Backing up

[Legacy_Highv Priest]

               Ok I'm one of those rare few of people who bought the entire nwn collection way back. It has come to my attention these discs are nearing 10 years of age which is not a good sign. I've RARELY used them and kept them in a nice cool place since I've had them, but I'd like to make backups of my discs.

I did some reading as to whether this game allows backup discs and the results came up negative. Has this changed since 2005? Can I make backups of my discs without wasting my time? Don't get me wrong I paid for this whole collection a ways back and bought multiple CDkeys back when they were still pricey. I've well enough paid for my nwn games and I like the installation from my old CD collection, error free writing tested and proven.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pearls]

               install the game, copy the neverwinter nights directory onto a CD?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Highv Priest]

               I have the game installed, on multiple computers(one is a server because it has the fastest CPU and most use of ram, one is used for mobile modding because it's a laptop, and one is just for playing because it has sexy graphics/sound rendering with multiple monitors) and the original discs sitting 4 feet away from me.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe some registry key values need to be set during the installation process for the game to run properly?

EDIT= This is not an issue of money, I'd gladly buy the game again if it allowed me the ability to copy my original installation CDs lol. I'm a firm believer of the "people f*** up" theory and one set of discs you can buy at the store are not equivalent to another set of discs or download of those discs. Scratches can be made, uploads can be done shoddily and errors can occur.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Highv Priest, 04 janvier 2013 - 04:18 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <waggling his...>

On the one hand, if you buy software you *are* allowed to archive it. If you are asking if it's legal, that is. You are not allowed to distribute copies, of course.

On the other hand, getting NwN Complete for, what $15?
It's worth it to get a newer, updated copy, IMO. Indeed, I have NwN, NwN Diamond (for the expansions) and NwN Complete, giving me 3 legal purchased copies of NwN, 2 of each expansion and 1 of all the NwN2.

And I have archive copies, just in case. :-P

<...hand>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Rolo Kipp, 04 janvier 2013 - 06:32 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Highv Priest]

               It's not a question of legality lol. I'm wondering if I have to go through a damn hurdle to actually make backup copy's of the discs. If I can have the option to pay to simply copy the discs I already have, I'm all for it. I however do NOT want to take a gamble using another set/downloading new files as I have had bad problems with this in the past.(memory recalls of when I bought The Matrix trilogy from the bargain bin at Wal-Mart only to find to my shagrin ONLY the third disc was readable. Thank god for torrents.) In regards to copyright which I'm exceptionally well aware of(I do read fine-print).

Simply by having nwn installed on more then one computer(you know like having a server running on one computer and playing on another) is a breach in the EULA nwn provides. Meaning all of you should have your asses sued.(EULA does not constitute federal action and is expressly written as a means by which a company has the right to persue litigation/terminate service in the event of a contract breach, meaning you cannot be arrested or imprisoned for breaches therein)

1. Grant of License. The Software is licensed to you, not sold, by Infogrames, and its use is subject to this License. Infogrames grants to you a limited, personal, non-exclusive right to use the Software in the manner described in the user documentation. If the Software is configured for loading onto a hard drive, you may load the Software only onto the hard drive of a single machine and run the Software from only that hard drive. You may permanently transfer all rights Infogrames grants to you in this License, provided you retain no copies, you transfer all of the Software (including all component parts, the media and printed materials, the CD-authentication key, and any upgrades), and the recipient reads and accepts this License. Infogrames and BioWare reserve all rights not expressly granted to you by this License.

Moreoever our wonderful content community creating works such as nwnx are in breach as they are injecting code into programs within nwn(modifying it outside it's intended use).

2. Restrictions.  Infogrames, BioWare, and/or their suppliers own the title,
copyright, and other intellectual property rights in the Software.  
The Software contains copyrighted material, trade secrets and other
proprietary material.  You may not delete the copyright notices or any
other proprietary legends on the original copy of the Software.  
You may not decompile, modify, reverse engineer, disassemble or
otherwise reproduce the Software.  You may not copy, rent, lend, lease,
sublicense, distribute, publicly display, create derivative works based
upon the Software (except as provided in Section 3 below) or otherwise
commercially exploit the Software (including, without limitation,
hosting pay-per-play servers).  You may not electronically transmit the
Software from one computer, console or other platform to another
or over a network.


Some servers also offer content that is forbidden according to the terms set forth.

