how to run with 2 cd keys?

[Deaths Jaws]

how to run with 2 cd keys?

im considering getting another copy of D2 LOD to help my friends rush through to hell forge and rush myself at the same time.

now im wondering HOW do u get both CD Keys to work at the same time (ie: have 2 copies of diablo 2 LoD 1.10 running at the same time) so that i can do the mule hellforge rushing?

does the other account (the mule one) need to have a clasic and LOD cd key or just another LOD cd key?

also is their any program that needs to be run to do this feat?

thanks in advance guys

Jaws...

 

[Azazel]

You need to make an mpq file with the other cdkey... then make a shortcut to the d2 exe file... right click it, click properties, in the target, put:
"filepath/diablo ii.exe" -mpq file.mpq

Sorry. But I still dont quite understand. Is there a more extensive explaination somewhere for us stoopider idiots?

 

[carrothers]

I've posted this as a reply to someone else's exact same question. Forgive me if this is a faux pas. To date, there is only ONE legal way to open and run two copies of Diablo II on one computer.

The only way to do this is if you use Windows XP as your operating system. If not, the only other way you could do it is by hacking. CUSTOM LOADING SOFTWARE AND IMPORVED STARTERS ARE THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS, AND THUS CONSIDERED HACKS ON THESE BOARDS. Since hacking, cheats, bots, etc. are not tolerated here, no one will assist you in finding any.

With Windows XP, all you need to do is enable fast user switching. This is done in the control panel -> user accounts. Just click "Change the way users log on and off". Enable the welcome screen, and then enable fast user switching. I'm going to assume you only have one user login on your computer, so you'll have to create another username for Windows. When you've done this, you can login to Windows with both accounts, and switch between them as necessary. Just open a copy of Diablo II under each user, and you can log into Battle.net with both running copies (even under the same account!). IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT YOU MUST HAVE TWO SEPERATE KEYS FOR DIABLO II AS WELL AS THE EXPANSION. You can simply create a dual cdkey.mpq files. Name one of them slightly differently, though! Now, make two shortcuts to Diablo II.exe. On one shortcut, right click it, select properties, and then in the target area, end the target with " -mpq cdkey.mpq". Do the same for the other shortcut, except finish with " -mpq cdkey2.mpq" (or whatever you named your other cdkey file). Doing this, you SHOULD be able to mule, have characters follow one another for self rushes, and a whole plethora of goodness.

Enjoy! Hope this was helpful!

 

[krischan]

You can simply create a dual cdkey.mpq files. Name one of them slightly differently, though! Now, make two shortcuts to Diablo II.exe. On one shortcut, right click it, select properties, and then in the target area, end the target with " -mpq cdkey.mpq". Do the same for the other shortcut, except finish with " -mpq cdkey2.mpq" (or whatever you named your other cdkey file).

That cdkey.mpq file is not part of a regular installation, I checked it and it's not there :scratch:

 

[carrothers]

That cdkey.mpq file is not part of a regular installation, I checked it and it's not there :scratch:

I'll have to look as to where the cdkey is stored. Maybe it's a registry entry that I'll have to put up a guide on how to duplicate. I'm at work now, so I had to go off of the word of DoC-Makaveli. I'll check into this when I get home to see where the rogue CD keys are really hiding... :lol:

 

[Raith]

i like using two comps because thats legal.

 

[krischan]

The CD key is encoded into some file of the installation. I don't know which it is, however.

 

[lonnie913]

carrothers' method is similar to what i do. the difference is that i just installed diablo a second time. so i installed it once under the folder "diablo2 (key1)" and then again under "diablo2 (key2)". then i just switch windows users and run the second diablo. it takes up more memory to install it twice, but meh it was simpler than figuring out all that mpq stuff and im not hard pressed for hard drive space. also it takes a little longer to switch users in windows, but it seems safer than downloading various loader programs from sketchy websites.

