Anyone using the "no cd" for spore?

[SNUGGLES]

Hey all!  I am wondering if anyone is using the no cd .exe for spore.  I normally use the no cds for all of my games. But spore has me a bit concerned.    I received it today as a thank you gift ( otherwise I would not have purchased it at all ).   Before I install it, I want to know if the no cd will stop it from connecting to the internet.  Also will it try to connect if I add downloads or custom content in the game?

I know that gamecopyworld does have links to a working no cd .exe.   I am just hoping someone will know if it stops securom from installing and if it prevents the game from connecting online and verifying each time. IS there anything special I have to do for this no cd? Normally I just put them in the place of the standard game's .exe.

Thank you in advance.

[jsalemi]

My understanding (I'm still waiting for my, umm, 'copy') is that yes, the Spore no-cd.exe doesn't connect to the internet; in fact, you shouldn't install the download manager at all when you're using it. It also doesn't install SecuROM, which is one of the main points of the no-cd.exe You can still add creatures that are shared by other players and shared outside the Spore site (see the Spore threads in Retardoland here for some).

[SNUGGLES]

Excellent!  Thanks

[antechinus]

Has anyone used the 9.7 MB fixed .exe by Reloaded, found at Gamefix? I don't want to download the Creature Creator one by mistake.

[SNUGGLES]

I installed the game.  I installed the proper no cd .exe.   The game still wants me to "register" my game.  It wants me to make a screen name and a spore account.   What should I do?  Have you guys made a screen name?

[BastDawn]

Refuse.  Then set your firewall to deny Spore access to the internet.

[GayJohnScarritt]

   Also, while in-game, go to Settings - Online Settings, and make sure  'Prompt at Startup' is unchecked.  If it's asking you to register, then that must be checked.

[Ionopachys]

Strangely, I'm using the no-cd crack, and have no trouble going online to download stuff.  I have searched and found no trace of securom on my system.

Do spaceship visits during early stages mean that other players are visiting my planet, or does the AI do it too?

[jsalemi]

Do spaceship visits during early stages mean that other players are visiting my planet, or does the AI do it too?

The AI does that.  Other players don't actually connect to your game (it's not like WoW) -- all that happens is you automatically (or not) get content from other players.

[Gus Smedstad]

I log in to the Spore Server every time for item sharing, and I'm using the no-CD crack because SecureRom crashes every time I try and run the EXE that came on the DVD.  I've encountered no troubles.

 - Gus

[jsalemi]

Be careful logging in -- it might download and apply the patch, and there's no updated no-cd yet.

[MrMugg]

Does the no cd patch get around the 3 install limit DRM also, or is it just SecuRom that it avoids?  I've read that they are two separate issues.  I've also read a "rumor" that EA is going to patch out the DRM, but I guess we'll see if there's any truth to that.

[Gus Smedstad]

Well, supposedly the install limit is 5 now.  So maybe that's the rumor you heard.  Anything less than complete removal is of no use to me, since the game freezes during loading if I use the legit exe.

 - Gus

[Hellyes]

Just thought I'd give you all a heads up about this.  I am wondering if the gamecopyworld site has been hacked? It's always been very reliable up until now.  I never thought this would happen, but there is a so called Spore crack (that is suppose to be an update to 1.01 for the new patch) linked to gamecopyworld right now (at this address http://gf.wiretarget.com/spore.htm) that contains a Trojan (dl.exe) which installs to C:\Users\Your Account\AppData\Local\Temp
 
Also, twice today, when I went on the gamecopyworld website pop ups got passed my pop-up blocker.  It opened some random web pages and loaded a similar file as the crack file, JS/downloader, into the Temporary Internet Files Folder, and that's just going to the website not the part where you download the crack file.  The crack file itself loads a defective or phony sporeapp.exe file that contains another, but similar virus, when you click on it, it does not start up the game, but instead loads a Trojan.

[MrMugg]

Wow, that's crazy about the trojans.  This is why I'll load up a virtual XP environment with MS Virtual PC 2007 and go to sites to get stuff that I need, and then scan it for viruses before moving it over to my host machine.  After that, I just close the virtual PC window and select "do not save changes", and then I don't have to worry about the crazy stuff my browser might catch.

I highly recommend MS Virtual PC 2007 for "sandbox" internet surfing.  It's a free download, and it's a great way to surf the internet and not have to worry about what might be out there.  I've been able to keep my host machine crystal clean as a result, and I always use it when going to GCW or when getting a torrent.

[Hellyes]

Wow, that's crazy about the trojans.  This is why I'll load up a virtual XP environment with MS Virtual PC 2007 and go to sites to get stuff that I need, and then scan it for viruses before moving it over to my host machine.  After that, I just close the virtual PC window and select "do not save changes", and then I don't have to worry about the crazy stuff my browser might catch.

