LaserLock (LASERLOK) protected game

[PulseDriver]

I buy my games, and so I like to use copies instead of the orgininal CDs to save my originals. I usually copy all CDs needed to my harddrive if I tend to play a game activly so I don't have to swap CDs all the time. And yes, before you say or discover it, I know there's a Baldur's Gate DVD on the market.

One of my games is the complete series of Baldur's Gate with:

Baldur's Gate - 5 CDs
Baldur's Gate - Tales of the Sword Coat
Baldur's Gate II - Shadows of Amn
Baldur's Gate II - Collectors Edition
Baldur's Gate II - Throne of Bhaal

I know I missed the pre-order CD, which contains another vendor which spawns ingame, but I downloaded it as a zip-file from a site somewhere...

However, I've manage to make ISOs out of all these CDs except "Baldur's Gate II - Throne of Bhaal" which is and addon/partially a game by it self (you choose if you've played through it), but this CD is protected by a game protection called LaserLock (LASERLOK) which makes it hard for CloneCD to read.

So I wonder, with all the brains in this place and all the technicians around, is there someone here that could aid me to backup this disc? It's so freaking annoying that this is the only CD I can't backup..

I've read some about it, and I can use an addiotional program to make custom methods of reading for CloneCD, but as far as I gone, I had no luck.

Hope there is someone out there which can help

[Print]

I just steal most of my games so I know nothing about copying CD's.

And the few games I have bought have cracks so there is no need.

If I find a Baulder's Gate crack i'll tell you though.. but i'm guessing you looking to find a way to replicate the CD as opposed to just getting it running without having to keep the disc in the CD drive.

EDIT:

Nope couldn't find anything anywhere. But i'm sure someone here will come along and give you more information than you ever wanted to know about LaserLock ...

[gaekwad2]

[]
Circumventing copy protection is illegal and a it is a crime. Downloading, copying or distributing movies, music or other type of art like computer or console games should stop.

If you want a backup, buy another copy.
[/]

[matt_69]

under law [well in aus anyways], technically, as soon as you write the words backup on a cd, it immediately becomes legal.

[Print]

Originally posted by gaekwad2
Circumventing copy protection is illegal and a it is a crime.

I don't think it is.. everything else is when it comes to games, but I don't think cracks are illegal if you own the game. And I know for sure making backup copies isn't.

Besides, if you own the game you should be allowed to do what you want with it as long as you are not giving it to anybody else.

Game developers need to learn not to force you to have to have a CD in your drive.. it's not like it really does much for piracy these days.

Oh and as for music.. like i've said many times, it's legal where I live to "share" music. So anybody want some free mp3's?

[psyfive]

Originally posted by The Blueprint
Besides, if you own the game you should be allowed to do what you want with it as long as you are not giving it to anybody else.

Should is the key word there. A little while back valve disabled 20k versions of Half Life 2. Most of the deactivations were because of illegal piracy but a number of them were people who bought a legit copy of the game and decided that they'd rather not have the cd in the drive. So you might watch yourself with no-cd cracks.

[gaekwad2]

@Blueprint: Note the tags (it's a modified quote originally posted by the thread starter).

[Print]

Yeah I saw the tags.. I just decided to babble on...

Originally posted by psyfive
Should is the key word there. A little while back valve disabled 20k versions of Half Life 2. Most of the deactivations were because of illegal piracy but a number of them were people who bought a legit copy of the game and decided that they'd rather not have the cd in the drive. So you might watch yourself with no-cd cracks.

Oh well, i'm not really all that big on gaming anyway. I'm kind of a half-geek - games require too much atttention for me (unless i'm up all night with nothing to do)..

And if any game company were to keep me from playing a game I payed for.. well i'd be seeding as many torrents as possible of their software shorty after.. simply out of spite.

[PulseDriver]

I was hoping it would come to a moral discussion. As I sit right here, I am doing nothing illegal. As long as I don't give that CD to anyone outside my house.

[Print]

Moral huh?

