Poll: Have you ever been adversely effected by copy protection on software you legitimately purchased?

[EyeMWing]

By what vendors? I'd like to compile a personal boycott register of developers and publishers who have taken copy protection across the line. Note that the evasion option is only for use in the event that the publisher/developer provided you with a crack or other fix that allowed you FULL functionality.

Thus far, every EA Games developer is on the list.

 

[loup garou]

None whatsoever, neither personally nor at work.

 

[olds]

In a way. I've to tried to run virtual drives so I don't have to have the CD in and it wouldn't work.

 

[Frew]

Valve. I hate steam.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: LeadFrog
Valve. I hate steam.

The entire Source engine just doesn't run on my machine. I've even tried third party non-steam titles released on that engine, and it just sits and spins. Not a copy protect issue, though, just a stupid dipshit engine issue.

 

[dullard]

I can't think of anything significant. The only exception is a game which is on 5 1/4" disks and the disk is broken. I suppose if I wanted to play it, I couldn't copy the thing. But then, I don't have a 5 1/4" drive anymore. Hmm do I vote yes or no.

That makes me wonder, would current copying software have the capability to copy that disk? It had its copy protection by a series of bad sectors and corrupted file tables done in a special way.

 

[episodic]

Two games - Jurassic Park and Black and White refused to run for me on my last computer. I ended up selling them because I could never make them work.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: dullard
I can't think of anything significant. The only exception is a game which is on 5 1/4" disks and the disk is broken. I suppose if I wanted to play it, I couldn't copy the thing. But then, I don't have a 5 1/4" drive anymore. Hmm do I vote yes or no.

That makes me wonder, would current copying software have the capability to copy that disk? It had its copy protection by a series of bad sectors and corrupted file tables done in a special way.

RAWRITE (or the NT/2k/XP equivalent)

Oldskewl, but it still works like a champ.

 

[jagec]

WinXP hates you if you ever format your machine or change your hardware.

 

[ttown]

"Sonic Foundry" -- now Sony

I mail them my reg, they're supposed to mail me my key... My reg. card never gets to them.
Then, i call to register by phone -- they give me a key... cool. Then, as i was settling in for a weekend of
using the software I find out the key they gave me was a "temporary" key -- which had expired.
So I had a weekend to figure out what else I could do.... 😉

 

[TwiceOver]

A couple different vendors and the CD protection that they use. For some reason they won't open on my cd drive when it is in DMA mode, I have to switch it to PIO then it loads fine. This has been a problem on multiple CDRW drives I have had, and two motherboards.

 

[djheater]

Symantec - Ghost 8 Corporate... I got so irritated with it that I'm still not using it even though i bought it. Getting through to symantec has been a royal pain in the ass..

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
A couple different vendors and the CD protection that they use. For some reason they won't open on my cd drive when it is in DMA mode, I have to switch it to PIO then it loads fine. This has been a problem on multiple CDRW drives I have had, and two motherboards.

Names? Never heard of any copy schemes that do that, it must be proprietary.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
A couple different vendors and the CD protection that they use. For some reason they won't open on my cd drive when it is in DMA mode, I have to switch it to PIO then it loads fine. This has been a problem on multiple CDRW drives I have had, and two motherboards.

Names? Never heard of any copy schemes that do that, it must be proprietary.

Don't know the name of the protection, but Far Cry does it to me.

It may be a system problem, but it has lasted through two different motherboards and a few different optical drives.

The problem is that I'll put in the disk and it will spin up and bring me to the little loading window, then when I hit play it says "Insert Disk".

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
A couple different vendors and the CD protection that they use. For some reason they won't open on my cd drive when it is in DMA mode, I have to switch it to PIO then it loads fine. This has been a problem on multiple CDRW drives I have had, and two motherboards.

Names? Never heard of any copy schemes that do that, it must be proprietary.

Don't know the name of the protection, but Far Cry does it to me.

It may be a system problem, but it has lasted through two different motherboards and a few different optical drives.

The problem is that I'll put in the disk and it will spin up and bring me to the little loading window, then when I hit play it says "Insert Disk".

That's Safedisc 3. Easily the WORST copy protection for compatability (And the funny thing is that it doesn't hinder the ability to copy AT ALL, unless you have an IQ of 2)

 

[notfred]

Windows XP has forced me to call Microsoft a couple of times.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: notfred
Windows XP has forced me to call Microsoft a couple of times.

Microsoft was never cooperative with me until I got my personal copies of WinXP flagged by saying "I'm president of WingCorp Custom Computers. We're an authorized Microsoft reseller, you can check the records. If you don't unlock this RIGHT NOW, I'll cease sales of Windows XP." Suddenly I was speaking to a real CSR and they were bending over backwards.

 

[thomsbrain]

yup, a copy of Acid Pro wouldn't install anymore after I installed it too many times. FVCK YOU ASSHOLES!

also, i have some CD"s that won't play in my computer. grr.