How to dual install?

Valamyr · Post by **Valamyr** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:14 pm

Id like to have two working installs of Bloodlines. My current install is rather heavily modded and id like a clean one.

Unfortunately, the game recognizes the existing install and doesnt want to let me do a clean install until ive uninstalled my current one. Which id rather not do, would be annoying to backup every relevant file.

So, anyone knows of a registry edit I can make to make the installer think I dont have the game installed already?

Thanks a ton.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:37 am

Valamyr wrote:So, anyone knows of a registry edit I can make to make the installer think I dont have the game installed already?

This can't be done through a registry edit. The path to the hive is hard-coded - always. There is, however, an alternative.

If your are familiar with RegEdit.exe, then you can make a backup of the hive for your current installation by exporting the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines

hive, delete the hive only, make a new installation in a different place, make a backup of the hive for the new installation, and switch them by the simple expedient of a double-click. You will have two .REG files, one for each installation. To switch, double-click the one you want to switch to, and it will over-write the one that is already there.

You will, of necessity, need a different game shortcut for each hive (each game) and they will not play nice together. You will have to keep track of which one you are currently using, or risk messing things up visciously. You have been fairly warned, and I cannot give you any kind of programmatic or automatic solution to this. You will be stepping outside the boundaries of "Windows as it was meant to be". The best advice I can give you is create a new folder for each installation, and put the exported registry entries for that game in that folder, along with the shortcut to that game. When starting VTMB, open the folder for the game that you expect to be playing, double-click on the .REG file for that game, and then start the game. Then you can keep the different games separate and controllable. In principle, you could have any number of VTMB installations going this way, all at once, bounded only by your available disk space.

I must also, at this point, offer this admonishment. You're going to get confused. You're going to lose track of which game you are playing, and when. In the vernacular of the old 'Advent' games, you're going to find yourself in the "twisty little maze of passages, all alike". That, I cannot help you with.

I've never actually tested this in Real Life, but logically, it must work. The game knows nothing except what the hive tells it. That's the whole point. Change the hive, and you change what the game knows about itself. Have two hives pointing to two different games, and you have two different games. Quid Pro Quo. The only caveat is that the different hives must be in the same place.

Having said that, I also make the following disclaimer, in defense of my own hide: I make no warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, including the stated intent. If you have to suck back and do a re-install, sorry, but not my problem. Deal? Deal.

Valamyr · Post by **Valamyr** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:59 am

Thanks a ton

Down with the registry!

Valamyr · Post by **Valamyr** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:46 pm

Just tested, doesnt work. Even with deleting all the registry entries under that subfolder, the vampire cdrom somehow still detects the game is installed, and only allows Play or Uninstall :/

Thanks, tho.

Celacena · Post by **Celacena** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:20 am

I have it on two PCs - one with patches etc as it went, the other a fresh install with the latest patch only.

the older one actually works better than the new, so I run the game on the new - for the improved graphics (big new card, dual-core etc) but whenever there is a prob, I use a data-key to export the save game to the other machine, play past the problem and then take it back to the other machine.

it is cumbersome, but it ensures that there are two chances to get past every bug.

BTW - I missed out on the T-blade - so remember, if there are changes like the location of items, conditions for rewards etc - they may change, so take note.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:04 pm

Valamyr wrote:Just tested, doesnt work. Even with deleting all the registry entries under that subfolder, the vampire cdrom somehow still detects the game is installed, and only allows Play or Uninstall :/

Thanks, tho.

OK, then I've missed something. My apologies. I'll shake it down and give you a tested solution. It has to be possible. Everything is, and I've been tweaking the registry long enough to know that that the problem is logistical, not canonical.

I need to know what OS you're using. I ask because the registry manipulation functions between Windows 2000 and Windows XP are different.

Thanks, and I'll see how soon I can work this out. It shouldn't take long.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:28 am

Solution *** SPOILERS ALL OVER ***

OK, I've got this worked out, and it's both simpler and more complicated than I thought (simpler in some ways, more complicated in others).

First: Assume you do not have VTMB installed. This walkthrough assumes that. If you already have it installed, then just start from the appropriate point. This assumes that you are familiar with normal operations like copying files and folders, are familiar with REGEDIT, and are able to edit registry export files. As it turns out, it's really not that difficult.

