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Thea Cochrane Group: Musicians Posts: 445 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: June 26 2002, 15:49 So I have a computer that is online, but I want to install MVR on another computer which has the graphics card that works with MVR and a nice sound system attached to it. Is there a way to register it online, but actually run it on another machine which isn't online? Anyone? Back to top

TinkerBell Group: Members Posts: 25 Joined: June 2002 Posted: July 01 2002, 06:28 Quote So I have a computer that is online, but I want to install MVR on another computer which has the graphics card that works with MVR and a nice sound system attached to it. Is there a way to register it online, but actually run it on another machine which isn't online? Anyone? I have the same issue that you have and I have decided not to risk it ... here's why: 1. It is probably in violation of the End User License Agreement we have all agreed to - and thus illegal. 2. Oldfield Interactive use the Windows Installer to deeply mess about with your Registry etc. (i.e in excess of 15 registry associations with many random links ...) - and given that, I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND not to even touch it. Copying a DEEP piece of one registry from one computer to another is an excellent way to screw up your entire computer installation, possibly entailing a fresh install etc.  So this is not recommended. Mind you, if you can use Norton's Uninstall tools from Symantec, you can usually trace through registry entries and at least restore back to a safe point.  So, if you are confident that you can mess with Windows Registry stuff, then go ahead.  You never know - it MIGHT work - but don't blame me if it gets VERY sticky ...   Oldfield Interactive have worked hard to protect their MVR product from being copied/pirated.  Unfortunately this also means restrictions in general, legitimate use - and this can make people somewhat dischuffed.  The issue that you have raised is further evidence that they really haven't thought all this through.  See discussion: TubularBoard » Music VR » Troubleshooting » Successful Installation on Win98 ... a war story Back to top

Thea Cochrane Group: Musicians Posts: 445 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: July 02 2002, 06:15 I think that they are doing their best, but I'd have prefered it if they had put a checksum in the number or something so that it wouldn't have to go online to make sure that the code is ok. There must be a way of doing this, as Half-life on the PC had a code that was supplied with the disc that you had to enter to run the game (this is just an example which I know of, there are probably more). I have a code and I have game, it just won't play. Back to top

TinkerBell Group: Members Posts: 25 Joined: June 2002 Posted: July 02 2002, 23:01 Yep - I've paid for lots of excellent shareware products where they send you an encrypted token as a string by e-mail - you enter the string into your copy - and then that's it (no further online checking).    Of course there is nothing to prevent multiple installs by pirates - but then theres probably not sufficient margin for a serious pirate to bother with MusicVR - it only costs about $20 anyway. As I said elsewhere (see  TubularBoard » Music VR » Troubleshooting » Successful Installation on Win98 ... a war story ), the manufacturers are being very picky about copy protection and digital rights management here.  This is no doubt because someone noticed that the Tres Lunas album and MusicVR have a significant overlap of digital content in Mike's music. But then it is real easy to rip music CD's anyway - e.g. using Real Jukebox or Musicmatch - so that they play as MP3's.  Although the Music VR software is good, I feel that the greater and longer lasting value is with Mike's music - which is not "copy protected". In other words, all this "copy protection" effort (i.e forced Internet connection to defeat piracy) is trying to protect the wrong thing. Cheers ... Back to top

Thea Cochrane Group: Musicians Posts: 445 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: July 15 2002, 07:11 Continuing my story: I've decided to fit a phone line in my student flat and buy a modem. I only hope there is no time limit on using the unlock code - I haven't used mine once yet. Back to top

a_r_schulz Group: Members Posts: 425 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: July 26 2002, 07:52 What's even more annoying is that MusicVR stores its registration info in the HKCU (i.e. user specific) branch of the registry (at HKCU\software\Oldfield Interactive\MusicVR). This means that for me, wife and kids (with own user profiles) I'd need a total of 5 registrations to let each of us play MusicVR on my 'puter ;-( Guess there's no much need to worry about what the MS installer does anyway - that's mostly about uninstall, dekstop icon and application registration to the OS (and long finished before you register). It'll be the same whereever you install MusicVR. There's no deeper meaning in the cryptic CLSID of the desktop icon as well - MusicVR will work fine if you just launch MusicVR.exe from it's home directory, as long as it finds Tr3sLunas.dat (which will run the full version after registration) or MusicVRdemo.dat (which will run the demo) in the same directory (And, no, renaming Tr3sLunas.dat to MusicVRdemo.dat doesn't do what some people might wish that it should do ;-) Back to top

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