Virtual Drives and releasing A2

posted on March 7th, 2013, 4:53 pm

Maybe that's the problem, I'm using the official real Disc for the game. I don't mount the disc. All I can say is I'm using the legal way and am using the disc. What your saying to mount the disc is technically illegal and if you have/own the disc you can have an ISO Image of the disc but I only have backup Discs like that (x2). I would never use a virtual drive because of certain dangers I've heard to the safety of the computer. I've learn to totally stay away from virtual drives and mounting anything when it comes to computers because both times it destroyed my last laptop and a desktop as well.

http://www.customerfirstcomputing.com/ftp/Articles/Virtual_Drives_The_Dangers.pdf

Also, I will not use the Beta Version of FleetOps, I'll stick with version 3.2.7 and version 4 when it comes out, the versions I'm sure will work better than a beta version and the ones I know more about like 3.2.7. Plus I'll always use the disc.

Oh and by the way, I used one of my ISO Image backup discs and the same thing happened, so with the official disc and the mounted ISO Disc the same error happens.

posted on March 7th, 2013, 5:45 pm

I never had problems with my computer using a Virtual Drive Manager. It's very useful, because protect your existing CDs or DVDs from scratch.

Regarding the Fleet Operations game, I would be happy to use it without any external accessory like the original CD or the ISO image from the Armada 2. Surely someone has thought to create a patch file to launch the Fleet Ops without the CD, but I still have not found something like that.

I like the new version of the Fleet Ops, with all the features included, but when I started to learn modding this game, had available a beta version and was very useful for me to learn modding. Check please my website, I have there some interesting mods made for Star Trek Armada 2 too :-)

posted on March 7th, 2013, 5:48 pm

Maybe that's the problem, I'm using the official real Disc for the game. I don't mount the disc. All I can say is I'm using the legal way and am using the disc. What your saying to mount the disc is technically illegal and if you have/own the disc you can have an ISO Image of the disc but I only have backup Discs like that (x2). I would never use a virtual drive because of certain dangers I've heard to the safety of the computer. I've learn to totally stay away from virtual drives and mounting anything when it comes to computers because both times it destroyed my last laptop and a desktop as well.

http://www.customerfirstcomputing.com/ftp/Articles/Virtual_Drives_The_Dangers.pdf

Also, I will not use the Beta Version of FleetOps, I'll stick with version 3.2.7 and version 4 when it comes out, the versions I'm sure will work better than a beta version and the ones I know more about like 3.2.7. Plus I'll always use the disc.

Oh and by the way, I used one of my ISO Image backup discs and the same thing happened, so with the official disc and the mounted ISO Disc the same error happens.

this post - wow - this post gave me so much cancer. seriously, i might even have enough cancer to win tour de france. have you even read that (not very good) pdf? it has almost nothing to do with what you're talking about (it's poorly titled, even a cursory reading reveals that it's more about libraries in win7 than virtual drives).

let's tackle your legal nonsense first. mounting a disk is never illegal. you could have killed gabe newell with a trident (for the irony) and stolen a copy of portal 2 from him. mounting said copy wouldn't be illegal (I personally won't hold killing gaben against you either). if you have the "official real Disc" for the game, then you're allowed to have your own disk image. piracy is what is illegal. analogy: making phone calls isn't illegal, racially abusing someone during a phone call is.

and you've heard of "certain dangers"? where? an asylum? if you managed to destroy 2 computers with no more than virtual drive technology then you should join the war on terror. seriously, arm you with 2 kitkats and a paperclip and you'll wipe out al'qaeda. you didn't brick 2 computers because of virtual drives, i'd wager you just did it with mistakes.

posted on March 7th, 2013, 6:59 pm

If you actually read it there is a part that virtual drives have started to be called: "libraries".
Plus further more Myles, I read the whole article, I know exactly what it is talking about, you must have over looked the one line that mentions how they are being commonly called libraries with Windows 7 users.

"Libraries are in effect, virtual drives - just a newer, fancier name for the same concept."

its on page 2.

You can have a disc image I know but it's better to have it on its own disc, at least that's what I've been told by some computer techs. Having it on a disc means its safe from computer disasters, especially like the one that destroyed my last computer (the laptop and desktop) through a virtual drive and its problems.

Plus Myles you don't know anything how a virtual drive can actually destroy a computer or a multiple of computers. In fact it's very simple. I had one installation disc to install software to a virtual drive for multiple computers to use, the drive got wiped instead and wiped both computers and also created a feedback loop that destroyed the regular hard drives if the computers. And it wasn't fully my doing, it was a computer tech setting up the drive and software. After that he told me all about the dangers of virtual drives that I first didn't believe but they are easy to find all over the Internet and I bet you'd learn about them through a Google search. I really hate how you always assume its my fault or something. You assume I make mistakes, but I actually read directions and re-read then re-read them before I do anything, and I follow them step by step.

posted on March 7th, 2013, 7:34 pm

If you actually read it there is a part that virtual drives have started to be called: "libraries".
Plus further more Myles, I read the whole article, I know exactly what it is talking about, you must have over looked the one line that mentions how they are being commonly called libraries with Windows 7 users.

"Libraries are in effect, virtual drives - just a newer, fancier name for the same concept."

its on page 2.

now i have SARS as well. thanks je_mezu24, you couldn't let me simply die of cancer could you? nobody here is talking about libraries (except for you, for some reason that eludes me). we are talking about the one specific action of using a virtual optical drive. this has nothing to do with libraries or any concept other than mounting a disk image in a virtual optical drive. this stuff isn't complicated, i was using virtual drives long ago, back when i was an amateur.

You can have a disc image I know but it's better to have it on its own disc, at least that's what I've been told by some computer techs. Having it on a disc means its safe from computer disasters, especially like the one that destroyed my last computer (the laptop and desktop) through a virtual drive and its problems.

nobody will ever say having 1 copy of something is foolproof. have the original physical disk, and 1 disk image that gets used to keep the original undamaged.

Plus Myles you don't know anything how a virtual drive can actually destroy a computer or a multiple of computers. In fact it's very simple. I had one installation disc to install software to a virtual drive for multiple computers to use, the drive got wiped instead and wiped both computers and also created a feedback loop that destroyed the regular hard drives if the computers. And it wasn't fully my doing, it was a computer tech setting up the drive and software. After that he told me all about the dangers of virtual drives that I first didn't believe but they are easy to find all over the Internet and I bet you'd learn about them through a Google search. I really hate how you always assume its my fault or something. You assume I make mistakes, but I actually read directions and re-read then re-read them before I do anything, and I follow them step by step.

are you sure you didn't get a resonance wave in the flux capacitor scotty?

also you blame a tech guy for trashing some of your hardware, and then you believe what he has to say?

also destroyed hard disk doesn't equal bricked computer, just buy a new hard disk. neither of your computers were actually bricked, they just had 1 component damaged. i hope you didn't bin them because of a hard disk failure. wait, lemme guess, your story will now change to include damage to other hardware components? virtual drives reversed the polarity of your processor's oscillator crystal? (that last one isn't actually technobabble, crystals - often quartz like what you get in timepieces - are used in processors, it's like the only part of a computer that actually sounds awesome)

yes sir, i'll go do a teh gooel serch and i'll be an expert on the horrors of virtual drives.

Are you sure you weren't actually reading ikea instructions for building a (virtual) wardrobe?

posted on March 7th, 2013, 8:04 pm

At the risk of being devils advocate here, I have read that certain BSOD can be attributed to the sometimes wobbly interaction between virtual drive software and the windows NT kernel. It won't brick your PC though, you'll just get irritating bluescreens or restarts every so often.

But then again, Nero can do the same thing, as can AVG anti-virus etc etc it's not down to the fact it's virtual drive software, it's just down to the fact that certain programs interact badly with versions of Windows they were never designed to work with. Throw in Windows updates, drivers, codecs etc and it's surprising anything works at all

posted on March 7th, 2013, 9:42 pm

@Myles: I don't care, and I'm not talking about libraries, stop always putting words into my mouth or assuming I'm talking about something I'm not. I'm almost to the point of wanting to ignore everything you write/post, you really don't ever seem to have anything nice to say to me at all and I feel like you disrespect me, a lot. So I'm not going to bother replying to the rest of your post, so Myles, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't know an answer to something I post or don't agree with something, please don't reply and make things easier for both of us. Thank you.

****

@SquireJames: Too many Blue Screen crashes and restarts can eventually be bad for a computer. It's best to stay away from anything that can cause such problems at times, its better than suffering the alternative. Plus logically, if you need a Virtual Drive or Vurtual Optical Drive, you can just as easily buy another Hard Drive or Memory Unit/Flas Drive, or even an extra CD/DVD Drive because they'd function the exact same way. Right/Agreeable?
A virtual drive of any kind isn't needed if you know how to protect your discs from scratch and to use them wisely. Now it my discs I've had for years have ever gotten scratched and that I credit to taking good care of them.

****

@Miklosgo: I have Windows 7 as well and every other game and mod works (except the ones that give bug reports) work just fine. The old version of FleetOps that you made the mod with doesn't work for me though, you sure you didn't change anything with it? I really think that it only works for you because of the virtual drive but it still doesn't work for me, I even just tried it with a regular ISO file from another hard drive, same old thing as in i still get the same message and it stil doesn't work. I will not try it on a virtual optical drive or virtual drive of any kind because I don't trust them anymore, and I realize I never should have.

No CD cracks are illegal from what I've heard from reading posts here and on other sites, plus I've heard that they are not supported and they aren't supposed to be talked about, so that's all I'm going to say.

FleetOps might be harder to mod than the beta version but that's because it is closer to stock A2 than the newer versions. But I'm thinking about trying your mod in FleetOps' Mods Directory by setting up the files and folders way Adm. Zaxxon did with his Star Wars mod.

I've already checked your site, there really wasn't any other mods I'm interested in, except your StarGate Mod. Other than that, I'm trying to get away from stock A2 mods unless they'll work with FleetOps through the mods directory.

posted on March 7th, 2013, 10:10 pm

@Myles: I don't care, and I'm not talking about libraries, stop always putting words into my mouth or assuming I'm talking about something I'm not.

again, have you actually read the pdf that YOU linked? libraries feature heavily in that pdf, in fact that's pretty much the most important topic talked about in it. I didn't put the words in your mouth, you spoke them all of your own volition.

No CD cracks are illegal from what I've heard from reading posts here and on other sites, plus I've heard that they are not supported and they aren't supposed to be talked about, so that's all I'm going to say.

then you've heard wrong. no cd cracks are perfectly legal. doca cola made a nocd crack for a2 himself. the use of a nocd to play a game you legally purchased is fine. maybe you just don't want to put the cd in.

what's illegal is piracy. talking about piracy in general (ie debating the moral implications of piracy) is probably within the forum rules, encouraging others to pirate or linking to pirate material breaks the forum rules.

posted on March 7th, 2013, 10:45 pm

That article is using the term libraries in place of virtual drives, they are just using the newer term to talk about the exact same thing, yet again I suggest you re-read the part I quoted from the article about the term libraries being a fancier word for virtual drives yet meaning exactly the same thing. So libraries ARE Vurtual drives, how hard is that to understand?

Well then, how come at a2Files on their forums for example you are not supposed to talk about "No CD Cracks"? The first time I've heard that they are illegal and unsupported was over there by browsing the forums. So if they aren't illegal how come over there it's so hush hush about cd cracks?
Ok then, if no CD Crack is illegal, then to help Miklosgo out, here is a link that he can use, maybe it will work with FleetOps, but I'm not posting it to be on the safe side. PM me for the link if you want to try it.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 2:38 am

LOL so much fail...

The general rule of thumb is that anything is passable as long as you own your license. That goes for making copies, mounting, and cracking. Now, distributing that crack is questionable, but downloading it isn't if you own the game. Try that for confusing.

As for mounting causing a computer failure...that just sounds like a failure to me. I used to use my physical disk, but one too many sloppy tray loads convinced me that I didn't want to lose $200 right then and there. I have mounted ever since, and haven't had a single problem. Ever. I have never even heard of it causing BSOD like SJ says. The fact that miklosgo mounts is definitly not your problem jet.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 3:08 am

They can cause BSOD, but it's not a frequent thing, and as I said, its more the software itself being incompatible rather than anything inherent in the implementation.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 3:10 am

I also have used virtual drives for YEARS with absolutly no issues on multiple high end PC's that I use and many PC's I built for other people. Never had an issue to this day. Not saying there arnt bad virtual drive software out there, just saying you do some reaserch and you can easily find a decent and stable one. Daemon tools as mentioned earlier is a good one and the one I use on my systems. Now for me, I also have a actual disk copy, but I have several PC's in my house, and not wanting to get that disk passed around constantly, I use virtual drives, then I keep my CD safe. To be honest despite all the careful handling of a disk, that doesnt mean they are always safe. Id be more worried about a bad drive screwing up my CD then a virtual drive program screwing up my PC. I remember one CD drive that went bad on me, spun up so fast the disk inside literally shattered into about a thousand pieces, it sounded like a blender. Not much I could have done to prevent that from happening, and with a CD as expensive as the A2 disk, not worth the risk.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 3:27 am

What would it take to get this game on STEAM. I am seeing a lot of "old school" games on there including even some Sega Genesis games. Seems like a no brainer for whoever developed this game to put it on STEAM......unless they are no longer in business or something.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 3:36 am

A miracle. There is a big legal thing that will probably keep A2 under copyright forever. If it were to go on steam, it would probably be free at that point.

posted on March 8th, 2013, 5:46 am

@Adm. Zaxxon:

posted on Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:38 am
LOL so much fail...

The general rule of thumb is that anything is passable as long as you own your license. That goes for making copies, mounting, and cracking. Now, distributing that crack is questionable, but downloading it isn't if you own the game. Try that for confusing.

As for mounting causing a computer failure...that just sounds like a failure to me. I used to use my physical disk, but one too many sloppy tray loads convinced me that I didn't want to lose $200 right then and there. I have mounted ever since, and haven't had a single problem. Ever. I have never even heard of it causing BSOD like SJ says. The fact that miklosgo mounts is definitly not your problem jet.

Regarding your last statement, who or what is jet? Is that another virtual drive program or something?

Well, one to one's self, I don't have to mount a virtual disc for the game and can use the disc if I want.

Either way, this Star Wars mod of Miklosgo is still not working. Even modeling it after Adm. Zaxxon's Star Wars mod didn't work, but I did get a bug report, two actually first try all the ODF files were in the stock A2 format, I transfird them to be in a ODF/Systems folder after and it still crashed, I got a bug report for that as well. Both reports reference an ODF file that doesn't appear to be in the mod. I don't know if that has anything to do with it not working in Miklosgo's original format or not. Note: I still have his original version, I only copied the files & folders like the ones in Adm. Zaxxon's mod and put the copied files in their rightful places.
(Will post bug reports eventually)

****

What is the whole legal thing about that will problem keep A2 under copyright forever? Does that have anything with the source code or something I heard about never being released?
When you say if it was to go on STEAM (don't know what that is actually) you must mean it would be free like Star Trek Online is right?