POD (request)
 

I simply don't understand why these executables from Pod I already patched (using crack.exe nocd you can find on the web from 1997) keep asking for pod cdrom unless you run them in administrator mode (I have a Vista32 pc).
Bad or incomplete crack maybe?
I uploaded them in a rar archive for someone who want to give a look at them.

Note: my pod cdrom version is the retail one (v.2.1). the "pod.rar" archive contains the cracked executables. the "pod-2.1-originals.rar" contains the original executables. I used the pod generic crack made by hackerjack in 1997.

Note2: I removed the other uncracked executables because I made a mistake, they were from a wrong patch (they are for Pod Gold version), I'll look for proper voodoo2 patch for my pod 2.1, so the second request is discarded for now.

Please, upload all original executables. (Often seeing the differences that a crack made may be enough to apply the same changes to the other executables, thus cracking them, too, the same way.)

@Joe Forster/STA: Ok. I reuploaded all the originals and cracked executables. There was a mistake too with previous "pod.rar" archive (all these different exe versions made me mad) so you should download the 2 archives in the first post again. bye :)

Pod.rar are the cracked exes, pod-2.1-originals.rar are the original files from cdrom.

All dlls of the game are needed, too.
Which exe you use for starting the game?

@Cowsheep

I'm not so expert but I think that the executables that need some external dlls are those dedicated to ati, s3 and voodoo1 cards (wpodati,podatix,wpods3d,pods3dx,wpod3dfx and podx3dfx), correct me if I'm wrong. I don't use them and cannot test them because I use a modern pc ;). I use winpod.exe or podmmx.exe

Read the PC Games forum FAQ on how to create packages full enough for cracktesting. (Hint: try them on a "virgin" PC.)

I have that game installed on a VirtualPC with Windows'98
Don't know what executable I use to run it but I do it in the VirtualPC.
This weekend I will checkout since the VPC is on my parents house.

Hi nando. If you run it on virtual pc probably you use the winpod.exe or podmmx.exe and, as I already said, I'm pretty sure those two don't need extra dll (following the Pc games faq procedure). The weird thing is that in Vista you need to run the cracked exe as admin to bypass the please insert cdrom question.

I don't have Vista - jumped from XP to 7.
Use the compatibility tab and set to run always as administrator. Set also the OS to Win98 and try it - if you haven't already.

Remember the crack was created under Win98. Windows NT (2000/XP/Vista/7) may handle things differently.

the "real problem" is now: I found the proper update for version 2.0 (normal, direct3d and 3dfx update) but unluckily the existing nocd patch does not work with them anymore. I suppose ppl never bothered of patching it and they always used real cdrom or a cd image instead. :cool:

note: the 3dfx update for voodoo2 support works like a charm with glide wrappers. Playing this game in hires with AA/AF is a cool experience.

If you are interested, the game update is here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/44k5qf

simply unpack the archive in the installdir and overwrite existing files. (for security, make a backup of originals)

For a simple cd check, that should not matter. Different Os is only problematic, when API call adresses are hardcoded instead of being resolved via IAT. Thats why all Securom cracks made with Unsecurom dont run on Win XP or higher.


When i try to start podwin.exe i get "file i/o error" before disc check is hit.

sorry Cowsheep I have no idea what this i/o error could be. I tried the basic version uncracked winpod.exe (pod-2.1-originals.rar) in a virgin pc,that never got pod installed and it give me the message insert pod cdrom. I have not tested yet the new executables from the update.

Inside the update you uploaded on sendspace, the exes have version numbers 2.2 and are more recent. Here, i dont get any error anymore.
I think i have the game from the Gold Games 3 collection, i will search it.


EDIT: I installed the game now and patched it to latest version.
Unfortunately it does not run on my pc at all, even with disc in drive.
Simply nothing happes when launching an .exe file.
I have 32bit Win Xp Sp3.


In what language do you play? There is a separate function for each language responsible for displaying error messages.

yep, I got the game update because I have many different pcs (desktop and laptops) so I use the updated 3dfx + glide wrapper or direct3d/normal versions depending on the system.