(3) your Variations must not contain any libelous, defamatory, pornographic,
obscene(Server where you can rape? Sign me up!), or other illegal material, material that is scandalous or
invades the rights of privacy or publicity of any third party, or
contain any trademarks, copyright-protected work or other property of
third parties, or contain any viruses, worms, or other malicious code.

But lets pretend Atari/BioWare don't particularly care about the state of this game or it's subsidiary software. While you are correct that it is legal to make copies of your CD's, it is not legal to breach protections on the disc in which to make a copy. However that's -also- not an issue as a loophole of the clause is you can make an exact duplicate of the CD(protections included) which effectively nullify the protections in this case without removing them(by lets say CloneCD or many other exact CD duplicating softwares). As a result I can f***ing copy any disc I own(including copies of the original disc) so long as it's the same copy with protections included. But I digress.... I was asking IF nwn has protections before I start making duplicate CDs that don't work because of a protection I was unaware of.(you know because I have plenty of coasters) Duplicating CD software need to be setup for the protections involved or a written disc can be rendered worthless.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Highv Priest, 04 janvier 2013 - 09:52 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Lightfoot8]

               oh brother,

First you assume that people who are running a server do not have more then one CD-Key. I myself have about 4 or 5 of them, perhaps more I have lost track. Second you assume that you have to be running the game inorder to run a server. The entire Idea behind the StandAlone server, Put out by bioware, was so you could run a server, Or even 5 servers, from a single install of NWN. Since the Standalone server does not require a CD-Key. You can even play NWN online from the same install of nwn on someone elese's PW while running your own.

You also copied the wrong EULA. Infogrames Has nothing to do with the original NWN.
....


 

Moreoever our wonderful content community creating works such as nwnx are in breach as they are injecting code into programs within nwn(modifying it outside it's intended use).

First let me state that I do not use nwnx.  I do no even plan on ever using it.   You are wrong however anout it breaking the EULA.    The EULA stated that the .exe and base .dll could not be modified.   NWNX did not do that.   It left the game and executables untoched.  Instead it  ran the original .exe within the shell of another program in order to gain better controll.   Yes,  It is about the same thing as haking the game,  Except that is was done in a way that it did not break the EULA.   


.....
Third you question was answered.

Pearls woote...
install the game, copy the neverwinter nights directory onto a CD?

To answer your question in reguards to that.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe some registry key values need to be set during the installation process for the game to run properly?

No, No regestery key values are needed to have the game run properly. The regestery keys where needed to patch the game however. So install the game, Run the critical rebuild to get it up to 1.69 and up to date and back it up any way you like from there.


 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Lightfoot8, 05 janvier 2013 - 01:51 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_QlippothVI]

               I would rip the discs and back those images to a hard drive. Occasionally retire the old HD with a newer one copying the images (old drive data) and wipe old drive. I have the original CDs x2 (gave one set/keys to a friend), Diamond x2, and feel safe enough.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Highv Priest]

               Thank you all very much for the information. I went ahead and did both options. Copied my install directory and copied the CD images of all the discs directly to my portable hard drive.

So my laptop which is completely up to date, it's install directory is all I need to continue using my game in the case I need to reformat one of my computers or I get a new computer I'd like to install on?(I also have multiple CDkeys from buying nwn diamond[technically my brother bought it and I just took the game box when he got bored of it] and 3 whole sets of keys so that I can play on any computer and with friends without having to worry about connection problems.)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

                <mumbling...>
A point, because it's something that bugs me:

"Can You Legally Copy DVDs?"The ability to create copies of the media you've purchased for personal use is a long-accepted facet of the fair-use doctrine in U.S. copyright law (at least, it used to be). However, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) states that it's illegal to break the CSS copy-protection mechanism employed by most commercial DVD movies.

If you purchase a dvd (or CD or any other media), Fair Use includes permitting backup or archive copies. The DMCA, which *is* contested, only targets breaking copy protection.

<...legalese>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ForsakenJedi]

               

Rolo Kipp wrote...
On the other hand, getting NwN Complete for, what $15?
It's worth it to get a newer, updated copy, IMO. Indeed, I have NwN, NwN Diamond (for the expansions) and NwN Complete, giving me 3 legal purchased copies of NwN, 2 of each expansion and 1 of all the NwN2.
<...hand>

Where is this 15$ complete collection? Cheapest I see is an overseas ebay copy for 35??