GTA:San Andreas DVD2CD

[Joe Forster/STA]

Hi end0r, that thread describes how to make something that I call the "full rip" of a game. Actually, that's what I do with a lot of games so that I don't have to use a CD or a DVD to play them. I don't burn them onto CD/DVD, though, I keep them on a hard disk instead so that official updates, if any, can later be applied to them.

[end0r]

thx Joe for your answer. i didnt know that thread was about ripping, but thats not exactly what i want to do with SA.. i got some idea on how to split it , but i dont know much about scripting and programming.. its something like create and installer (dunno how) and make some .pak files for the game so each one could be aprox. 650MB or something, then the install script should decompress every pak file and do all the registry and file copy stuff. (dunno if i am alowed to post this, if not, srry.. but this technic was used in sims8-1, well this sort of thing, not exactly the same) so, i just hope if theres any oficial or working guide for this split technic.

cheers

[tarzan_gk]

If you can deal with .CAB file maybe you can do it. Anyone knows what's the best program to extract .CAB file? cannot use winrar or winzip.

[Joe Forster/STA]

Hi end0r, well, yeah, that rip thingy doesn't install. It's much simpler for me, though, as you just unRAR it, import the REG file, run the setup program, if any, and there you go playing.

@tarzan_gk: Most files that come in game (or other software) installations and have the ".cab" extension are not the original Micro$oft CAB files. They are InstallShield CAB's which can be handled with i5comp and i6comp, see http://sta.c64.org/winprg.html#i5comp .

[DarkLeftos]

Well, it would be kinda hard. Not impossible, but hard and time-consuming.

I already tried to make a home-made installer using Inno Setup and lzma compression in normal and after hours and hours of compression it just wouldn't end. Uncompressed the game is 4,7GB, however doesn't fit in a single-layered DVD.

You could make your own installer, you just have to have the installed game in your HDD, the registry keys extracted and use Inno Setup with ISTool. Select lzma compression, put it on normal or max. On Disk Spanning, put 732954624 as Slice Size. Start the compiling, and leave it through the night.

[leezer3]

My preferred method would actually be much simpler :P
As with many games, GTA: SA will recreate its registry settings if it is copied from PC to PC (Have tried this!). Therefore, I would just use WinRar to compress & split the image into 700mb chunks (It's one of the Winrar spanning presets) & burn these to CDs. When you want to reinstall, simply open the first of the spanned files, and then insert a new CD when it asks for the next part.
Simple

-Leezer-

[DarkLeftos]

Well, that's a way. Didn't know GTA:SA didn't need any registry keys. Well, then yes, that would be a solution. Just RAR the installed folder and select 700MB spanning.

[acal3000]

Originally Posted by Joe Forster/STA

Hi end0r, well, yeah, that rip thingy doesn't install. It's much simpler for me, though, as you just unRAR it, import the REG file, run the setup program, if any, and there you go playing.

@tarzan_gk: Most files that come in game (or other software) installations and have the ".cab" extension are not the original Micro$oft CAB files. They are InstallShield CAB's which can be handled with i5comp and i6comp, see http://sta.c64.org/winprg.html#i5comp .

Thanks for the info I was wondering since a lot of time how to extract :CAB files too.