About removing the vc8api.dll method...
It really does work.
The only problem with the new patch was that it automaticly unmounted the images... by removing the vc8api.dll ... this was not the case anymore.
I have been playing ever since the weekend with the patch 1.8,
but... you really need to keep these things in order:
* You need the german
st0n3d release as with the the 1.7 patch (1.1)
* You need to mount the image in the virtualcd program INTO YOUR PHYSICAL drive... this sounds weird, but really.. virtualcd supports to virtually mount an image file, into your real, physical, cd/dvd player/burner
so make sure you insert the image into that drive. If this option is not available... check the settings of virtualcd to enable the function
If it doesnt work... try unmounting all images in any (virtual)drive and removing all cd/dvd's from the drives, shutdown all image programs like alcohol, daemontools, poweriso etc. etc. then try the method again...
Do not forget to shutdown Virtualcd 8 Programs after mounting the images.
This should work, and really does work for me!
But only 1 out of 3 times... So usually I need to startup the game about 2-3 times, sometimes my whole system even locks up, but I dont mind paying such price while later playing the game for hours
As a gentleman states a bit earlier about Virtual CD drive maybe being banned.... First: I don't think that it has anything to do with this method, since the image is getting mounted into your physical drive, as such... those drives paramaters are 'seen' by the game. Second: If it really is a problem, then just change the virtual drives parameters in Virtual CD Settings... you can change the manafucturer and drive type etc...