Vista, doesnt play copy protected games

[Robh]

Ive got the same problem on vista ultimate.
Some games work perfectly! but most games just wont work, neither if u set compact mode on XPSP2.
Nope doenst matter it just keeps crashing all the damn time... really annoying.

[Galaxian]

Originally Posted by Robh

Ive got the same problem on vista ultimate.
Some games work perfectly! but most games just wont work, neither if u set compact mode on XPSP2.
Nope doenst matter it just keeps crashing all the damn time... really annoying.

if its crashing it might be driver related. my issue is it refuses access from copy protection, seemingly regardless of type used except for cd checks.

anyway i removed the nocd patch of one game and tried enabling xp2...notta, same message...its reading the copy protection as if it was a backup? what in vista does that? a security setting maybe like UAC?

[acal3000]

This is strange. I also have Vista Ultimate 32 Bits and I only have been had this problem 1 or 2 games one of them Mark Echo Getting Up. I think maybe you problem is the DVD/CD Drive. Some protections like Securom don't validate well the disk when you try to launch them DVD/CD RW burner drives. Sometime only want to validate on standard DVD/CD Rom drives.Maybe upgrading the firmware from your drive could help or using another brand of drive or the most easy solution is what have done by now using no cd cracks.I really don't see nothing wrong on using them buts is everyone's decision

[Dakar1425]

I was having this problem too. After some experimenting, I found that Vista would come up with this message if the game files already existed in the folder you were trying to install to instead of prompting for overwriting like XP does. Try installing it into a different folder or re-naming the old folder that you were trying to install/re-install into.

For example I already had NWN2 installed in c:\Games\NWN2 when I had XP, but once I moved to Vista I had to re-install it. I tried install it back to c:\games\NWN2 and it gave me the invalid CD-Key error. I re-named the pre-existing NWN2 folder and then tried the installation again (pointing it to C:\games\NWN2) and it worked this time. I have tried it for several other games as well and this has been the problem every time.

[Galaxian]

Originally Posted by Dakar1425

I was having this problem too. After some experimenting, I found that Vista would come up with this message if the game files already existed in the folder you were trying to install to instead of prompting for overwriting like XP does. Try installing it into a different folder or re-naming the old folder that you were trying to install/re-install into.

For example I already had NWN2 installed in c:\Games\NWN2 when I had XP, but once I moved to Vista I had to re-install it. I tried install it back to c:\games\NWN2 and it gave me the invalid CD-Key error. I re-named the pre-existing NWN2 folder and then tried the installation again (pointing it to C:\games\NWN2) and it worked this time. I have tried it for several other games as well and this has been the problem every time.

interesting find, glad it worked out for you.

however my pc's hard drive never had XP installed before as i got it new when i got vista so these are fresh installs, i have since then reinstalled vista a few times (complete format) and always same problem, i think its some relation of both vista and my dvd drive

at some point i'm gonna get screwed since alot of new online only games wont likely let me play if i use a nodvd crack....my main concern being the upcomming Quake wars cause i definitly want to buy it on day 1 of release and i'll install XP on this rig if i have to...screw vista