Windows Version Detection

[skuludo]

When a program checks what version of Windows is installed, is it possible to trick that program?

For example if I have Windows XP English version installed is it possible to change the profile to Windows XP Japan version?

[1313Jr.1313]

what do you need this for? i may already have your answer but you'd need to let me know.

[SionDS]

Yeah, hard to say unless we know what your problem is.

That said, it's always going to be less risky to fool around with the application itself than your OS.

[Guzara]

I think he is having problems with WGA notifications.

[skuludo]

The problem I am having is one video game I have wants me to install a Japanese version of Windows to play it. At the moment, I don't have a spare hard drive to do this. I was wondering if there was a way to trick that game.

In Windows XP setting my regional options, unicode, and location to Japan still doesn't work with that particular game.
This is the game. http://www.getchu.com/soft.phtml?id=613665
Hit the refresh button to load the page after clicking the link.

Current version of Windows XP(English) is Service Pack 3.

[1313Jr.1313]

did you change the language version of the non-unicode programs? i can see regional, unicode, and location but there's another spot for language of non-unicode programs in the advanced section. it may require the I386 folder to be able to change, but that should be the big one to change.

[skuludo]

Originally posted by 1313Jr.1313
did you change the language version of the non-unicode programs? i can see regional, unicode, and location but there's another spot for language of non-unicode programs in the advanced section. it may require the I386 folder to be able to change, but that should be the big one to change.

My default for non-unicode programs is Japanese under the advanced tab. That was one of the settings I mentioned in my second post in this thread.

What am I suppose to do with the I386 folder?

[1313Jr.1313]

it won't let you change that unless you have that folder. that's why i was asking.

[skuludo]

I have 42 i386 folders. Some of those are in backups. That folder appeared in some of my installed driver folders too.

These are in the hard drives with one big partition (Letter C).
(Setup is Raid 0)

Another way to phrase my question is if you are a programmer and wanted to prevent someone from outside of Japan to play your game what would you do?
Condition is without using online detection.

Is that game searching for my Windows version through a file in the i386 folder or is it targeting somthing in my registry?

[Connect]

I guess you could run a Virtual Machine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_virtualization

That would require virtualization software, and a japanese version of Windows. With some luck you might be able to find both on torrents.

What sorta game is that anyway? I realize it's an H-game, but I'm wondering about the theme and content.

[skuludo]

Originally posted by Connect
I guess you could run a Virtual Machine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_virtualization

That would require virtualization software, and a japanese version of Windows. With some luck you might be able to find both on torrents.

What sorta game is that anyway? I realize it's an H-game, but I'm wondering about the theme and content.

Apprantly that is a game for all ages. No h content. The game's genre is nobel, school, detective, mystery.
The title is Meitante Shikkaku na Kanojo. (A Girl Who is a Failure as a Detective)
The description of the story doesn't say much other than provides a mood. And then talks about a opening school ceremony. There should be a picture near the top wear a girl points her finger to accuse somone. That might be a scene near the beginning of the game.

I once tried installing a Japanese Windows XP SP2 but failed. During the middle of installation it would give me the blue screen. JP Windows XP SP1 was the only one that I could install, but as soon as I installed sysmantec antivirus I would get constant reports saying I have a virus. That warning might have been a false positive, but I am not sure. (Install from SP1 and upgrade to SP2 worked)

The CPU I have is Intel E8400 Core2Duo. The box says supports virtualization, but I am not sure how to use that feature right now.

[Connect]

You need a specialized program to do virtualization, it's not a built in feature. You essentially trick a program to think it's running on a computer with different hardware and OS.

Check out VMware, they are apparently the best in the biz.

www.vmware.com