't work too well.

[dan-o-mac]

Why patches/cracks are "no-no's" (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=92610&highlight=crack)

Yeah I know that post thread exist, I have a post on the first page. :D I read every post on it already, some people think it's illegal, some think it's a grey area, some just don't care as long as they are saving disk space. Thanks for looking out, but I think we need more info before we can really say if it's a definate no-no.

I showed this thread to an Professor at the University of Delaware who specializes in Computer Ethics. I wanted to get him to tell me if no-cd cracks were legal. He then gave me this example:

Company X created a new engine and they patented it. You want to use that engine in your car, and pay Company X a fee that they set to allow you to use the engine. Can you modify the engine? Yes. You cannot sell copies of the engine modified or not, because you only have a licence for one engine.

He said the big point we all missed was that the bits on a disk may not be copyrighted--its a grey area at least. Source code can be copyrighted, machine code might not be. You can however patent the algorithms and processes involved.

I asked him again if no-cd cracks were legal or not and he said, "Who knows?" He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "It took centuries to be able to copyright books. Why should we expect to figure out copyrights on software in only a couple of decades? Only the Supreme Court can answer your question, and I don't expect any company to take someone to court for using a crack when they own the software."

So I never could get my question totally answered. I conclude that if a professor with a specialty in this area doesn't know, none of us could know either. So who wants to call a software company and tell them you cracked a game that you purchased an you want them to sue you? Make sure you tell them to plan to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

[slooksterPSV]

I use patches/cracks so that if me and my brother want to play Halo on our network, we can. Same with UT2004 b4 they released the no cd patch for it.

[applekid]

There's no point in saying "I use a crack" or "I don't use a crack." :rolleyes: What are you trying to prove? Nothing.

[WhiteSavage]

I have a... o Nevermind.

[pgc6000]

I got Halo to work. I copied it by labeling it CD master and then reinstalled it of the .cdr and now it works without the disk. The best part is it saved all my information so I don't have to do the game over again. If you guys are having trouble try what I did with Halo. But man this no disk stuff is handy.

[Nermal]

Yeah, I have entirely forgotten how to use the Toast Disk Image option. I just tried again recently, and for some reason, I cant remember how to do it. Recently as in right now, and right now as in 2 AM (I just bought Call of Duty). Can someone help me? I mean.. its probably just because I'm tired but still...

To create an image with Toast, go to the Copy panel, put in the CD, and go to File -> Save as Disc Image.

To mount an image, again go to Copy, choose the Image File option on the left, select the image, and click Mount.

[ajunger]

i'm trying to make a .dmg from the Sims 2, and I have followed the directions from above...I can make a mountable .dmg, but when I try to run the game, it asks for the original DVD, even though the disc is mounted. Anyone know what I should do? This is my first time attempting something like this

[mrichmon]

Just did, and it doesn't. The CDs have the same name, with the same data (I went into Disk Utility and selected 'Images > New > Image from folder...') and it doesn't work. Am I doing something wrong?

I've found that some games will only work this way if I mount the disk image using Roxio Toast.

[milo]

i'm trying to make a .dmg from the Sims 2, and I have followed the directions from above...I can make a mountable .dmg, but when I try to run the game, it asks for the original DVD, even though the disc is mounted. Anyone know what I should do? This is my first time attempting something like this

That's one of the games that requires a hack to run from an image.

[slooksterPSV]

Some images will work while others won't. Think of it as its having to read the data off the CD in sequential order, or having a serial number embedded into the product CD at the beginning sector & track that a software authorization entity checks to make sure is there before you can use the CD. The disk image may know nothing about it, but you can bet that its there.

[SWEDaniel]

Mounting the dmg-file through Toast is usually my go, works like a charm!

[eXan]

As an iBook user it's a pain to carry CDs around with me, but the games I play require them to run it so...

Would it be possible to create a virtual CD (a .dmg file with the same name as the disc) that I can then mount instead of the using the disc? Somehow, I don't think it'll be as simple as that though... :confused:

Many thanks for any help you can give. :)

SOme games work, some don't. For example Doom 3 works fine, while Jedi Academy needs a real CD in the drive.

[benpatient]

not too much you can do about the more advanced copy detection schemes at this point unless you're willing to go with application hacks.

I know people in the PC world who have actually bought a game and figured out that in order to play their legal copy of the game, they would have to either have the disc in the drive all the time (very annoying for laptops, as you know), or download a cracked version. The game actually installs a new CD/DVD driver into Windows, replacing the standard one, and allows the game to figure out if you're trying to play without the disc, no matter what measures you take to try and trick it.

Most people in this situation end up looking for a cracked .exe or a .torrent file.

it's a shame what the industry is doing to itself...