QUOTE
Originally posted by strike_gold:
What's a crack game? I keep seeing that phrase, but I don't know what it means. So I just nod my head and pretend I understand. Like now... *nods*
When games are pirated, the "pirates" have to circumvent the anti-piracy software employed by the game's makers, or else they wouldn't be able to sell it at abominably low prices.
This circumvention is what makes a game "cracked" i.e. they've cracked the code so that you can play it even if it isn't original software.
Usually, the anti-piracy software works two-fold:
A. During installation, the program asks for a serial number, the CD-key, which is usually on the original CD case. Without it, you cannot install the game. In this case, any valid CD-key can be supplied - ex. if you and your friend both have an original copy of the game, you can swap CD-keys and still install the game.
B. After installation, when you start the game, the program checks if the CD-key you wrote down during the installation matches the CD in your hard drive - therefore, in our example, unless you and your friend also swap CD's, you won't be able to play the game.
How do pirates circumvent this?
A. Since any CD-key can work, usually they just give you a CD-key printed on the front insert of the cracked CD. This CD-key may come from: an original game the pirates bought, a original CD-key posted on the internet, or derived using software designed to generate CD-key combinations.
B. This is the crux of the problem and pirates solve this by altering the software of the game so that it doesn't need to check for the validity of the CD inside your drive. They make it such that any CD can work, or that the game can run without any CD inside. Usually, they alter the main executable (.exe) file, and they place it inside a folder aptly named "crack".
So, in layman's terms, this is what you do after buying a cracked game:
1. Install the game.
2. When it asks for the CD-key, just type in the CD-key that's either printed on the CD (write it down before you put it inside!) or on the CD case.
3. After installing, explore the contents of your cracked CD and look for the crack folder.
4. Copy the .exe file inside the folder and paste it into the main directory of the game in your hard drive.
5. When a prompt appears asking you if you want to replace the file, click "Yes."
6. Click the cracked .exe file to play or create a shortcut to your desktop and launch the game from there.
Phew! That was long.