There have been several requests for the nocd patch recently. Some requests have been answered, some not, some removed and some shipped off to the admin board.
So we all know, what is Simviation policy on the nocd patch for fs9. Maybe this could be added to FAQ. When someone asks for it they can be directed to a standard answer and nobody gets their toes trodden on, fingers burnt, wrists slapped, band or shot down in flames 8)

Matt

This site supports Microsoft's Flight Simulator.
We do not support piracy, file sharing or illegal file swapping.

Even though the patch had been in the download section, it was removed by the administrator Pete as the "No CD Patch" is not a VALID file when used with Microsoft's flight Simulator.

After speaking with Microsoft recently, it was brought to our attention that the "No CD Patch" is a "work around" to not having the Flight Simulator Discs in a licensed machine when using their program,......
thus people could be using their software illegally!

Therefore it is file sharing.

Most of us never look at it that way as people use the NoCD patch so they don't "burn out their drives" or have to place a disc in every time they want to fire up the sim.


This site is a business
and if it is going to stay in business,
we will support the company that gives us our business!

As most of you already know, Simviation is one of the biggest Flight Sim Sites on the web. There are thousands of downloads from this site each day.
The forum members exceed 17,000 people!

For this site to remain one of the leading Flight Sim Site's on the web, we will stand behind Microsoft when it comes to this sort of thing.


Thanks,

Simviation......

So is it considered piracy to use the NO CD patch, which I do, and I did purchase a legal copy of Microsoft FlightSim 2004, and it is even registered with Microsoft  ???

Not the way I read it. If this is the case I'm a pirate several times over.

While I obviously agree with the site policy I don't see how it's possible to tell whether anyone asking for the No-CD patch has a legal copy of the CDs. It would also help if Microsoft made sure its products run properly without using illegal patches before accusing people of piracy. I had this problem with both CFS3 & FS2004 & couldn't run them at all without the appropriate patch installed. This seemed odd to me as Microsoft sent them for me to review & although the guys in the support department (including the CFS3 development team) did their best to help I had to figure it out myself.

So it is a banned topic and wrong in Microsoft's eyes, but we are all against piracy and take active steps to reduce it as a rule.

The new rule is:  All requests to be made in PM to members!

Ben

Hope you don't mind my entering here; admittedly I've rarely visited.
However, I've been using a patch (OK, actually I used a hex editor) after my "original" CFS1 disk cracked. I've bought a second (reissued) disk via Atari but I'd rather keep it safely in its case. I've given a warning to patch seekers that a valid source disk should be owned but I've never given out a copy of my edited .exe and the only way it may be acceptible is if a valid disk serial number could be provided (no, you aren't using mine).
Unfortunately, and now applying this to the later FSims, this could be seen as too much a hassle if numbers couldn't be readily vouched for; if a registered disk was transferred, relinquishment would have to be recorded if the measures are so truly strict (a previously unregistered disk would automatically be registered to the patch requester). Truly dedicated hackers will do their thing, anyway .

I agree, I figure that when my disc is not workable than
it will be time to get 2006 or 2008. This sim is the greatest thing. The big guys at micro. come up with it. I see we only make it better TEAM WORK!!! can't wait to see the next one and what you guys can do with it. I also think that the work done here helps Microwsoft to produce a better base sim out of the box.

MS might view the no cd patch as file sharing or piracy but that view is only validated if the no cd patch is being used by somebody with an illegal fs9 installation.  MS has no legal grounds to charge piracy against somebody using the no cd patch in connection with a legally purchased fs9 installation.    They already have made their profit on the sale and there is no way they couold make a case against a legal fs9 owner in connection with how he operates the software on his own machine, specifically if it's a machine also running a legal copy of windows.  I understand it is good and necessary to support MS policies concerning their software but in the case of a file that may be either legal or illegal depending on how it is used wouldn't you all think that the final repsonsibility would rest on the end user and not the site that is hosting the file?  If that is the case, then why host anything at all in a file library? For ALL freely downloaded files and payware software are at risk of piracy or other un-ethical means of distribution or modification.  How far do a software publishers rights go in regard to the personal, private use of their products on a personal, privatly used PC?  Why, that is akin to a carmaker dictating how a person should drive their products or how they may customize or otherwise personalize them.  And it goes the same for any other kind of product.  About the only right any manufacturer can claim in dictating terms of PERSONAL use is in making warrenty or product support policy.  If I use a nocd patch or even create a virtual disk 4 drive and MS wanted to take me to court about it, they would loose because I am doing so privatley with legally purchased products.  Under those conditions, MS no longer has the right to dictate the manner in which I use their product for my own enjoyment.  And also, they wouldn't be able to make a case against anyone hosting such a patch as long as their is an included eula specifying acceptable use of said patch.

Gary