Cd copier pro edition comes via the much respected IMSI group, the idea behind this program is very simple. That is when you buy a very expensive CD rom or indeed any CD rom you do not want to have it floating around the office or give it to the kids, both scenarios can often lead to the CD rom becoming damaged or lost. This software allows you to make a virtual copy of the CD rom and then use it via a virtual CD rom drive. The number of virtual CD ROMs that you can have, is only limited by the amount of hard disk space you have. Allow between 300 and 500mb per virtual CD, the number of virtual CD drives is limited by the number of spare drive letters remaining on your computer, I set the program to install 10 virtual CD drives, E to N.
I was able to make 5 virtual CDs and load each one in to its own virtual CD drive, I then installed them and was able to run these programs without the further need for the original CDs to remain in the computer. I opted for the minimal installation for them as they would be able to access the rest of their programs from the virtual CDs at hard disk speed. In effect its just like having a bank of 10 cd drives each with a speed of some 200X, compared to even the fastest real cd rom drives of around 50X max. It is also possible to install CD Copier Pro on to a server, this then allows more than one computer to access a virtual cd at the same time, again at around 200X speed.
So far so good, however the are a few points that should or indeed must be kept in mind. Firstly CD Copier Pro does not work with all CD ROMs, during testing I found many of the latest releases simply refused to install and or run from a virtual drive, this could prove a problem if you purchased the software for a specific software title and later found it was incompatible with CD Copier Pro. Because of this I strongly suggest to IMSI that they publish a list of software that is compatible and not compatible with their CD Copier Pro. The other problem is a legal one, namely software piracy and making illegal copies of said software. Here history perhaps offers a guide, in the days when all software came on one or more floppy disks the first thing that you did upon opening the box was to make a floppy disk copy of each and every disk, you then stored the original disk set in a safe place and installed the software from your back up set. Making one virtual CD copy of your original CD would seem to be acceptable, however I would suggest checking with the individual software manufacture as to their views on the subject. IMSI for their part have a phone number on the CD Copier Pro box to allow you to report any software piracy.
Conclusion, with the right software and legal issues attended to CD Copier Pro can be a valuable addition to any home or office user. |
