Comments on: Software ethics PCMIA

Question: Software ethics PCMIA

Sinner — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 09:11:26 -0800

I frequently use a certain piece of software, obtained 100% legally. It offers two usage options: 1. register a maximum of one(?) machine and use it sans CD, 2. use it with the CD in the drive on as many machines as you'd like. I use the latter method on three of my four machines, however, I also have one laptop with only one PCMCIA slot. To use the program without registering requires not using my PCMCIA wireless ethernet card. I don't remember exactly what steps are required to trick the software into thinking a local (hard drive) copy is a CD. I also am not sure just how illegal this would be. Advice? Thoughts?

By: Jairus

Jairus — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 09:53:43 -0800

If it were my software, I'd download a warez copy and install that on my machine.

It's kind of sad, though, that downloading software is often easier than dealing with copy-protection, even after you've bought it.

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 09:54:52 -0800

Daemon Tools is (are?) what I've used to mount virtual CDs. You'd probably be violating, in letter if not in spirit, the license agreement, but I'd view it as a work-around for a hardware problem (a shortage of PCMCIA slots on your laptop).

By: Jairus

Jairus — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 09:58:23 -0800

I'm sleepy. Ignore the 'downloading' part.

Use some software (almost all cd-burning software can do this, plus a few freeware apps) to create an image file of your CD. Then, use Daemon Tools to mount that image on a virtual CD-Rom drive.

By: jjg

jjg — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 12:05:59 -0800

It took a long time for me to deduce the relationship between your number of PCMCIA slots and your CD problem. I presume your CD drive connects to the laptop via PCMCIA? If so, you could get a CD drive that connects in some other way. If you've got USB, a read-only drive would probably be pretty cheap.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 12:24:57 -0800

I also use Daemon Tools to keep mounted images of game CDs on my computer, to save the trouble of inserting them. I use SlySoft CloneCD to make the images, but only because they're so-called copy protected discs. Anyway, if you have trouble reading off an image file, CloneCD is free for the first 20 days and I recommend it.

By: Sinner

Sinner — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 14:40:00 -0800

all (re: daemon tools): downloaded, installed, but have yet to reboot and give it a shot, but assuming it works, thanks very much for the referral(s). I had been thinking more along the lines of doing this through windows via partitioning or some such. Assuming this works, thanks again for a perfect explanation and another testimonical to the beauty of Ask.Me.

jjg - long story, but put briefly, i have the pcmcia drive already and buying more peripherals defeats the purpose (of allowing me to easily use the s/w on this machine without spending money).

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 20:26:36 -0800

Just chiming in to say that Daemon Tools is excellent, and much much easier to use than other similar tools (such as the one built into Alcohol 120%, for example).