I got a nice ban warning for linking to the game crack page.

I didn't even think twice because I do not see game cracks as 'warez'.

No-CD cracks are just cracks for people who do not wish to keep the CD in their drive or keep an extra 700MB of data on their HD just to make some piece of code happy.

Do I believe people should pay for their games - yes. Do I steal games - yes. So i'm not perfect.. but I don't really game that much so I don't want to drop $60 on something I might play off and on for a few hours.

I payed for GTA: SA on PS2 because I knew I was going to play it.. In the console world I would just rent a game I want to briefly play, but since I can't do that in the PC world I just download it.

To me the warez part comes in when you are sharing software or information of value.. not helping people who have purchased software, in making that software so it can run without the CD.

[But I agree with any decision made not to discuss game cracks here, it can be viewed as warez and I respect that.. just know that was not my intention.]

[PulseDriver]

Yeah, but freaking cracks isn't a backup of you CD now is it? We talk about doing backups, not craking games.

I want to backup my stuff the way which isn't questionable. I probably could find the game out there somewhere with a nice crack following, but that's not the point. All I want is to learn how to back-up my protected CD.

[Print]

Originally posted by PulseDriver
Yeah, but freaking cracks isn't a backup of you CD now is it? We talk about doing backups, not craking games.

When you have a 40GB harddrive like I do, having all the files a game needs plus and extra 700MB for the CD is just stupid.

A crack is just a smaller backup in my opinion .

[PulseDriver]

My DVD reader nor my DVD burner is particuallry quiet when reading so having CDs on disk saves me a lot of annoying sound....

[Print]

I just hate having to switch around CD's.. that's all.

Awhile back when I only really had time to focus on one game (which was Diablo II), I just kept the 'play disc' in the drive.

But nowadays, (even though I still play just as little), I have about 3-4 games i've paid for installed on my computer. And since I only play them each every so often, it's much easier to just have the .exe file cracked so no CD is needed. What's wrong with that?

Making a 1:1 copy of a disc and storing it on a hardrive has the same end effect as using a crack.. they're both just ways of playing without a CD. One just happens to modify some code while another tricks that code. So why is one wrong and one is right?

[PulseDriver]

Well, I want a backup. I happen to format my disks sometimes, which brings me to the point of re-installing. I either have to use the original or a backup, and done enough times, the CD will eventually be damaged enough so I cannot be used anymore.

Obviously you haven't figured out the purpose of having backups..

I didn't want to dicuss wether a crack is legal or not, I didn't want to dicuss the moral of doing backups, I just wanted help doing a backup.

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by The Blueprint
Moral huh?

I got a nice ban warning for linking to the game crack page.

I didn't even think twice because I do not see game cracks as 'warez'.

Consider yourself lucky you were caught by a more forgiving mod.

[deathazre]

this is why I stick to playing a game that doesn't even have a CD.

[Print]

Originally posted by ElChevelle
Consider yourself lucky you were caught by a more forgiving mod.

You would really just ban a member who has been here for over 3 years just because he accidently linked to a game crack site?

It's not like I started a thread saying, "here go to this crack site so you can steal games".

Like I said, I didn't even see it as offering warez or anything. Not to mention I appoligised the mod that did give me the warning.

I post often enough (especially lately) that everyone hear knows that i'm telling the truth when I say that.. so whatever, pretty fucked up that I would just get banned for that.

[eleet-2k2]

Hey PulseDriver. Use Alcohol 120% to read most (all?) CDs and DVDs with copy-protection. Secondly, use a program called Daemon Tools (free) to read the CD image once you have created it. It mounts the image on the harddrive (to a fake CD drive).

[dlinkwit27]

http://www.gameburnworld.com/protections_laserlock.htm

however...

LaserLock

A LaserLock protected CD will have a hidden directory called "Laserlok" on it. This directory can be seen if you tell windows to "show all files". The folder was designed to contain files with unreadable errors so that the CD could not be copied correctly.

