scloader2a: no-cd BNET loader for all versions of Original StarCraft and BroodWa

r
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
This guide will show you how to play starcraft without your CDs in the drive, an
d install
both Original StarCraft and Broodwar to your hard drive at the same time.
TODO:
~~~~~
- You must have Original Starcraft or BroodWar installed.
- Patch up your starcraft or Broodwar to ANY version.
Note: the patcher programs can be downloaded from blizzard's website. The pat
cher won't
upgrade your starcraft installation if some files (exe, dll, or scm/scx) are
modified,
or the installation isn't complete (for example you deleted and reinstalled w
indows).
Then you must reinstall starcraft. If you are sure that you have any version
of a starcraft
or broodwar installation on your machine with unmodified files but the patche
r gives
one of these messages:
1) Older patchers: "ERROR: cannot locate the game to patch"
2) New patchers (at the details): "Registry error loading key 'Starcraft\
InstallPath'"
...then try to edit the registry and set the
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Blizzard Entertainment\Starcraft]\InstallPath
string value to a string that represents your starcraft diectory.
For example: c:\games\starcraft
Now the patcher should work if your sc files are original.
The main point:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
how to set up the no-cd loader:
1) Extract scloader2a.exe to your starcraft install dir.
2) Launch scloader2a.exe and play! With scloader2a you will be able to play sing
le player
custom games and multiplayer games without CD in the drive, but there is no m
usic, movies,
and campaigns. Of course you will be able to install these features to from y
our starcraft
and broodwar CDs to your hard drive as I will describe below.
scloader2a parameters:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
usage: scloader2a [scloader2a_parameters] [starcraft_parameters]
* scloader2a parameters:
-primarydir <dir>
the <dir> folder
-nocdcheck
es.

Isntructs scloader2a to start searching install.exe in

before all other possible locations.
Scloader2a won't search for starcraft CD in the CD driv

-noscdir
irectory and its

Starcraft will not search your starcraft installation d

subfolder called bw for the install.exe data file.
Keeps starcraft from loading data from scloader2a itsel

-noembedinstall
f instead of

another install.exe file.

Load an mpq mod into starcraft. You can specify more th

-mpq <mpq>
an one -mpq

parameter to load as many mpq mod files as you want. Th

e first specified
mpq file will have the highest priority.
Load a dll into starcraft. Use as many -dll parameters

-dll <dll>
as you want.

They will be loaded in the same order as you specified

them on the command
line, but will be unloaded in reverse order before star
craft exit.
Don't use this paramet unless you know what you are doi
ng.
-?, -help
arameters.

Show a help window with brief description about these p

Notice:
~~~~~~~
- The <dir>, <mpq>, and <dll> parameters can be full path names, for example:
\my_mpq_files\mpq1.mpq
c:\mods\mpq2.mpq
- Unless you specify a full path name, it is always relative to your starcraft
installation
directory:
my_mpq_files\mpq1.mpq

-> it means: sc_installdir\my_mpq_files\m

pq1.mpq
x\

-> means:

sc_installdir\x\

- How to use scloader2a:

scloader2a -mpq mod1.mpq -noscdir -mpq mod2.mpq
This will start starcraft and load 2 mpq mod files into it. Install exe won't
be searched
in the sc_installdir and sc_installdir\bw folders (-noscdir parameter).
mod1.mpq will have higher priority than mod2.mpq, so if both mpq archives con
tain 1-1 file
with the same name, starcraft will it from mod1.mpq. Starcraft.exe must be al
ways in the
same directory as scloader2a!
- The dll files are loaded when the main thread in starcraft.exe has already be
en started and
after the process initialization. After loading all dll files the main thread
continues
running at the entrypoint of starcraft.exe.
Good to know:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You don't need the CDs and can play on BattleNET too if you installed Starcra
ft using a
valid BattleNet cd-key. Note that this loader isn't a BattleNet cd-key crack!
CD key
authentication can't be passed when you log on BNET. Don't install starcraft
to your mate's
machine using your original sc cd-key, and don't copy your sc to his machine
if you istalled
that game with your cd-key cause the key is encrypted into one of the starcra
ft data files,
so they may steal it and one key can only be used only by one person on BNET
at the same time!!!
- This starcraft can be simply copied to another computer (without exporting re
gistry settings).
(this can be useful on LAN parties...)
- Where does starcraft search for the install.exe file(s) using this loader whe
n you start the
game or change form original starcraft to broodwar or vice versa in the main
menu???
1) The directory sepcified using the -primarydir parameter of scloader2a.
This step will skipped if you don't use the -primarydir parameter.
If no suitable install.exe found then...
2) Starcraft tries to load install.exe from the root directories of your CD
-ROM drives.
The check of the cd drives can be skipped using the -nocdcheck parameter
.
3) If install.exe is not found yet, Starcraft tries to load it from your st
arcraft installation
directory (where starcraft.exe is located) and from a subdir called "BW"
located in your
installation directory. You can keep scloader2a from searching these dir
ectories using
the -noscdir parameter.
4) Starcraft still did not find the proper install.exe, so it will load the
data found in
scloader2a itself. You can avoid this using the -noembedinstall paramete
r. Once starcraft
loaded the scloader2a-embedded data, the above locations are out of use
until you restart
starcraft.
- Notice:
~~~~~~~
1) If you wanna play campaigns, listen to sc music, watch the movies during
the game:
Insert a CD containing another (full) install.exe file before launching
starcraft, then this
file will be loaded instead of the ripped, cause starcraft searches the
cd-rom drives before
the sc_installdir and sc_installdir\bw subfolders. You can also use the
-primarydir parameter
to load an install.exe file of your choice. Full installation of starcra
ft and broodwar is
also possible. Just copy them into your sc_installdir, and sc_installdir
\bw folders.
2) If you use the no-cd loader and the game runs properly without CD, but y
ou are still unable to
connect to BNET then it isn't the failure of the loader. It's sure that
you cant log on BNET

even you run the game without the loader, it may be the weakness of your
internet connection
or something else... I can only recommend you to browse blizzard's websi
te for technical help.
3) After installing a new patch, the patcher will automatically launch star
craft.exe instead of
scloader2a.exe and you will get a popup window asking for the CD. Just c
lose this window and
restart starcraft with scloader2a.exe.
If you have problems with the loader feel free to mail me. (send some details ab
out the error)
Have a nice day! ^^
XeN - 2006 Hungary
mail: xenomails|at|freemail|dot|hu