1) Install VTMB

2) Patch it to your baseline (whatever that is)

3) Create a folder on your desktop named VTMB1

4) Move the shortcut to the game into that folder

5) Click Start/Run

6) Type Regedit

7) Browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines

8) Export that folder to VTMB.reg in the same folder where you put the shortcut

9) Copy the folder "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines" to a new folder in the same place

10) Rename "C:\Program Files\Activision\Copy of Vampire - Bloodlines" to "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines2" (it is understood that the original is 1)

11) Copy the folder created in step 3 to another folder - rename it to VTMB2

12) Open that folder, and right-click on the short-cut, select "Properties"

13) Change "Target" from "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines\vampire.exe" to "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines2\vampire.exe"

14) Change "Start In" from "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines\" to "C:\Program Files\Activision\Vampire - Bloodlines2\"

15) Edit the file "VTMB.reg"

16) Change "InstallPath"="C:\\Program Files\\Activision\\Vampire - Bloodlines" to "InstallPath"="C:\\Program Files\\Activision\\Vampire - Bloodlines2"

17) Change "EXEString"="C:\\Program Files\\Activision\\Vampire - Bloodlines\\vampire.exe" to "EXEString"="C:\\Program Files\\Activision\\Vampire - Bloodlines2\\vampire.exe"

18) Now you have two games, totally independent.

At this point, I have two games running, each one scene out of lock-step with the other. Each is totally independent, to the point that the NPCs don't even behave the same. On the first feeding, on the primary install, the first victim walked left. On the the first feeding, on the second install, the first victim walked right. Neither game knows of the other.

Now, having said that, and assuming you wish to proceed with your plan, there are a few warnings in order:

A) When you are starting one game or the other, open the folder for that game, double-click the .REG file for that game and then start the game. I cannot possibly stress this strongly enough. If the registry settings point to one and you start the other, I have no idea what forms of mahem may ensue, especially if you are modding one and keeping the other vanilla. This may lead to corrupted saves and all manner of other mischief. You must be meticulous in this regard.

B) You can have any arbitrarily large number of parallel installs using this technique. Be careful. The more you have going, the more confusing it's going to be. If you're going to go ape-snake with this, then keep a journal or something, so that you know from day to day where you are.

C) When you choose to patch, mod, upgrade, or whatever to whichever install you have, keep track of what you are doing. Don't patch the wrong game. Before modding, upgrading, patching, or whatever, open the folder for the game you are going to change, and double-click the .REG file for that game. A lot of Mods and such key off the registry. If the registry hive is pointing to the wrong place, you might find yourself modding the wrong thing. I have no idea what manner of chaos that might cause, and I shudder to even speculate. If you change one game for whatever reason export the hive for that game again, replacing the one that was there before. For Heaven's sake be meticulous about this.

Finally, the good news. If you totally trash one install, you can fix it by simply copying one of the other installs and tweaking it as noted above. That's a whole lot simpler than re-installing.

Now, having opened Pandora's Box, I most sincerely request that you be careful. Oh, God, what have I done?

domina · Post by **domina** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:56 pm

New memer late post

2nd drive is the way you do it just copu app over to a second drive

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:32 am

Valamyr wrote:Id like to have two working installs of Bloodlines. My current install is rather heavily modded and id like a clean one.

Unfortunately, the game recognizes the existing install and doesnt want to let me do a clean install until ive uninstalled my current one. Which id rather not do, would be annoying to backup every relevant file.

So, anyone knows of a registry edit I can make to make the installer think I dont have the game installed already?

Thanks a ton.

Sorry I haven't been around in awhile. To spoof the installer, open the registry editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

The sub-keys are all installed programs. VTMB should be in:

"{08F8FD7C-44A5-4423-B87C-EBD3D94C9F87}"

Export that key (to make a backup copy) and then delete it. Now the installer has no clue.

If that isn't the key, just open each sub-key in turn until you find it.

The new install will create a new entry there. If you backup that one, too, then when you want to uninstall, you can place the right uninstall information back and uninstall from the control panel if you like.

Lєviathan · Post by **Lєviathan** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:59 am

I don't mean to sound like a noob (which I am really at risk of doing), but I'm using the Steam version of the game and I found it as easy as renaming my installation directory to "vampire the masquerade - bloodlines _install2_", and then I was able to install it again, because the game location could no longer be found.

This may only work for Steam, but it may be worth a try if you have trouble understanding the Registry. (though these guys are giving very good instructions, so either way is an option for you)