Way to fake an Opterating System check for an installer?

[Fallengod]

I am trying to install Lord of the rings: battle for middle earth 2. Stupid Microsoft/EA decided to make it for windows XP only apparently. Well the game actually works fine in windows 2000 if you copy the files from an XP install over to play. So its just the autorun.exe that checks the OS before installing. What a bunch of bull.. Who makes a game for just ONE OS. Is there a way or program to make the installer think its windows XP when its not?

 

[Jeff7]

Change the compatibility settings for the autorun to Win2000? Slim chance of working, but it might.

 

[bsobel]

Try this...

 

[JonnyBlaze]

find a program called MaSaI. it lets you edit the msi file to do what ever you want.

 

[TheSource]

mabye use command line switches?

 

[Bluestealth]

What installer does this game use? I have had some fun this week playing arround with installers. Could be as simple as removing a launch condition with something like Orca or installshield.

 

[Fallengod]

Well thanks for the help guys. Im gonna try all the suggestions.

Bluestealth: It uses autorun.exe with autorungui.dll from what I can tell. I could always rar or zip them up and email to ya if you know how to mess with stuff like that. I can already tell you theres many other people who have the same issue so..

Originally posted by: bsobel
Try this...

I tried this after your suggestion. That actually did look promising. Unfortunatly, it doesnt have an option for Windows XP, only every other OS. Ill keep it around for the future but, that didnt help anything. I wish it had a windows xp option.

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze
find a program called MaSaI. it lets you edit the msi file to do what ever you want.

I dont see any msi file. Thats a file thats put in the folder after the install yes? I cant even get that far man. The autorun.exe checks the OS as soon as you double click it. I need a way to make it think I am on windows xp so I can even install the thing.

 

[Bluestealth]

Looks like install kit wizard, havent gotten experience with that yet, any other companies use it?, trying to figure out how to bypass it on NSFU since it uses the same installer except it allows to be installed on 2k. I was able to run Underground without installing the game though, copied all the disks to a folder and ran the game exe... didn't even need to enter my CD key lol, might be worth a try

 

[Fallengod]

Well thanks for all the help guys. I found a method that works. A guy posted a way to bypass it. Exactly what I was hoping of. Heres the method that works. Posted by shawn, I guess he got it from gamespot. I know it talks about the cd version, but it works the same for the dvd version.

#1: Make a folder on Desk top called LOTRBFME2- 1
#2: Insert BFME2 Install Disk #1
#3: Go my computer, Right click on CD Drive and explore.
#4: Copy Everything to LOTRBFME2-1 Folder
#5: Download and install "Freeware Hex Editor XVI32 " or similar
#6: Open Up AutoRunGUI.dll (LOTRBFME2-1 folder) in the Hex Editor
#7: SEARCH (HEX) FOR 83BD 70FFFFFF007436
#8: Change the Last Two Bytes (7436) to (EB79)
#9: Save your changes. I had to save as different name, then overwrite original AutoRunGui.dll
#10: Burn The LOTRBFME2-1 Folder Contents Onto CD, Name the CD LOTRBFME2- 1
#11: Use that CD to install.
#12: At the end of install it will ask for Disk 1 again, Put in your Burndt Version.
#13: Once its done, Remove your Burnt disk 1 and Put in REAL Disk 1
#14: Ignore the autorun error for win2000 and click the Startup icon for BFME2!!!


Thanks for help all. Enjoy playing on windows 2000 now.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: modempower
Well thanks for all the help guys. I found a method that works. A guy posted a way to bypass it. Exactly what I was hoping of. Heres the method that works. Posted by shawn, I guess he got it from gamespot. I know it talks about the cd version, but it works the same for the dvd version.

