I have a 17" MacBook Pro, and I practically never use the DVD drive. I bought a Hoyle Casino (2008) game (inspired by the blackjack thread) and tried to load it. The slot drive didn’t suck the disc in. I tried putting in a movie DVD, and it didn’t go in either. (A while ago, I put in a music CD. It went in, but wouldn’t read.) It’s a hassle getting to the Apple store, and I don’t want to be without this computer at this time. So I put the game on my old PowerBook G4.
I know I can transfer files from one computer to the other, but I don’t remember how. Can I do it wirelessly? Do I need to use the FireWire? (Do I even have a port on the MacBook?) Next: Once the computers are connected, can I just drag the game’s desktop icon over? Or do I have to move the application? What about copying the disc onto a flash drive? Would that work? How big?
First, try Remote Disc to see if the MacBook Pro can use the G4’s DVD drive.
If that doesn’t work, try dragging the whole application (from the Application folder) over to the other computer AFTER it’s been installed on the first one. Not just the desktop icon because that’s likely a shortcut. Go into the actual Applications folder (command shift A, maybe?) and drag it from there.
The one potential headache might be from binary compatibility – I don’t know whether the game is a “Universal” program that works with bold old and newer macs, but it’s certainly worth a shot.
As for how to get the files over, yeah, any of the methods you mentioned would work. A flash drive is probably the simplest.
If the two computers are on the same network/WiFi hotspot, you can use file sharing to get them over.
You can also use firewire to create a network, but it’s not worth the hassle if the other methods work for you.
If the above doesn’t work, yes, you can also copy the whole DVD onto a flash drive. The most reliable way to do this would probably be to create a disk image of it. A 5GB or larger flash drive will probably suffice, although the game could well be smaller than that.
Assuming the two computers can see each other on the same network, go to System Prefs -> Sharing and turn on “DVD or CD Sharing” on the old machine. Or, you could turn on File Sharing and use that to copy individual files like an installer.
Here is a page which covers how to set up File Sharing.
I wouldn’t recommend DIY to someone who’s bothering to ask these questions. Disassembling MacBooks is not an easy task, with a ridiculous number of tiny screws to remove, not lose, and put back in the correct place. A USB DVD drive should do the job and is likely cheaper than the necessary parts and tools for a replacement.
I went ahead and gave it a try. I connected to the other Mac wirelessly, copied the .dmg file, and loaded the game.
The good news is that it works.
The bad news is the window is tiny – about 1/7 the area of my screen. Upon opening, the screen goes black and the playing field is this small area. I choose Options ==> Window from the game menu, and I get the little window. On the G4, the game opens in fullscreen and the playing field covers the entire area. If I go back to fullscreen on the PowerBook, the entire screen is black. I can hear the game, but it’s ‘off the screen’. Had to do a hard reboot. The window cannot be resized. (The copy of Mine Swept I have also has a window that cannot be resized.)
Any way to get around this? It’s playable, but the window should be at least twice as big.
Getting back to the original problem . . . When you put a disk into your disk drive, how are you telling your MacBook to suck it in? If you’re using the “eject” key, try holding it down a second or two. Believe it or not, that’s something that a whole lot of people didn’t know about.
To apply the scale factor to a single program, you need to find the name of that program’s preferences file. It will be in your user’s Library -> Preferences folder, and most are reasonably easy to find—just look for the program’s name as part of the longer names you’ll see in the directory list.
OK… I don’t see anything called Library. So I thought I’d look for Terminal and make a guess as to what to type.
To apply the scale factor to iTunes, quit the program if it’s running, then execute this command in Terminal:
I tried com.Hoyle Casino DisplayScaleFactor 2. It said: com.Hoyle: command not found.
I can’t find Hoyle Casino in Preferences. I did find Mine Swept, and successfully entered the command. When I opened it, the size was the same. Do I need to reboot the computer?
I don’t play Mine Swept very much anymore. With the hardest setting, it often comes down to a guess. (i.e., there’s no logical way to determine where the mine is. Could be one of two places, and you just have to take your chance.)
I couldn’t find the casino game in the library. I guess I’ll just have to wear my reading glasses.