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Why do games always ask for disc 1 after install?

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:24 pm
by Coskesh
Always been a mild annoyance, but what's the point?

Also, the motherboard connections for your case lights & switches, I can't help but think there has to be a better way.

Re: Why do games always ask for disc 1 after install?

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:33 pm
by Vesper
Coskesh wrote:Always been a mild annoyance, but what's the point?
There's a couple of reasons:

1) Most games require Disk #1 in the drive to play (for CD protection). This just lets you run the game instantly after the install is completed. (Also, without a step like this, the "Play X Game Now" option wouldn't work.)

2) The CD splash screen is still in memory when the install is going on, a lof of the time. Since the EXE was run from a CD, Windows will actually complain/give you an error if you try to quit out of it when the EXE is no longer available. (You'll get one of those system messages that says "Insert Volume XXXXXX in Drive") Making you put the disk back in the drive before this can possibly occur avoids the error.

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:54 pm
by setaside
In other words, blame Microsoft.

:)

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:38 am
by Dirt
I get freaking updates everyday from them now.

Re: Why do games always ask for disc 1 after install?

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:03 am
by Spike
Coskesh wrote:Always been a mild annoyance, but what's the point?
It's a global conspiracy to destroy the self-confidence of Disc 2 and Disc 3. Asking for Disc 1 to be placed in the drive makes it feel special and more important than those other, second class CDs.
Also, the motherboard connections for your case lights & switches, I can't help but think there has to be a better way.
Me too. I always wondered why that doesn't all come in one "big" connector, like the keyboard thing. Sort of a "clip your mobo in, plug this in and away you go" thing.

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:23 pm
by Intruder
Behold Far Cry's glory once again:
It wants the LAST cd of the set in the drive.
So CD5 (I think) sits in one of my cd drives at home since I ignore the game right now because of the lame last 1/3th of it.
"Hah! Final level beginning. Serves you right!" ;)
(I think Broken Sword 3 also but I'm not sure).

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 7:13 pm
by Windows95
A few games make you use the last CD. Far Cry and FS2004 are two that come to mind right now. It's nice when you go to install the game, but I often forget when I go to put the CDs back in as every other game wants #1.

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2004 5:22 pm
by JayG
Not a problem anymore in Europe. The last 5 european versions I brought came on DVD. (Only exception was Vampire, but I brought the American version)

Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 12:34 pm
by Giles Habibula
Windows98 wrote:A few games make you use the last CD. Far Cry and FS2004 are two that come to mind right now. It's nice when you go to install the game, but I often forget when I go to put the CDs back in as every other game wants #1.
I dunno. My FarCry wants CD #1 to play. I just tried #5 and it doesn't work. Was there more than one release of this game?

Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 1:15 pm
by knob
I don't know if there's any actual difference, but at one point, I had 3 different versions.


One was a DVD with a 64 bit logo that came with my brother's 64bit AMD computer. ANother was a 5 CD set with the 64 bit logo that also came with it. The other was the retail version without any of the fancy logos.

I never actually tested all three to see if there's an real difference, but it was atleast 3 different types of discs.