 

[Azazel]

carrothers' method is similar to what i do. the difference is that i just installed diablo a second time. so i installed it once under the folder "diablo2 (key1)" and then again under "diablo2 (key2)". then i just switch windows users and run the second diablo. it takes up more memory to install it twice, but meh it was simpler than figuring out all that mpq stuff and im not hard pressed for hard drive space. also it takes a little longer to switch users in windows, but it seems safer than downloading various loader programs from sketchy websites.

Thanks. Ill try that method.

 

[TheJarulf]

I'll have to look as to where the cdkey is stored. Maybe it's a registry entry that I'll have to put up a guide on how to duplicate. I'm at work now, so I had to go off of the word of DoC-Makaveli. I'll check into this when I get home to see where the rogue CD keys are really hiding... :lol:

An old post of mine about the subject:

http://www.purediablo.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3315844&postcount=12

 

[Zigot_HD]

carrothers' method is similar to what i do. the difference is that i just installed diablo a second time. so i installed it once under the folder "diablo2 (key1)" and then again under "diablo2 (key2)". then i just switch windows users and run the second diablo. it takes up more memory to install it twice, but meh it was simpler than figuring out all that mpq stuff and im not hard pressed for hard drive space. also it takes a little longer to switch users in windows, but it seems safer than downloading various loader programs from sketchy websites.

wow..... need a lot of hd space, and a fast pc to switch between 2 running D2 windows. My P4-2.6/512/FX5200 sometimes give me slo-mo/skipping frames already with one D2 windows running....

Z

P.S. ok let me check where is the cd key...

 

[carrothers]

Well guys, I checked into my registry (DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU'RE SUPER L33T AT HAX0RING YOUR REGISTRY), and I couldn't find the location of the keyfile. Apparently this might not be a registry setting, or it could be some sort of ghosted file. I checked all over the H_KEY folders for current users, etc., and turned up nothing. This leads me to belive that the CD Key is stored elsewhere. I'll search around my computer for that file, and report back.

EDIT: Looked all over my Diablo II installation files, and can't find where the key is located. Anyone care to help? Given a little direction, I'm sure I can think up some sort of goofy way to copy the CDKey files and then change one of them. I'll also have to modify the targeting files so that one CDKey goes to one, and the other goes to another.

Actually, the more I look at this, the more it makes me feel like a hacker. Mods, do you think so? I guess I'm just using the old "if it looks like a hack, it probably is a hack" mentality, and I want to steer clear of that. Looks like multiple installations might be the way to go. What do the mods think?

 

[Ax2Grind]

Help me understand something

An old post of mine about the subject:

http://www.purediablo.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3315844&postcount=12

Let's change the subject just a tad for some much-needed enlightenment on my part. This will be a running series of questions, so bare with me as I'm trying to lead this topic to a certain conclusion and I'd like all the help I can get, especially from the Ancients here at www.DiabloII.net.

If I have two sets of CD keys, and install twice to two different folders with two different names, then run the first installation, why doesn't running the second one work (this is assuming versions are the same, proper installation, etc.)?

 

[carrothers]

As far as I can tell, running both copies should work. I can't see any glaring reason why they shouldn't if they're both independant installations with their own CD Keys running under two different XP users.

 

[Ax2Grind]

Flaw #1

As far as I can tell, running both copies should work. I can't see any glaring reason why they shouldn't if they're both independant installations with their own CD Keys running under two different XP users.

Nothing in my statements suggest a specific operating system, so assume pre-XP OSes from hereafter.

 

[TheJarulf]

EDIT: Looked all over my Diablo II installation files, and can't find where the key is located. Anyone care to help? Given a little direction,

Ehh, I allready, before this post, answered your initial post wondering about the location of the keys. Check the link I provided to an olderpost on these forums were I detail the location of the keys (basically inside two of the mpq files).

 

[TheJarulf]

Let's change the subject just a tad for some much-needed enlightenment on my part. This will be a running series of questions, so bare with me as I'm trying to lead this topic to a certain conclusion and I'd like all the help I can get, especially from the Ancients here at www.DiabloII.net.

If I have two sets of CD keys, and install twice to two different folders with two different names, then run the first installation, why doesn't running the second one work (this is assuming versions are the same, proper installation, etc.)?