At present there is no generic patch available, so it likely you will need to find specific patches for each CD (i.e. look for a CD crack). Sometimes this kind of protection can be got round using the 'Ignore Read Error' setting that a few good CD copiers have (CDRWin, Nero, DiskJuggler).

http://www.wangproducts.co.uk/article.php?id=23

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by The Blueprint
You would really just ban a member who has been here for over 3 years just because he accidently linked to a game crack site?

First off, I didn't say I would have banned you. I said you were lucky to have gotten a more forgiving mod.
However, being here for over 3 years as you say doesn't admonish you but tells everyone that you should have known better since many have come and gone for the same infraction.
"Pretty fucked up for being banned for that" is often heard from many who have "fucked up". Length of time here or status has no bearing on what you are allowed to do. Only your actions are.

Originally posted by The Blueprint
so whatever

[Print]

Originally posted by eleet-2k2
Hey PulseDriver. Use Alcohol 120% to read most (all?) CDs and DVDs with copy-protection. Secondly, use a program called Daemon Tools (free) to read the CD image once you have created it. It mounts the image on the harddrive (to a fake CD drive).

I use Alcohol 52% for reading the images. But 120% can also create all the images for you.. and it's really good with copy-protection.

Originally posted by ElChevelle
First off, I didn't say I would have banned you. I said you were lucky to have gotten a more forgiving mod.
However, being here for over 3 years as you say doesn't admonish you but tells everyone that you should have known better since many have come and gone for the same infraction.
"Pretty fucked up for being banned for that" is often heard from many who have "fucked up". Length of time here or status has no bearing on what you are allowed to do. Only your actions are.

I know how long someone has been a member doesn't change what rules apply to them, but when I said I didn't realise I was linking to a questionable site and slipped up I expect people here to believe here because of that fact seeing as how it's never happened before.

The link was just replaced with *link removed*, but I went and edited the post so it didn't even mention the site period because I realised that I shouldn't have linked to the site here. And I appoligised.

Like I said, an honest mistake. And don't forget it was 5 in the morning when I made that post, my awareness was a little lower that usual ...

[Too-DAMN-Much]

well did you? i'm pretty sure this is the program you mentioned in your post

[DuaneJeffers]

While I will agree that the whole CD thing is stupid, it does do something to help combat piracy. In my opinion, the piracy of games is something small considering all the things done to stop it. While there are a few people I know of who will steal games, the only reason why they steal them is because they are college students (who have joined the "game industry") and they are not rich to pay 50-60 bucks for them. I do think that games should not require CDs for them to play, but instead, have a game tied to a credit card so that if someone else uses a copy of your game (There would be a encrypted piece of data on the CD during install) , you would be automatically charged for that CD being used somewhere else (you would be able to add/delete computers from a web interface for transitioning to a new computer). That would be an absolute thing to stop piracy, and it would work. But I am just rambling here. Just know that if you justify downloading a PC game just so that you can "try before you buy" will lead to more "why should I buy when I can download instead" and leaving people like me with out a job.

[Print]

Originally posted by DuaneJeffers
I do think that games should not require CDs for them to play, but instead, have a game tied to a credit card so that if someone else uses a copy of your game (There would be a encrypted piece of data on the CD during install) , you would be automatically charged for that CD being used somewhere else (you would be able to add/delete computers from a web interface for transitioning to a new computer). That would be an absolute thing to stop piracy, and it would work.

Definately not.

1) Those under 18 would have a hard time being able to get a hold of the game if that were so.

2) What if someone were to steal your game and give it to a bunch of people? Then one, you pay for everyone who get's their hands on it? Nonsense..

3) That piece of data that shows your card would be cracked just as easily as any other piracy prevention code.

4) And of course the obvious one, it would be impossible to implement such a thing.

The only way i've seen games ensure some piracy protection is by needing a valid CD-Key to play online.. but of course that only really works for online games.