@Cowsheep: I have a win xp sp3 too. Without the cd if I click on the exe nothing happens. But with cd inserted, the game starts normally.
Maybe have you got a pentium 4? I have an old pc with p4 and there is no way to make the game start on it (click on exes and nothing happens), even using the p4/amd patcher found on the web.

you can try to google for the single updates with installer (updatePOD21_norm-ati-s3, updatePOD21_d3d-dx5, updatePOD21_d3d and updatePOD21_3dfx). For my experience (and not only mine) they are a bitch to install correctly on modern systems. I far prefer using the simple unrar method version but maybe those can fix your problem. And the updates will not work if you have got the "pod gold" version.

edit: I have an italian system. You can change game language from c:\windows\ubisoft\ubi.ini

I have AMD Phenom I 9950 BE Quadcore CPU.
Game wont launch even with disc.
My Gold Games version was v2.0, i patched it with the Dx5 2.0 to 2.1 single updater.
And OllyDBG seems to have problmes with it, too.

I get a "Unable to locate data in executable file" when i try to save my changes.
Exes are coded in Watcom C++ and are not packed or crypted.


Try the following:
1. Load winpod.exe (most recent one, 1156KB size, version in file properties 2.2.8.1) in OllyDBG.
2. Go to adress 004742B2.
You should see JNZ SHORT winpod.004742CD.
3. Press space bar, type NOP, click Assemble and cancel.
4a. Select the two red nops and rightclick: Choose Copy to executable, all modifications, Copy all.
4b. If the same error that i get occurs, press F9 or click on the "play" button in order to start the game.
In this case, you have to the steps above each time you wanna play.

If you need adresses for other files, just tell me name, and version number.

Ok. I got Ollydbg (v.2.00.01) from http://www.ollydbg.de/

I was not able to do point 4a (different menu) When I select the two red nops with shift key, rightclick --->edit--->copy to executable.

Then I right click on new opened window and I select save file. I received no errors. Don't know if this method can be correct.

But when I execute the game (using italian language, as I understood only italian part is patched now) a new popup appears: "Impossible to find the disc in the unit. Insert a disc in the unit g:" cancel,retry,continue.

If I press cancel it quits, if I press continue the other popup window appears: insert cdrom pod.

Try Olly 1.10 (as Olly2 does not have a goto offset button) and make screenshot of red nops so i can see if you are at the right place.
Did you made the full installation?

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/359/pode.jpg

Yep. Full install. It keeps asking for pod cdrom.
If can be of some help, the intro video run correctly and then it asks for cdrom.

Argh, it got multiple cd checks. After making the nops, right click in Olly. Then Search for -> All intermodular calls. Then type on keyboard getdrivetypa . Then rightclick on one of the lines with kernel32.dll.getdrivetypa and select "Set breakpoint on every call to GetDriveTypeA".
Then press F9 , may wait till intro played and tell me the adress where it stopped. The adress is at the very left and should start with 004...

Sorry, i cant debug it myself because game crashes on my system before reaching a disc check even with original exes and disc. I played POD a lot in the past (when i had Win 98).

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/7664/debugh.jpg

Here is a screenshot of where it stopped (after the intro movie), but I had to press F9 several times before the intro movie started.

The address is 004A1F90

ah...and another thing: I had to press F9 a lot of times after that to make the window "insert pod cdrom" appear. The address was always the same (004A1F90), only the registers (fpu) values on the right in olly changed.

The amount of times you had to press F9 is the amount of driver letters you have.

Try nop that:
004A2089 . /75 09 JNZ SHORT winpod.004A2094

If that does not work, nop this one:
004A20E9 .^\75 E8 JNZ SHORT winpod.004A20D3

Kewl! It worked with the first one. If it is not too much I'd like to modify other exes (at least the direct3d, the podmmx and the 3dfx ones) because I have different pcs and some exe work better with some system and worse with other. If you can help me or give me some infos about what to modify in the executables, that would be much appreciated :)

Search for intermodular calls, type getdrivetypea, breakpoint on all calls to it, run app, and look where it stopps. Inside that function is a JNZ has to be NOPed.
Which one, you figure around by single stepping and compare how it behaves with disc ans without.
That have must be done twice (notice change of adress from getdrivetypea.)

If you dont manage that, tell me .exe name. size, version number under file properties and adress of getdrivetypea.
Then, i tell you the jnz to patch.