If I understood you correctly, you are asking why you can't run two different installation of the game at the sime time, right? The answer would be that the game, when it is started, check with Windows if there is allready an instance of itself running and if so, abort. To put it simple, a program running under windows will register itself and Windows keep track of all such prosecces/programs running. This list can not only be querid (you ask WIndows about it or a specific program) from your own program, but also from other programs.

Many cheats for example, typically find the instance of Diablo running this way and can then go about with reading and writing to that code/data space for example. It is not uncommon for programs to check if it is already running itself and if so abort, or alternatively, instead of starting a new instance of itself, simply have the original open up just a new window for example. It is really up to the program to decide.

In the case of Diablo, it will (although I never checked), simply abort if it finds itself allready running. Hence why you have to switch user for it to work, since each user under windows, basically have its own list of programs running and such and they typically does not interact with each other.

Please note that the above was just meant to give a general idea about how things work, not a complete (or even very accurate) explanation of it in detail.

 

[helvete1]

wow..... need a lot of hd space, and a fast pc to switch between 2 running D2 windows. My P4-2.6/512/FX5200 sometimes give me slo-mo/skipping frames already with one D2 windows running....

I have a P4 2.4/512/FX5200 (I think, or was it 4800...), and I had the same problem. I solved it by running the Video Test program and then use 2D graphics instead of 3D. As far as I can tell, it now runs with 75 frames/second with no skipping or lag, even when a lot is going on. The only thing that's missing is the "perspective" option, and I can live with that.

 

[Ax2Grind]

This is just fine

If I understood you correctly, you are asking why you can't run two different installation of the game at the sime time, right? The answer would be that the game, when it is started, check with Windows if there is allready an instance of itself running and if so, abort. To put it simple, a program running under windows will register itself and Windows keep track of all such prosecces/programs running. This list can not only be querid (you ask WIndows about it or a specific program) from your own program, but also from other programs.

Many cheats for example, typically find the instance of Diablo running this way and can then go about with reading and writing to that code/data space for example. It is not uncommon for programs to check if it is already running itself and if so abort, or alternatively, instead of starting a new instance of itself, simply have the original open up just a new window for example. It is really up to the program to decide.

In the case of Diablo, it will (although I never checked), simply abort if it finds itself allready running. Hence why you have to switch user for it to work, since each user under windows, basically have its own list of programs running and such and they typically does not interact with each other.

Please note that the above was just meant to give a general idea about how things work, not a complete (or even very accurate) explanation of it in detail.

This is exactly the answer I was expecting, I simply wanted it from someone else. The process list can be queried, but if an 'adjustment' is made to the operating system any particular program can be protected from such queries, even to the extent of making them invisible to any other program being run, unless specifically called by said program.

This is not cheating. It is a feature of the OS which prevents any other program from reading secure data spaces, prohibits proxy usage and, in the case of Diablo II, prevents one instance from knowing another exists. This doesn't alter the game in any way, and is already included in XP in a limited form - User Switching. If it's not illegal to prohibit secure processes in XP, since one user's programs can't see the other's, then it shouldn't be cheating in any other OS. In fact, if one of the major benefits is prohibiting proxy usage, then it should be seen as a form of anti-cheating, as I believe Maphack is a proxy.

So, I'll ask the question: Is there a file, program, process, or other some-such (third-party, Microsoft-released, or otherwise) to secure processes in a way that allows a program to run properly on non-XP OSes but prevents other programs - proxies, a second instance of Diablo II, etc. - from being able to detect it?

I believe that's a completely appropriate question to ask here, as it doesn't violate any rules and goes directly to this forum's purpose: the further enjoyment of Diablo II.

 

[carrothers]

I might be getting ahead of myself, but from what I can fathom, you're trying to say one of the two. Please correct me if I'm wrong or put it too bluntly.

1) Running multiple installations of Diablo II through Fast User switching is hacking.

-OR-

2) Multiple Diablo II loading programs should be legal hacks since they simply allow you to do what XP users already can.

I'm just trying to find out what you're trying to prove, that's all. :lol: