I finally got my CDs back!

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Rejoice!

I have lended my BG2 and ToB CDs to a friend, and I was playing BG2 via my ToB CD. (my fiend had a program to work it without CD, but he did not gave other CDs back to me.) Now he gave them all back to me!

I tried them in an internet cafe's PC and they still WORK perfectly! (I am away from my home, my personal PC with BG2 installed...for my school is in another city!)

This may mean little to you, but I can never hope to find BG2 CDs anymore in Turkey. It is just impossible. And Amazon.com does not sell stuff to Turkey. So I am just so happy that my precious CDs are back and reasonably healthy! (unlike my IWD2 CDs, another friend's cat had used them as chewing toys when I lended to him! So I had to borrow from another friend to play...ah well, friends are for these sort of things, right? )

This means, when I get back to home, I can uninstall my heavily modded BG2 for a clean-all new install. And then, I can try Sikret's mod Improved Anvil! My current mods are incompatible with it so I guess I had better make a clean-new installation.

I must first finish my current run with Wild Magi though, I know if I uninstall and re-install the game right now, with all those mods, my save games would surely be unplayable, right?

A question:Should I really make a new installation? I really enjoy my game, and it is the most modded game, without any (major) bugs!
If I do a new installation I might not get that lucky!

Another one:My CDs are way too old and in pretty bad shape. My own CD-ROM MAY have trouble reading them. (it barely read it in the last time!) If this happens it means I can not install BG2 and I can not play it and waah! Hope you understand my concern!

So, say, should I copy them into fresh, new and nice CDs? (my friend says he can do it!) Is it illegal? Can I do it? If I can, will they work? Plus...will someone sue me and arrest me? I have deep respect to copyrights and properties of Black Isle and all...but what can I do?

Hope you understand my problem. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Unless I'm entirely mistaken, making copies of your own cd's for backups is entirely 100% legal. And as far as I can tell, it should work. There's (rarely?) no fancypants copy-protection on cd's that old

Then again, if your CD rom can't read the cd's, then you can't burn them either
But you just said they worked perfectly on an internet café? Did you just check them to see if they worked, or did you actually run a full install?

 

Silverstar, does Amazon.co.uk sell to Turkey?

I am from Denmark and I have bought the Baldurs Gate II Collection from there. And a couple of months ago I bought the Baldurs Gate Compilation (4 in 1 boxset on DVDs).

As for copyright, as long as you have the original CD´s then it is allowed to have a backup or safe copy.

You are however not allowed to lend the original CD's or backup copies to a friend

As for mods, I don´t know. I could imagine if you installed the mods in the same succession you did originally, then your savegames would work. But I don´t use mods. Works with vanilla game and patches though.

 

I know it is confusing. They work in the internet cafe, so this means I can burn them into fresh clean and shiny new CDs right here or at my friend's! Right?

I installed FULL version of SoA here on the PC of cafe, I did not have time enough for ToB, but ToB CD is relatively new and in good shape and I had no trouble with it before. (me crosses fingers)

Heh he, I even played SoA! (after quickly downloading one pixel productions and IWD casting graphics, I can't stand old ones!) Killed a few goblins even! Boy I missed the old, unmodded Irenicus Dungeon...it feels good. Kinda nostalgic!

I will uninstall it asap, I think it is illegal to have it installed in too many PCs, righto?

Anyway, it's my old CD-rom at my personal computer which, for some reason had trouble reading the old CDs. It paused a lot in the installation in certain percents, and I had to restart again, after wiping the troubled CD (number 2! Agh!) a lot, and hoping for the best. After 5th tries it BARELY read it and installed. That was close.

So I now hesitate to uninstall my game fearing I can never play BG2 at my personal PC again...that would be sooo sad!

EDIT:

Reply to Ironhawk

Well I really do not think Amazon.com has interest in shipping stuf to Turkey. For some reason. Or maybe I do not know how to do. Thanks anyway!

Ah, so we did a great illegal thingie when I lended my CDs to my friend. He installed and played too! My BG2 was installed and played in two different PCs! I feel guilty. What should I do to atone? (I am sorry!)

If I get a new installation, I will not get tactics, some parts of ascension, and item upgrade mods, as they are uncompatible with IA. So my old save games won't work anymore in this installation, IMHO. Hmm...

 

Seeing as how blackisle has gone bust...there wont be anybody to bring a lawsuit against you I think. Lol

 

@Silverstar:

Well you could try Amazon.co.uk through this site? Worth a try?

And yes your friends or the internet cafe should be able to burn some nice shiny new CD's to you. I don't know with ToB though. I have heard there should be a copyprotection on that. Some CD burning programs can take care of that, since you are allowed to have a backup copy.

