I want to migrate my gaming library to digital only and I need advice.

[anxiousinfusion]

This is a problem we will all likely have to tackle in the next few years so let's get a head start.

My next build most likely will not have an optical disc drive because I've become quite a minimalist. I'm trying to reduce the overall size and number of moving parts in my next rig and foregoing the ODD is an essential step. The only thing is, what do I do with all my old physical copies of games? I have already saved many of them to a backup drive for better storage but some of them still require the disc to be in the drive in order to play.

Basically, I want to consolidate my entire game library onto my hard drive and to get rid of all my old boxes/discs/manuals respectively. How should I go about doing this?

 

[Sunius]

You can enter the game codes into steam and the games will be added to your steam library.

 

[jwk3]

have you looked at no-disk patches/cracks? that's what I did with COD4 so that I didn't have to have the disk in all the time.
I think a cheap external USB DVD drive will come in handy later. you can just keep it in the computer draw so that it doesn't annoy you all the time.

normally just copying/pasting the files to a folder on a HDD works and you can launch the setup exe from the HDD, if this isn't possible maybe look into magicdisk, which creates a virtual disk drive (maybe you could have the games that need a CD inserted virtually mounted that way?

 

[jaguarskx]

have you looked at no-disk patches/cracks? that's what I did with COD4 so that I didn't have to have the disk in all the time.

Your post is against forum policy. Whether or not the OP or you own the game this encroaches on piracy since you are talking about bypassing DRM.

 

[anxiousinfusion]

You can enter the game codes into steam and the games will be added to your steam library.

So the games will still run (or even install) without the disc after entering it on Steam? And I'm assuming that this can be done as long as the game is sold through Steam.

have you looked at no-disk patches/cracks? that's what I did with COD4 so that I didn't have to have the disk in all the time.
I think a cheap external USB DVD drive will come in handy later. you can just keep it in the computer draw so that it doesn't annoy you all the time.

normally just copying/pasting the files to a folder on a HDD works and you can launch the setup exe from the HDD, if this isn't possible maybe look into magicdisk, which creates a virtual disk drive (maybe you could have the games that need a CD inserted virtually mounted that way?

I see that we can't discuss this on the forums. But we both know this is an option. Although, rather than go through the trouble of changing games I would rather just re-buy the ones that are fairly old.

 

[HEXiT]

you cant legally get rid of any game and keep a copy on a mass media storage device..
you must retain the original copy or your guilty of copyright infringement.
the only way to get round this is to buy the download versions of the games.
then all you need keep is the keys. the game will be stored on a server which you can install as many times as you want (for the most part).

 

[Sunius]

So the games will still run (or even install) without the disc after entering it on Steam? And I'm assuming that this can be done as long as the game is sold through Steam.

Yes, you're correct: the game must be sold through steam. Basically when you enter the key, steam will start download the game.

 

[anxiousinfusion]

Best answer selected by anxiousinfusion.