Can TOAW be run from an external HD?

[rowech]

If I were to install this game to an external hard drive, would it run without problems once the HD was plugged into my laptop?

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: rowech
If I were to install this game to an external hard drive, would it run without problems once the HD was plugged into my laptop?

IIRC I've run it from a flash drive before. Same principle I suppose.

[rowech]

Were there any problems?  Especially, slow down of some sort?

[larryfulkerson]

I remember having to name the flash drive the same as when I installed it on the flash drive because the program will look in the Registry for the location and if the drive isn't the same name as when you installed it, it won't find the program when it goes to run it or something like that.  Other than that I don't remember any problems at all.  No slow down or anything.  The newest version of TOAW has some kind of check for the serial number of the hardware or something so trying to run the program on a another computer can't work I guessing.  Not that I ever tried to do that or anything.

[PDiFolco]

AFAIK The Matrix serial nrs only are checked on install - or rather you must have one to install-, but no other limitations, so you can put it on an external HD and play it from any computer, just the reg keys are to change as stated by Larry, if the HD designation (E:, F:,..whatever) changes : edit your TOAW3.reg file and "load it" into registry (dble-click it for that).
Maybe Erik could confirm, but I think all this is perfectly doable and legal.

[ralphtricky]

ORIGINAL: PDiFolco

AFAIK The Matrix serial nrs only are checked on install - or rather you must have one to install-, but no other limitations, so you can put it on an external HD and play it from any computer, just the reg keys are to change as stated by Larry, if the HD designation (E:, F:,..whatever) changes : edit your TOAW3.reg file and "load it" into registry (dble-click it for that).
Maybe Erik could confirm, but I think all this is perfectly doable and legal.

The serial numbers are actually checked as part of the startup, so there is a chance that if you're playing with a pirated copy, the next patch may not let you play. Matrix scrapes the pirate sites looking for illegal serial numbers. They're also checked to see if both PBEM players have the same serial number, and it turns off the anti-cheating features. I call that one poetic justice.[:-]

I'm not sure that you need to edit the registry, as long as it was installed somewhere so that the serial number key is there, I routinely run it on a USB key. Editing and loading may be a bit slower, and you may want to turn off the 'Movies', but I've tried to keep all Disk I/O limited to the startup and the scenario loads.

[Major SNAFU_M]

So. I have a related question:

I have a new work laptop that is locked down. I have no ablility to install programs - but I want to continue to play TOAWIII on the road when traveling.

So I need to be able to run in from an external drive on this laptop to which it was never installed. I believe I am not able to alter the registry of this laptop either.

Can I copy the entire directory from my home computer onto the flash drive and be able to run the game?

Can this be made possible?