I highly recommend MS Virtual PC 2007 for "sandbox" internet surfing.  It's a free download, and it's a great way to surf the internet and not have to worry about what might be out there.  I've been able to keep my host machine crystal clean as a result, and I always use it when going to GCW or when getting a torrent.

Does that work with Vista? 

[Li'l Brudder]

The 1.01 exe is for the Creature Creator.  Not the game.

[Hellyes]

The 1.01 exe is for the Creature Creator.  Not the game.

No. Something strange is going on I tell you.  I am beginning to wonder if someone isn't attempting to exact some sort of revenge on those downloading Spore for free because of all the hoopla that was going on last week with the Amazon ratings and it being called the "most pirated game".  It's wierd because at NFOHump Battery has many listings for clean PC Game Dox.  Someone may be parading as Battery and normally legitmate sources are falling for it.

It doesn't say that is for SCC at NFOHump
http://www.nfohump.com/index.php?switchto=nfos&menu=quicknav&item=search&search=true&group=BAT
http://www.nfohump.com/index.php?switchto=nfos&menu=quicknav&item=viewnfo&id=129689

At game copyworld it's listed on the "Spore Fixed EXE @ GameFix" link.
http://www.gamecopyworld.com/

It links to this page http://gf.wiretarget.com/spore.htm

It's listed like this:

Spore
Spore Creature v1.01 Fixed Executable [12.4 MB]    <--That contains a Trojan.
Done by Battery
Spore Creature v1.0 Fixed Executable [9.7 MB]
Done by RELOADED

Spore Creature Creator
Spore Creature Creator v1.01 Fixed Executable [4.4 MB]
Done by ViTALiTY
Spore Creature Creator v1.0 Fixed Executable [3.9 MB]
Done by ViTALiTY
 

I checked google, and both Piratebay and Mininova originally had this file listed but subsequently removed the torrents for this file.  On ISOhunt in comments someone said it is "nothing but a Trojan".

http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/50824673/?tab=comments

 I concur, but normally legitimate sources are listing and linking to this bad file, including gamecopyworld.  Since a lot of you download from there, I didn't want you to be fooled. 


 
 

 
 
 

[Li'l Brudder]

Well, there's your problem!  NEVER get a torrent/crack for EA Stuff if it isn't ViTALiTY, RELOADED, or DeMoNiC.

[MrMugg]

I highly recommend MS Virtual PC 2007 for "sandbox" internet surfing.  It's a free download, and it's a great way to surf the internet and not have to worry about what might be out there.  I've been able to keep my host machine crystal clean as a result, and I always use it when going to GCW or when getting a torrent.

Does that work with Vista? 

Yes it does.  The benefit with Virtual PC is that you can run environments to run programs that may require Windows 98 or XP.  It doesn't work great for games, but it does work very well for other types of software that doesn't play nice in Vista or even XP (if it's an old 95 or 98 program).

VMware is also another free, virtualization software to check out.  I have both, but I use Virtual PC more because I can easily transfer files from the virtual window over to my host computer with a simple click and drag.  VMware doesn't do that, at least the free version doesn't.

[Paperbladder]

VMWare Workstation (not free) allows you to drag stuff from the host PC to the guest PC but VMWare has always given me problems.

I use Sun's Virtualbox for virtualization since it's lightweight, cross-platform, and free.  Compared to Virtual PC or VMWare Workstation sharing files between the host and the guest are a little more complicated (it involves mounting a directory in the host as a network share and having the guest connect to it).  Yes, it also works with Vista.

[sirnh]

Now that the latest no-cd contains a trojan, I suddenly had to think of something EA games said:
"..., if you’re concerned with a virus on your computer, the chances of that are infinitely higher when you’re downloading off of a hacked version than it would be downloading the authentic game..."
(quote from: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/09/16/spore-drm-update-ea-loosening-one-restriction/)

Maybe, EA-games is behind the Trojan? 

[jsalemi]

It looks like a cracked .exe for the patch has appeared on Pirate Bay, probably from Reloaded.  Early comments are that it's clean, so it's worth keeping an eye on.

ETA: the new no-cd.exe appears to be good -- no problem running the patched game with it.

[straycat]

I'm having some trouble getting the no-cd crack to install. Super Bad Brain Day?   

What I did: Installed the game while disconnected to the Internet. No error message. Then I downloaded the crack from Gamefix. Extracted the .exe file and double-clicked on it. I get a message saying "Could not find the default preferences. The data directory is missing or corrupt. (1004)" After that the screen goes black for a second, and then I return to the desktop to see another message saying "Could not find a needed package.  The data directory is missing or corrupt. (1004)"

I have no idea why that happened. Is someone able to help, please?

[kewian]

Is there a crack exe for the patched game yet?