GamesOnTheBoysPc

Here is where I describe the status of games on the boys' PC:

• Chessmaster 9000

  • Works with Paragon CD-ROM images
  • Must be installed with the user account where it will be run. In order to run this on a non-administrator account, you must temporarily grant the account administrator status, install the game, start and exit the game, logoff, and revoke administrator status.
  • I installed this on the Boys account (by temporarily granting it administrator rights) and on the kevin account, and was able to start it in each.

• Lego Racers

  • Installed from Paragon CD-ROM image
    • ripped with CD-ROM Emulator 3.0
      • Raw, ignore bad blocks, retry 1 time, read speed 16x
      • It takes a very long time to rip
  • Mount the virtual CD on V: and Start/Run V:\AR_Keyrun.exe
  • Copy dplayerx.dll from the CD to "C:\Program Files\LEGO Media\Games\LEGO Racers\" (where you'll see a file named LEGORacers.icd).

  • From SafeDiskUnwrapper, copy unSafedisc.exe to "C:\Program Files\LEGO Media\Games" (the folder ABOVE the folder that contains LEGORacers.icd).

  • Run unSafedisc.exe
    • Click decrypt game
    • Navigate to the ICD file
    • Dismiss the message boxes that follow
    • It will create testme.exe and testme2!.exe in the directory with LEGORacers.icd.
  • Run testme and testme2. One should crash; delete it.
  • Rename LEGORacers.exe to something like hideme-LEGORacers.exe
  • Rename the testme file that didn't crash to LEGORacers.exe
  • Note: When you installed it, it created a desktop icon. You may have to delete and recreate this icon in order to get it to run the right exe.
  • Start the game from the admin account. Create a racer. Test it out. Exit. (This step may not be necessary.)
  • Copy the C:\Program Files\LEGO Media\Games\LEGO Racers\ director to C:\Games\LEGO Racers"
    • It appears that the program wants to open files in its program folder for read/write, and Windows won't let a non-admin user write to anything under "C:\Program Files"
  • Set up a desktop shortcut to run it from the new location.
  • Finished.

• Mickey Mouse Preschool

  • I was unable to get this one to run without the virtual CD inserted, so Mickey gets his own virtual drive M:
  • Mount the virtual CD on M:
  • Run m:\setup.exe
  • Click "Install Now"
  • Install to C:\Games\Mickey_Preschool
  • Run the game once as administrator
  • Virtual CD must be loaded in M: to run it.

• Mathblaster Jr

  • 16X, raw rip, 4 retries (it is a dirty CD)
  • mount on V:
  • Run Setup.exe and install to C:\MBJR
  • Then copy the CD contents to C:\MBJR
  • Regedit, and search the registry for MBJR until you find where it points to V:\ and change it to C:\MBJR (2 entries in the same key)
  • Create a desktop shortcut "C:\MBJR\mbjr.exe C:\MBJR\MBJR.BAP"
  • Edit C:\Windows\MBJR.INI and change two references to V:\ into C:\MBJR\

• Motocross Madness

  • Install from the virtual CD mounted on V:
  • FULL install
  • Run it once as an administrator and create a user profile.

Note: We own each of these titles. I create CD-ROM images because young children are anathema to physical CDs. I do not steal software, nor will I assist anyone in stealing software.

Old notes from Schulers-games-on-cdrom-emulator.txt follow:

Schuler's Games and Copy Protection and Paragon CD-ROM Emulator Instructions

• Disable DEP:

  • /NoExecute=AlwaysOff in boot.ini

• Mickey Mouse Preschool:
  • Build the image using CD-ROM Emulator V3.0 w/RAW (not cooked) mode
  • Mount the image in drive F:
  • Eject the real CD
  • Run the game.
  • Got the message:
    • The file "F:\Setup\MickeyP\US\CD\Global\GL_Snd.cxt" is not a Director file.
  • Fussed around a bit. Started getting "only part of a readprocessmemory" errors on Setup.exe.
  • Updated cd emulator with SP2 compatibility patch.
  • Happiness.
• Lego Racers
  • rip with CD-ROM Emulator 3.0
    • Raw, ignore bad blocks, retry 1 time, read speed 16x
    • It takes a very long time to rip
  • Mount in Drive L
  • Run L:\AR_Keyrun.exe
  • Copy dplayerx.dll to the exe directory on the hard disk (with the .icd file). Put unSafedisc.exe somewhere else!

  • Use SafediscUnwrapper\unSafedisc.exe

  • Run the generated testme and testme2. The one that doesn't crash will replace
• Mathblaster Jr
  • 16X, raw rip, 4 retries (it is a dirty CD)
  • mount on J:
  • Run setup.exe
  • Create a shortcut: J:\MBJR.exe j:\mbjr.bap