How to Make a No-CD Patch

By Alice Godfrey

A no-CD patch enables video game enthusiasts to play legally owned games from the computer's hard drive without inserting the CD into the disk drive. To make a no-CD patch, alter the original game disk as it is being copied. Programs created by video game enthusiasts are needed, but no special expertise or skills.

Step 1

Download a video game disk copy program that is compatible with the checker you plan to install. Double-click the file to begin the installation process. Follow the menu prompts to complete the installation. Then quit the installation program.

Step 2

Download a video game disk patching program checker to your desktop. Double-click the file to begin the installation process. Follow the menu prompts to complete the installation. Quit the installation program, then restart the PC.

Step 3

Insert the video game CD in the computer's disk drive. Click "Start," then select the video game disk patching program checker from the "All Applications" menu.

Step 4

Click "File" at the top of the program's screen. Select "Open File" from the drop-down menu. Click the icon of the video game disk in the window that appears. Then click the "Open" button.

Step 5

Click the "Scan" or "Check disc" button -- depending on the program. Write down the information about the copy scheme being used when the scan is finished. Quit the program.

Step 6

Click "Start," then select the video game disk copy program from the "All Applications" menu. Click "File" at the top of the program's screen. Select "Open File" from the drop-down menu. Click the icon of the video game disk in the window that appears. Then click the "Open" button.

Step 7

Click "File" at the top of the program's main screen. Select "Save file to" from the drop-down menu. Click on the hard drive's icon in the window that appears. Then click the "OK" button.

Step 8

Click the "Copy protection" or similarly named tab on the program's screen. Select the copy protection information you wrote down in Step 5, from the options in the drop-down menu.

Step 9

Click the "Copy" or "Clone" button, depending on the program. Quit the program after a progress bar appears, fills in from left to right, and then disappears. Eject the video game disk, and put it away.

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