CD onto computer as virtual drive??

[//siddhartha//]

Hi..
I actually, wanted to ask that I have heard about many programs that copy CDs onto the computer as external drives by taking up the space from the Hard disk. I have a lot of game CDs which I wish to copy onto my computer. Can you suggesst a few programs (preferably, freeware) so that I can copy those CDs and then the computer does not ask to load the CD for playing the game..
Also, how will this work?? I mean suppose I have a game, say CLAW. If I create a virtual drive of its game and then play without the CD, will the game run if I have installed it from the virtual drive??? And how is hard disk space taken from?? From the drive where WINDOWS is installed or what???

[alib_i]

Alcohol 120%
Paragon CD Emulator
DAEMON Tools

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alibi

[Terahertz]

The easiest way is to use the Nero Image drive software which comes along with the nero family pack. Just make an image and use that image as a cd. thats all. No need to load the disc.

[theraven]

moved to QnA

[cvvikram]

You can try for Farstone Virtual Drive...but it is a trial version

http://nct.digitalriver.com/0081/

[sakumar79]

Originally Posted by //siddhartha//

Also, how will this work?? I mean suppose I have a game, say CLAW. If I create a virtual drive of its game and then play without the CD, will the game run if I have installed it from the virtual drive??? And how is hard disk space taken from?? From the drive where WINDOWS is installed or what???

What you do is you create an image of the CD on your HD (you can choose where you want it to be saved, but this will typically occupy a little more than the actual size of the contents of the CD). Then, when you want to play the game, you ask the Virtual Drive program (such as Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools) to "mount" the CD. This will "load" the virtual CD created onto your virtual drive. Then, you can use the virtual CD just as you would a regular CD.

Do note that most games come with a protection algorithm to prevent rampant CD copying. There are sites that list the actual protection algrotithm (such as SafeDisc, Securom, etc) of various games so that you can make proper 1:1 copies.

Arun

[//siddhartha//]

You mean DAEMON Tools will do the work for me... And as for the space I can choose which hard drive to take space from.. OK, lets see if its works.. Download in progress...