GTA:San Andreas DVD2CD

[end0r]

hey guys, newbie here, is it possible to split the san andreas dvd to cds? would this thread work for it? pls help me

[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.

[tarzan_gk]

Well that would be one of the solution. Just like making sims8-1 dvd. I want to try it first. I did back up this game on DVD but i'm interested to make it to couple of discs

[end0r]

thx for your replys guys, looks like there are many ways to do this, but i just dont know which method will actually work and definetly i dont know where to start . it would be really cool if anyone of you guys who have the game and some free time could try one of these backup or split methods posted above and take sometime on it and maybe post a guide step by step on how to do it so me and the more than 200 people who have read this thread can take some taste of your experience in the gamecopyworld life

cheers!

[Joe Forster/STA]

Hey end0r, get WinRAR and read its manual, to understand what it is for and what it can do. (It's a very good and useful piece of software!) Then it won't be a problem for you to go to the GTA:SA installation directory and archive the whole thing into 700 megabyte volumes (beware, it's gonna take an hour or two!) or, for that matter, archive anything else with RAR. Good luck!

[tarzan_gk]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
DVD to CD Conversion


What you need:
-------------
1. Your GTA San Andreas DVD
2. No-DVD crack from gamecopyworld (http://dl.gamecopyworld.com/?d=2005&f=hlm-gtasa!rar)
3. WinRar (www.rarlab.com/download.htm)
4. RegCleaner (www.majorgeeks.com/download460.html)
5. Around 10 GB free hard disk space


A. Preparation
---------------
1. Install GTA San Andreas, choose Complete install
2. Replace original gta_sa.exe with no-DVD crack
3. Install WinRar & RegCleaner
4. Launch RegCleaner and remove GTA SA regkey
5. On RegCleaner go to 'Backup' tab, select removed GTA SA regkey
6. Right click, choose 'View with notepad'
7. In notepad, save the file into GTA SA installation folder with name Gtasa.reg


B. Making The Installer
-----------------------
1. Go to GTA SA installation folder, default is C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas
2. Select All files (make sure you have activated 'show all files') right click and choose "Add to Archieve
3. In WinRar interface, select:
- Create SFX archieve
- Put authenticity verification
- Test archieved files
- Compression method: Best
- Split to volumes, bytes: 700m - CD-700M
- Archieve name: Setup.exe
4. Go to 'Advanced' tab, select 'Old style volume names'
5. Click SFX options
- Path to extract: C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas
- Run after extraction: Gtasa.reg
6. In this Advanced SFX options, go to 'Advanced' tab, Add shortcut
- Where to create: Desktop
- Source file name: gta_sa.exe
- Shortcut name: GTA San Andreas (or anything you like)
- OK
7. In this Advanced SFX options, go to 'Text and icon' tab
- Title of SFX Window: Installation GTA San Andreas (or anything you like)
8. OK and OK. It will take couple hours. There are 5 created WinRar files now:
Setup.exe
Setup.r00
Setup.r01
Setup.r02
Setup.r03


C. Burn into CD
---------------
1. Open notepad, copy and paste this:

[Autorun]
Open=Setup.exe

Save file as Autorun.inf and put it in the same folder with your Setup.exe
2. Now burn each file into CD-R with any label. Put Autorun.inf in CD 1
3. Your 5 discs GTA San Andreas are ready!
4. Now you can remove your GTA San Andreas folder and all shortcut on Desktop and Start Menu



NOTE
----
1. If your game won't start, right click gtasa.reg file then choose edit.
2. Change "ExePath" to your installation folder, example: D:\Games\GTA San Andreas

"ExePath"="\"\F:\\Program Files\\Rockstar Games\\GTA San Andreas\\gta_sa.exe\"\"

change to

"ExePath"="\"\D:\\Games\\GTA San Andreas\\gta_sa.exe\"\"

3. If your Windows not in drive C, example: in drive D

"UninstallPath"="RunDll32 C:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1\\INSTAL~1\\PROFES~1\\RUNTIM E\\10\\50\\INTEL32\\Ctor.dll,LaunchSetup "C:\\Program Files\\InstallShield ...

change to

"UninstallPath"="RunDll32 D:\\PROGRA~1\\COMMON~1\\INSTAL~1\\PROFES~1\\RUNTIM E\\10\\50\\INTEL32\\Ctor.dll,LaunchSetup "D:\\Program Files\\InstallShield ...

4. Save and launch this file


TESTED & WORKS !!!

Thanks to dede for making a great sims8-1 conversion

[djqsilver]

many thx man ...

P.D:
I have I throw an installation MINIMAL of the GTA, have captured all the keys of registry All keys registry of instalation Of GTA_SA , have changed the route of the EXE but nothing with himself not to make it work, always I obtain a black screen after the introduction videos. Single it wanted to know in that I am being mistaken

greetings

hello again tarzan_th. please you can put your registry keys.

thx

[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.

[DABhand]

Originally Posted by tarzan_gk

"ExePath"="\"\F:\\Program Files\\Rockstar Games\\GTA San Andreas\\gta_sa.exe\"\"

change to

"ExePath"="\"\D:\\Games\\GTA San Andreas\\gta_sa.exe\"\"

Errrrrr

Shouldnt it be changed to

"ExePath"="D:\\Games\\GTA San Andreas\\gta_sa.exe\\"