#1: Make a folder on Desk top called LOTRBFME2- 1
#2: Insert BFME2 Install Disk #1
#3: Go my computer, Right click on CD Drive and explore.
#4: Copy Everything to LOTRBFME2-1 Folder
#5: Download and install "Freeware Hex Editor XVI32 " or similar
#6: Open Up AutoRunGUI.dll (LOTRBFME2-1 folder) in the Hex Editor
#7: SEARCH (HEX) FOR 83BD 70FFFFFF007436
#8: Change the Last Two Bytes (7436) to (EB79)
#9: Save your changes. I had to save as different name, then overwrite original AutoRunGui.dll
#10: Burn The LOTRBFME2-1 Folder Contents Onto CD, Name the CD LOTRBFME2- 1
#11: Use that CD to install.
#12: At the end of install it will ask for Disk 1 again, Put in your Burndt Version.
#13: Once its done, Remove your Burnt disk 1 and Put in REAL Disk 1
#14: Ignore the autorun error for win2000 and click the Startup icon for BFME2!!!


Thanks for help all. Enjoy playing on windows 2000 now.

It's OT I know, but I believe many other people had a similar problem with AOE3 installing on W2K. I wonder if something similar to the above would work?

 

[shawn130c]

well i am not sure if any of the steps for lotr would work for aoe3 but heres another method to bypass the os check for aoe3
Found here created by Timoo AOE3 Forum
This is for the full version the demo workauround is at the bottom

To install the full retail version of AOE3 on a win2k system as people in here have said, you must use the command prompt:

1. Start > Run...
2. Type in cmd and press OK
3. When the Dos window appears type in D: or which ever letter your cd/dvd rom drive is; then press Enter.
4. Type in setup /a and press Enter.
5. Wait for the installation wizard to appear, and press Next.
6. Then type in the destination as to where you want it to be installed. I recommend using the default path, which is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age Of Empires 3
7. Press Install.

Note: Once you have the game installed and try to run it, you may get an error about a d3dx9_25.dll if this is the case, then you can either download the D3DX April Update from http://www.toymaker.info/Games/html/d3dx_dlls.html or reinstall DirectX9 completely.

Note: Once you have that done, you may also get another error about MSXML 4; if this is the case then you should install msxml.msi from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta...-b4f2-46da-b4b6-c5d7485f2b42&DisplayLa ng=en#filelist

After that you can run the game from the Game icon (not the autorun feature by inserting CD1) If you do not have the Game icon on your desktop then create it. To do so locate your Game directory, then find age3.exe and Right click on it, then click Send to > Desktop.

To Install The Age of Empires 3 1.01 Update: You must do the following:

1. Start > Run...
2. Type in Regedit and press OK
3. Goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Microsoft Games/ Age of Empires 3/1.0
4. If you do not see a folder called Microsoft/ or Microsoft Games/ then you must create each folder leading up to 1.0.
5. To create a folder in the registry Right Click in the folder area and mouse-over New, then click Key and rename the folder appropriately.
6. Once you arive at the folder named 1.0 then you must Right Click in the right-hand side of the window; and mouse-over New, then click String Value
7. Name the new string value SetupPath, then Right Click on it; and click Modify
8. Under Value Data: you must type the Exact Location of the age3.exe If you used the recommended directory I gave above durring the installation, then you must put this: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age Of Empires 3\Age Of Empires III (Note: This is where most people go wrong, so be sure you have the Exact Directory Location of your age3.exe)
9. Run the Age of Empires 3 1.01 update.

For the demo found on the same forum but created by Macgyver2k

1. put the aoe3trial.exe to c:\
2. start -> run -> cmd
3. type: c:\aoe3trial.exe /a
4. click next, then the installer will ask for a network path, simply type in the path you want to install the game to ( e.g. c:\games\AOE3Trial )
5. click Install ( it seems se program does nothing, but the installation is in progrss - maybe takes some minutes )
6. an then finish

and if you only get a popup box without a text when you try to start age3.exe then you may not have MSXML4 installed.

you can get it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta...-46da-b4b6-c5d7485f2b42&displaylang=en

Supposely both these have been tested and seem to work.


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