As for having the game installed on multible PC's. I don't know. Some companies allow it if it is in your own home. But I doubt it in this case.

I don't think you have done a great illegal thingie since it can be interpreted as a misunderstanding of terms. But if you are worried, make sure your friend uninstall the game or that he buys his own. Then you are atoned

@Mongerman: Black Isle is. BioWare and Atari isn't. So I wouldn't bet on that.

 

Silverstar,

If you want to install Improved Anvil, send me your weidu.log file (copy and paste it here or in a PM) and I will tell you what to do without needing to uninstall your game and without needing to do a complete clean installation of the game. Do you also have non-weidu mods?

 

@Ironhawk Skylord

'Misunderstanding of terms' I like the sound of it!

So you say Bioware and/or Atari can indeed sue me? And I am right here screaming it to the whole world!

I do not think it is quite possible for me to have my friend uninstall BG2 on his PC, he is just awed, and keeps asking tons of questions to me about the game.

-'Melissan is evil, right! She is hiding something! She is the culprit! I know it! I am great at playing too! Just help me a little, which spells are the best? Man, I suck at casting. Why did I become 'fallen?' Imoen is a great NPC! Aerie sucks, why does she level up soo slowly? How can you kill 6 Fire Giants? They keep killing my PC no matter what I do!'

When I tell him about my modded Fire Giants (perma fire shield, full MR, recasts stoneskins and pro from elements, casts random fire spell when it hits, and casts lower fire resistance when is hit, oh, and regenerates 6HP/round or something like that.), he just stays there, jaw-dropped 'You can not beat those!' That's priceless! I am not about to tell him about the Ascension final fight on insane, he hasn't beaten the game (and seen the unmodded fight) yet.

@Sikret

Why thank you for your offer, I may do that when I get home. But IIRC the list is VERY ugly and long. I am not sure if I had a non-weidu mod whatsover. I may...it has been so long.

But seriously, it is not long-term solution. Sooner or later my PC will have to eat a format. And then what should I do?

Anyway, thanks for your replies so far!

I think I will give my CDs to a friend who is pro at CD burning, programs and the like, and I will see what he can do. Wish me/him luck!

 

@Silverstar:

Well.. since it is not more than a couple of months ago BioWare and Atari released the Baldurs Gate Compilation (and the IWD Compilation), then they probably would want to earn a couple of nice shiny ones on those releases. Well, you know what I mean

But if you find out you can buy it from Turkey, it wouldn't be a bad christmas gift for your friend?

Your friends reaction is much similar to mine when my nephew directed my attention to SoA and ToB. There was no limit to my annoying questions

Good luck Silverstar

 

Maybe it wouldn't, but truth is, we do not really celebrate 'Christmas' around here. We do celebrate New year's eve, though.

Anyway, I checked Amazon.co.uk and indeed there is the BG set, complete with all CDs, and it costs only 9.x bucks and all...but they do not say if they actually do shipping to Turkey or I can not find out how!

Thanks for your good wishes!

 

@Silverstar: Ah that´s right, I forgot that Christmas is not celebrated in Turkey.

I am sorry to say it looks like you are out on luck on amazon.co.uk.

I just found this:

Damn. Why can't they just deliver to all Europe?

 

I doubt if they even count Turkey as in Europe. Some people still think Turkey is like all other bad-reputed islamic countries...but I do not want to open a huge can of worms here, no no.

Anyways...

My friend told me he has burned the CDs last night and he will give them to me. My BG2 is now in shiny, all-new and perfect CDs! Oh happy day! I hope we are not doing a crime here, but I am soo hapy now...I feel so safe! I can play BG2 even if something happens to my installation! I will party! Join me!

 

http://www.zorbas.nl/bar%20in%20gournes%20coctails%2012102005.jpg

Drink are on me this time

 

Woo cool coctails, shiny and colorful, thank you!.... :hic:

I now have those shiny newly burned CDs, they are very shiny, clean, neat, perfect, and they work! I installed the game again with them, played, and then uninstalled. (ofcourse, so there is no major damage to copyrights, I hope. )

Now they safely rest, each in one CD case. They are so precious and lovely and...and...I am so happy!

Can I have another of those..colorful juicy ones.. :hic:

Have fun every one!

 

Sure thing. Like I said, I own you one. Might as well make it two

http://www.tuinclub.be/tuinartikels/alcoholvrije%20coctails.jpg

And here's something for tommorow morning, I got a filling you're going to need it

http://www.aspirin-foundation.com/graphics/photos/library/1087.jpg

 

Party on Silverstar!

Glad it worked out