Here are the executables I had time to look until now:

PODMMX.EXE (v.2.2.8.0)
1.317.888 bytes

cdchecks: 004A0F10
004A1655

Wpodd3d.exe
v 2.2.8.1
1.197.568 byte
address: 00467C22 - 0049EFB2

podd3dx.exe
v.2.2.8.1
1.468.416 bytes
address: 004672F2 - 0049E5C2




Update: I catched another cdcheck in winpod.exe. Found at address 004A26D5 (please insert pod cdrom when select ghost mode in the time attack and after winning last race in the normal championship too)
I'm testing but every other mode seems to work correctly.

winpod.exe
004A27F5 . /75 0C JNZ SHORT winpod.004A2803


Podmmx.exe

004A1009 . /75 09 JNZ SHORT PODMMX.004A1014
004A1775 . /75 0C JNZ SHORT PODMMX.004A1783

Wpodd3d.exe
00467CC2 |. /75 19 JNZ SHORT wpodd3d.00467CDD
0049F0CA |. /75 0C JNZ SHORT wpodd3d.0049F0D8


podd3dx.exe
00467392 |. /75 19 JNZ SHORT podd3dx.004673AD
0049E6DA |. /75 0C JNZ SHORT podd3dx.0049E6E8

here are all the remaining (I hope) cdchecks from:

Winpod: 004A216D
PODMMX: 004A10ED
Wpodd3d: 0049EA06 - 0049FC1C
Podd3dx: 0049E016 - 0049F22C

thank you sincerely for give some of your time for that, you are very kind :)
I'll check with olly the two remaining exes probably in the weekend (the 3dfx ones).
I don't and can't use ati, s3 and direct3d 5 versions so I will not touch them ;)
The cracked exes so far work perfectly on a win98 machine, a windows xp one and on vista too.
Good job Cowsheep!

A weird and not important thing, I tried to debug the exes running them NOT in admin mode and I found some curious results, weird behaviors:

None of them went to main menu, they all asked for cdrom, obviously with modified exe: some executables gave old already NOP, some even gave
new addresses!
I use the vista pc for testing and debugging, I have the same phenomenon
in the Xp computer, starting the game using windows 95/98 compatibility mode or normal mode affects some previously found addresses (it asks for cdrom at that address even if that has been already edited).

Winpod.exe
004A22D2 . /75 0C JNZ SHORT WINPOD.004A22E0

Podmmx.exe
004A1252 . /75 0C JNZ SHORT PODMMX.004A1260

Wpodd3d.exe
0049EAF4 |. /75 09 JNZ SHORT wpodd3d.0049EAFF
0049EBAC |. /75 0C JNZ SHORT wpodd3d.0049EBBA



podd3dx.exe
0049E104 |. /75 09 JNZ SHORT podd3dx.0049E10F
0049E1BC |. /75 0C JNZ SHORT podd3dx.0049E1CA

Can you send me the files with the saved nops? I cant save any changes.

Ok I'll send them to you asap. :)

There is a problem: as I said the files work well in vista, xp and windows 98 os. well...it is not 100% true. There is a cdcheck (the same in all the executables), the cdcheck that comes up when you select ghost car in time attack mode (for example: winpod.exe address 004A26D5) keep asking for cdrom in win98 (I tried and this happens even on winME on virtual pc) unless you put a random cd in cdrom drive. This does not happen in vista or xp computers (and I wonder why).

winpod.exe address 004A26D5

004A27F5 . /75 0C JNZ SHORT WINPOD.004A2803

If that does not help change that line additonally:
004A2736 . /74 51 JE SHORT WINPOD.004A2789

Replace the JE with JMP.

Hi, unluckily with the jmp it quits to windows without any error. :(

Olly says process terminated, exit code 0.

I don't know if this can be related: running every exe in windows xp or vista has a common point, game fully cracked with simple nops, sound effect and music volume not changeable in options (even with original exe + pod cdrom) (sounds are hearable and ok however).
In the windows 98 machine the audio volumes can be changed but it asks for cdrom even with nop (as I said in previous post). If I insert a random cdrom (even without audio tracks) it go through the cdcheck perfectly.

I'll send you all the executables when I finished messing with the 3dfx/direct3d5 executables ;)

Here are (final) pod nocd for ver.2.2.8.x executables (files and info in the attachment). Thanks to Cowsheep. Have fun! :)

Please, upload it to GCW, too.

Hello, i've tried these files on my old retro machine (P1MMX with S3 Virge (for S3D) and 3dfx Voodoo (for glide)) with win95 osr2, but its still ask for the cd. Maybe works under win2k and hihger operating systems.

Just make sure to have the correct game version (or a correctly patched one), full game (no rip) and use crack from Cowsheep. I tested it on several machines (windows me, vista and seven) but it should work on 95 too. Pod is a damn picky game though ;)

Win 95 I remember it. It's a pile of bugs on progs launching and registry errores without any reason, was when the Anti M$ fans started , I would suggest you better stay on Windows 2000. That OS get glitched just by using
it