Using secuRom/DRM removal cracks on retail copies of games?

md99 · 19 Sep 2008 at 22:21

What with EA seemingly demanding this secuROM thingie being on all of its own or EA published titles I'm quite apprehensive in buying any of their games.

Saying that I REALLY want Crysis Warhead and the forthcoming Mirrors Edge. I know that there are cracks already available to remove DRM from their most recent titles (Spore, Warhead) and my question is this, if I go out to a shop and buy alegit copy of the game I want can I apply these cracks to them to remove DRM?

Or do the cracks only work with the naughty pirated ISO versions of the games?

Margaret · 19 Sep 2008 at 22:22

Yes you can use cracks on the retail games.

Downloaded versions are the same as retail - merely ripped to an ISO and stuck on the internet.

Strife212 · 19 Sep 2008 at 22:24

Warhead DRM gives you infinite installs on 5 PC's, you don't lose an install if your drive gets formatted or anything, its like the Windows system if you know what I mean.

So its not as bad as Spore/Bioshock at least.

md99 · 19 Sep 2008 at 22:25

Margaret said:
Yes you can use cracks on the retail games.

Downloaded versions are the same as retail - merely ripped to an ISO and stuck on the internet.

Thanks.

I'm a goody two shoes mind. Whilst I absolutely loath the concept of DRM I just have to have all those lovely game cases and instruction manuals on my shelf

Strife212 said:
Warhead DRM gives you infinite installs on 5 PC's, you don't lose an install if your drive gets formatted or anything, its like the Windows system if you know what I mean.

Nope. If I physically changed the hard drive surely I would then lose an install?

Devil_Spawn · 19 Sep 2008 at 23:09

Get the steam copy - the drm is standard steam drm

smithy83 · 19 Sep 2008 at 23:17

Devil_Spawn said:
Get the steam copy - the drm is standard steam drm

http://www.mycrysis.com/newsdetails.php?news=37136

seems pretty much the same as the retail

Streeteh · 19 Sep 2008 at 23:21

Downloading a crack won't get you in trouble (yet?), people are only getting prosecuted for downloading and sharing the actual game via torrent. I've cracked a couple of games i own purely so i don't have to put the disk in the drive, if the DRM worries you just crack it, it isn't difficult.

md99 · 19 Sep 2008 at 23:26

Streeteh said:
Downloading a crack won't get you in trouble (yet?), people are only getting prosecuted for downloading and sharing the actual game via torrent. I've cracked a couple of games i own purely so i don't have to put the disk in the drive, if the DRM worries you just crack it, it isn't difficult.

I certainly will be cracking them.

Don't want the Steam version though. Prefer to have a physical copy of my games/movies/etc.

smithy83 · 20 Sep 2008 at 10:56

md99 said:
I certainly will be cracking them.

Don't want the Steam version though. Prefer to have a physical copy of my games/movies/etc.

you could always use the steam back up to put it on a disk

Devil_Spawn · 20 Sep 2008 at 11:47

aah. my bad. but you can just drop a certain file obtained from certain locations called paul.dll that removes the need to activate.

neoboy · 20 Sep 2008 at 11:53

I use cracks for all my games (apart from steam ones since no need) for the convenience of not having to put a disc in regardless of DRM.

AWPC · 20 Sep 2008 at 13:38

If your a legitimate buyer why on earth do you want to remove the DRM as you do not even need a crack anymore as EA are removing the disc checks after online activation anyway and giving you 3installs on 5 PC's.

Most people liked the no disc patches for this reason alone. Now they are not required.

Monkeynut · 20 Sep 2008 at 13:42

AWPC said:
If your a legitimate buyer why on earth do you want to remove the DRM as you do not even need a crack anymore as EA are removing the disc checks after online activation anyway and giving you 3installs on 5 PC's.

Most people liked the no disc patches for this reason alone. Now they are not required.

Maybe he doesn't want DRM AT ALL?

I know I don't.

md99 · 20 Sep 2008 at 13:54

AWPC said:
If your a legitimate buyer why on earth do you want to remove the DRM as you do not even need a crack anymore as EA are removing the disc checks after online activation anyway and giving you 3installs on 5 PC's.

Most people liked the no disc patches for this reason alone. Now they are not required.

I was under the impression that these cracks removed the x number of installs feature too?

Monkeynut · 20 Sep 2008 at 14:23

md99 said:
I was under the impression that these cracks removed the x number of installs feature too?

They remove all of the DRM.

FC-PJA · 20 Sep 2008 at 15:16

Looks like Steam version still has the DRM nonsense.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1347354

Do the yarr versions still have securom files as part of the install and they use a cracked .exe, or is all the code removed?

gareth170 · 20 Sep 2008 at 18:04

can someone explain what this all about the secuRom/DRM? i installed my Crysis Warhead game fine and it didn't ask to be activate. so what's all this about 3 installs on 5 PC's, how can it know if it doesn't ask to be activated?

dbmzk1 · 20 Sep 2008 at 23:49

gareth170 said:
can someone explain what this all about the secuRom/DRM? i installed my Crysis Warhead game fine and it didn't ask to be activate. so what's all this about 3 installs on 5 PC's, how can it know if it doesn't ask to be activated?

That little grey box that popped up and asked for your key after installation was it activating itself.

gareth170 · 21 Sep 2008 at 00:05

dbmzk1 said:
That little grey box that popped up and asked for your key after installation was it activating itself.

so your saying it activates without saying or asking??

also if a person as no internet connection how can it activate??

so how do u get the limits back? is it like the BioShock Revoke Tool?

Dolph · 21 Sep 2008 at 00:27

Monkeynut said:
Maybe he doesn't want DRM AT ALL?

I know I don't.

And I'm sure the publisher would like to be able to charge you every time you play the game, but there's this little thing called compromise, or alternatively just not buying it and sinking it that way.