[dlinkwit27]

Originally posted by DuaneJeffers
While I will agree that the whole CD thing is stupid, it does do something to help combat piracy. In my opinion, the piracy of games is something small considering all the things done to stop it. While there are a few people I know of who will steal games, the only reason why they steal them is because they are college students (who have joined the "game industry") and they are not rich to pay 50-60 bucks for them. I do think that games should not require CDs for them to play, but instead, have a game tied to a credit card so that if someone else uses a copy of your game (There would be a encrypted piece of data on the CD during install) , you would be automatically charged for that CD being used somewhere else (you would be able to add/delete computers from a web interface for transitioning to a new computer). That would be an absolute thing to stop piracy, and it would work. But I am just rambling here. Just know that if you justify downloading a PC game just so that you can "try before you buy" will lead to more "why should I buy when I can download instead" and leaving people like me with out a job.

Microsoft uses that for their office software and it sucks ass. My dad happens to know how to build computers (like most everyone here) and over the years, via garage sales and good deals at best buy and other sotres we've managed to end up with a collection of some 5 computers. Not all of them great (the oldest still runs windows 3.1 or has something like a meg of ram, I don't remember exactly and can't be arsed to go upstairs, but anyway) we have 3 that are decent, that can run most new stuff, and when we tried to instal our legal copies of XP home and office XP, it gave us so much shit for trying to install them and register them on so many computers. It took literally 3 days of calling and talking to MS people to get it done the first time, and then when this comp died (my bad) and we tried to re-install them on this machine it took several hours for each program (xp and office)! It's just annoying. Once you buy the game you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want with it.

It's my game now! I don't see any clothing companies making sure that only people who bought their cloths are wearing them, and not those people friends! I don't see Ford or Toyota or any car company making sure that nobody drives anyone elses cars, and I certainly don't see Pepsi or Nabisco making sure that I am the only person who drinks the pepsi I buy and the chips I buy. Why? CAUSE I FUCKING BOUGHT THEM! THEY ARE MINE!

[Print]

Originally posted by dlinkwit27
It's my game now! I don't see any clothing companies making sure that only people who bought their cloths are wearing them, and not those people friends! I don't see Ford or Toyota or any car company making sure that nobody drives anyone elses cars, and I certainly don't see Pepsi or Nabisco making sure that I am the only person who drinks the pepsi I buy and the chips I buy. Why? CAUSE I FUCKING BOUGHT THEM! THEY ARE MINE!

Lol..

Yeah but you can't have two or more people wearing the same piece of clothing at once. Same goes for cars and food, you can't replicate the merchandise after purchase.

In the case of software, your paying for information - that is the product.

If one car could be bought and then turned into 50,000 cars for 50,000 other people - you could be assured Ford & Toyota would be doing something about it.

[MaTTFURY]

Open-source sounds great!
GNU sounds great!

[Too-DAMN-Much]

*AHEM* there are copy protections you can't get around these days, and it's called "starforce" pretty annoying little piece of malware (in my opinion) which reinstalls if cracked.
so, piracy is not a problem.

[. - .... .- -. ....]

Making a backup copy of software owned and properly licensed by you is legal. Selling copies of a backup copy is pirated software and illegal. In other words, backing up a game is legal as long as you own the original copies of the games.

The fair use exception of the copyright law allows for the use of the backup ONLY for the registered owner of the software, be it application or game.

Now seeing as we can't prove that the OP doesn't own the original copies of the cames, we can only assume that he is asking a legitimate question, and that anyone replying is of the same mind.

However, in the interests of the forum rules, it might be better if you guys continue this discussion privately.

[PulseDriver]

Thanks for the info dlinkwit

[dlinkwit27]

Originally posted by The Blueprint
Lol..

Yeah but you can't have two or more people wearing the same piece of clothing at once. Same goes for cars and food, you can't replicate the merchandise after purchase.

In the case of software, your paying for information - that is the product.

If one car could be bought and then turned into 50,000 cars for 50,000 other people - you could be assured Ford & Toyota would be doing something about it.

well damn you and your valid points!

[Print]

Lol.. yeah every once and awhile I make some.