Multi-Disc Install Problem

Support
1

I’m working on an installer for Call of Duty from the CD set. However, when the setup.exe asks for the second disc, it fails to recognize the new disc. Upon investigation, it appears that something (lutris/wine/setup) won’t release the first CD.

I recently created an installer for the Rise of Nations Gold two CD set. When it asks for the second CD, it proceeds normally to completion when I swap discs.

I’m at a loss since both installers execute their respective setup.exe’s and the RON installer works as expected but the COD installer fails.

Does anyone have any ideas? Does something special need to be done to handle multiple discs?

I’m on Kubuntu 19.10 if it matters.

2

Hi

It depends on WINE, it is unable to release the CD, and it surprise me that you were able to do it with Rise of Nations, I did not succeed with any multi CD game.
With some games you can copy the content of all the CDs to HD and then start the installation from there as I did for some installers (Arcanum and Gothic), I tried few months ago to do the same with CoD but I did not succeed unfortunately.

Leonardo

3

There is a way of fooling this process for it to install. You will need two DVD drives though with this method.
I managed it using Lutris but I still couldn’t get it to run properly.
I tried the simple method of typing eject d: in the console but it still refused to release.

Anyway this is what I had to do, and this should work with other installs.

Do the install in a smaller virtual desktop (Runner options in config) as you will be swapping between Lutris and the install window.

Put both install discs in both drives and mount them.

Install disc 1 as usual until it asks for disc 2. Leave it for now and leave first disc in same drive.

Bring up Wine configuration by right clicking the game (highlighted) in Lutris. It should appear in the install window.
Select the Drives tab at the top.
Click on the drive letter (first disc) and rename the first disc to the second disc and click OK.

Now bring up Wine console (again right clicking in lutris) and type explorer.

In Explorer when you click on the drive your first disc is in, it should start the second drive up and read the second disc but it still says disc 1 (or CoD1 in your case), which still won’t work. If the drive doesn’t start, keep clicking in sub-directories until it does. This step seems to be needed to start fooling it.

Close explorer then the terminal.

Bring up Wine configuration again.

Click on first drive letter and select Remove followed by apply.

Click on Add then add the same letter as deleted. Fill in the path by using Browse for the second disc then OK. This makes sure the correct device and Label is set in advanced settings.

Go back into Explorer and all should now be correct. close it and continue with install.

You will have to repeat it as it asks for disc 1 again. but I didn’t need to remove then add drive letter.

All this was steps I took from notes when I had a go at it.
Hope this helps. Any probs let me know :slight_smile:.

Edit 1:
Thinking about it … there may be a much quicker way than this just by pointing the second disc to the same drive letter as the first disc (using browse or filling in all fields required manually) in Wine configuration before using Explorer to verify it works but not tried it.

Edit 2:
If someone succeeds in getting this game to run then please let me know the settings needed because I have to dual boot just to play this. COD 2 & 4 was really easy but this is a PITA go get going.

Andy.

1 Like
4

I just finished a couple of other multi-disc installers. I got one to install by swapping the CDs. The other one I had to copy the CDs to disk and install from there.

I’ll get back to looking at COD and let you know if I get it working.

1 Like
5

Perhaps you could side step the software and manually control the DVD? Try this:
Wait until all DVD access stops (light goes out), which it will if there is there is no recursive bug for the DVD reads.
Then use a straightened paper clip in the hole under the DVD tray to make the tray pop out. Swap the DVD then gently push the tray close. Then make the software retry.
This method might not work but it shall not cause any problems so it’s worth trying.

6

@ JewelThief I doubt that method will work either but thanks for the suggestion.
The problem with COD installer is that Wine does not update the disc label after swapping discs and the drive letter will still have CoD1 as the label (in Wine config and Explorer) even though CoD2 is in the drive. The installer seems to check the label before it’s contents and that’s why it fails.

The easiest way I have found is to swap discs in wine configuration so that the drive letter stays the same and the label is correct for the second DVD before continuing on.

Probably most installers just check the contents on the swapped disc so these are trouble free.

@ Autolycus Good luck. I hope you manage to get it running. The game (directory) structure looks very similar to COD 2 and that worked straight away.

7

I’ve tried everything I can think of with no success. I’ve googled a lot, but didn’t find much of anything that @ linux-andy hadn’t already posted above.

I did find the problem posted as a wine issue that was closed as fixed in wine 1.2 10 years ago. So, I’m assuming it’s either a wine regression or lutris bug. Hopefully, someone can narrow it down and report it to the appropriate group.