Running programs that require a "key" CD

D

Djehuti

Bit poster
Hello,

I have a Magellan GPS receiver and use the MapSend DirectRoute mapping software for it. I used to use this in MS Virtual PC on my PowerBook G4 and the speed of it (or lack thereof...) was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

DirectRoute is a 2-CD package; CD 1 is the "install CD" which contains the software installer, etc.; CD 2 is the "map CD" which must be inserted while the software is running. Using an image of this CD has never worked for me (I tried this so I wouldnt have to drag the CD around with me all the time); I always had to use the real map CD or the program would refuse to run.

Under Parallels Workstation (beta 4), even inserting the real CD doesn't work; it acts like it used to act when I tried using a CD image.

Does Parallels have an idea why this might be happening? If so, is it a known issue and is it planned to be fixed in GA? If not, is there something I can do to collect info to help you figure out why this is happening and how it might be fixed?

Thanks.
 
copy protection?

I'm not familiar with your software, but was wondering how you are making the CD images from the original CD and if the magellin s/w has copy protection that, when you make the image, does not get replicated somehow?

I make ISO images of all my CD software (none of which is copy-protected), and connect to the images from the windows XP guest OS using a software called Daemons Tools. This circumvents the VM I realize, but allows unlimited virtual CD image mounts (as many drive letters as you have available that is).

I got in the habbit of using this because I used it in Non-VM'd Windows host systems, and it also allowed me to attach images that products like VPC and VMware didn't let me capture.

http://www.daemon-tools.cc
 
Thanks for your reply.

MacTopia said:
I'm not familiar with your software, but was wondering how you are making the CD images from the original CD and if the magellin s/w has copy protection that, when you make the image, does not get replicated somehow?
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm sure that's the case when I use an image of the disc (I used Roxio Toast Titanium, fwiw). My issue is that even with the real, actual, genuine honest-to-goodness CD inserted, I can't run the program in Parallels Workstation. (I could run it in Virtual PC, with the real disc, but not with an image.)

I make ISO images of all my CD software (none of which is copy-protected), and connect to the images from the windows XP guest OS using a software called Daemons Tools. This circumvents the VM I realize, but allows unlimited virtual CD image mounts (as many drive letters as you have available that is).

I got in the habbit of using this because I used it in Non-VM'd Windows host systems, and it also allowed me to attach images that products like VPC and VMware didn't let me capture.

http://www.daemon-tools.cc
Click to expand...

OK. I might try using Daemon Tools to make an image of the CD and see if it will run that way, but I saw another post here that said Daemon Tools didn't work within Parallels Workstation, so I'm reluctant to spend much time on that avenue, especially since I would likely need to use a real XP box (which I fortunately do have one of) to make the image, since the Parallels virtual box evidently doesn't "get" something that's on there.
 
In OS X terminal, you can make an iso file from a CD using this command:

hdiutil makehybrid -o filename /Volumes/volumename
 
Last edited:
e7sharp9 said:
In OS X terminal, you can make an iso file from a CD using this command:

hdiutil makehybrid -o filename /Volumes/volumename
Click to expand...

While true, it doesn't help. The question is not how to make image files. We already know that the program does not work with an image file.

The point of my post was this: It doesn't work even with the real CD. When I run it with the real CD, it behaves as if I am using an image, but I am not; I am using the real CD. It works in Virtual PC on my G4, but not in Parallels. What I would like to know, hopefully from someone at Parallels, is whether the reason for this is known, and if so, whether they are planning to fix it, and if not, if there's info I can gather (e.g., turning on device debug logging through some hidden setting or something) to help.
 
The CD is protected by the "tages" system

An update. I learned via Google that this CD is protected by the "tages" copy protection system that uses a nonstandard CD format or something, and images made of the disc in the usual way don't work on XP on real hardware either. There are some programs out there that can do it (and I will not link to them), and there is a patch out there for the program to work around needing the CD (but I won't link to that either, and please don't ask me for it).

Again, I'm not interested in the patches and images so much as getting real support for reading this disc in a future version of PW. I am assuming that the CD drive emulation is not sufficiently complete to be able to read the nonstandard disc format used by this disc. I've sent off a support form to Parallels to ask about it.
 
I came across the same problem with another copy protected key CD ROM, Civ III. Although I can install from it onto the Parallels VM, the CD isn't found when trying to run the game.

Has anyone else tried with other CDs that are required to run an application?
 
I have. The PGMusic Oscar Peterson Multimedia CD is required to run. But I made an iso file and pointed the drive at that in PW and it just works. It's not copy protected but will not run by just copying files to the hard drive. It needs to see something in the CD drive.
 
e7sharp9 said:
I have. The PGMusic Oscar Peterson Multimedia CD is required to run. But I made an iso file and pointed the drive at that in PW and it just works. It's not copy protected but will not run by just copying files to the hard drive. It needs to see something in the CD drive.
Click to expand...
So far, we have two key CDs with copy protection that have problems, and one key CD without copy protection that does work.

It looks like a pattern here but without more examples it might just be concidence. (I'm really not concerned about getting CivIII working - it would just be a bonus if it did - but if this is a bug it could affect a lot of Windows software.)
 
> So far, we have two key CDs with copy protection that have problems, and one key CD without
> copy protection that does work.

> It looks like a pattern here but without more examples it might just be concidence. (I'm really not
> concerned about getting CivIII working - it would just be a bonus if it did - but if this is a bug it
> could affect a lot of Windows software.)

I don't know, if it's helpful, but i had the same problem with "Silent Hunter III". It's protected by StarForce and as i tried to start the game, it told me to put in the original DVD. Needless to say, that the original was in the drive and the CD-Key I entered before was absolutely correct.

It seems that some copy protection tools are not working in the VM, and no one knows which other details of Hard- and Software isn't emulated yet.
So sad. But let's see, if these glitches will be corrected in future versions of Parallels.

Bye,
Olli
 
I have a fix for your Mapsend problem. I had the same problem and I found that the Mapsend.exe file can be altered using a hex editor to remove the restriction of requiring the CD to be present.

Open Mapsend.exe in a hex editor and search for this hex code:
"00 00 84 C0 75 11 6A 01 E8"
Then replace "75" with "EB". Works like a charm.

When you start up Mapsend it will still complain, but just hit cancel and it will work great. :) I found this information via the "Mapsend" yahoo group.
Joseph Elwell.
 
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