What is a Repack? RePack, advantages, disadvantages, interesting facts

Many users are interested in the Internet - what is RePack, Portable, Silent installation. I decided to explain in detail.

What Silent Installation is when the program is installed automatically. That is, you do not need to enter keys and use other methods of registering the program (patches, cracks, etc.). When installing Unattended, you don't have to press “next” all the time, the program will do everything for you. After installation, it is completely ready for use.
Imagine a situation, for example: You are an administrator and you need to install the Windows operating system on many computers (of course it will be an unattended Windows build) and install the same set of programs. If you use unattended soft, then you can save a lot of time.
The installation duration depends on the capacity of each program individually and lasts from 1-2 seconds to several minutes. The installation of such programs is launched by double-clicking on the file being launched. (Such files are prepared mainly for the automatic installation of programs and applications immediately after the installation of the operating system (eg Windows XP), ie practically together). In general, everything is very simple: double click on the file and wait for the installation to complete.
Mostly silent installation is used for post-installation programs, for example Windows Post-Installer, BS POST-INSTALLER. Silent installation programs are also excellently installed on a "live" system, here's a quick guide:
When installing Unattended, you don't have to press “next” all the time, the program will do everything for you. After installation, it is completely ready for use.

The software will also be useful for those people who do not like to dig with little things about installing the program, or do not want to bother themselves. And it will especially impress those people who face difficulties in installing (installing) the application. For example: Newbies, Oldies. The UnaTTended assembly (Silent installation) will do everything by itself and will not require your intervention. Just start and after the installation is complete, the program is ready to use with all built-in applications and add-ons.

What Repackand what is it for:
You've probably already come across the word "Repack" in the name of games or programs, but what does it mean?
Repack is a repackaged licensed program or game. What is it for? Most often, Repack is done to reduce the volume of the installer and / or so that, for example, tablets (aka crack) and translation are already present in the newly installed program.
(RePack) is a light version of the game-program itself, from which unnecessary files are cut, such as foreign languages, third-party software, various demos, video clips are often compressed in RePack, sometimes with a loss of quality. The resulting cut-down version of the game is usually collected in 1-2 .iso, .mdf ... and other disks. As a result, RePack weighs less, and downloads faster from the Internet. Under an hour, much less. etc. As a rule, a license appears on trackers first, then a bunch of repacks for it, 1 / 4-1 / 3 smaller in size. But RePack "is installed on the computer for a long time. Up to 1-2 hours ... (byeaaa all this compressed will be installed) Often repackers themselves translate the English license, up to the prompt, and also invest in RePack.

So what is portable-Portable attachment? - When we come to visit or to work, we essentially use other people's computers. And often we need programs in the form they are configured in our home. If everything is usually simple with the documentation - we copy it to a USB flash drive and play it on someone else's computer, then what about the program settings? Or the necessary program may not exist at all ... For all this, there are portable programs (in other words - Portable versions), that is, programs that do not need anything to work except themselves. Such programs store all settings not in the registry, but in their files.
Portable programs. General information
Portable programs can work while being in any folder. If the program does not have its own installer, this does not mean that it is portable. In addition to all this, it should not access the registry and other places on the hard drive. Portable versions of programs are usually distributed in archives. For the program to work, it is enough to extract the files from the archive into some folder.
Portable programs are created by enthusiasts. They make it so that the program does not go outside of its folder. For example, an ordinary program uses the registry - specialists make it so that the program writes its settings not to the registry, but to a file. But if we assume the registry is extremely necessary, then a special code at startup writes the settings to the registry, and after closing it pours back into the file.

Portable Soft types:
In fact, Portable soft (PS) should include those programs that are "installed" by simply unpacking the archive, or are able to be transferred from machine to machine by simple copying, without requiring installers to make the necessary prescriptions in the registry. This is where the differences come in.
Portable application?
ru - Russian language is present in applications
portable - portable - moving with ease, just copy the application files.
apps is an English abbreviation for application, which means application - a computer program, such as a web browser or word processor.
A portable application is a computer program that you can carry with you on a portable device such as a USB and use it on any Windows computer. When your USB flash drive, portable hard drive, or other portable device is plugged in, you can access your programs and personal data as if you were at your computer. And when you disconnect the device, none of your personal data will remain on someone else's machine.
No special hardware needed - Use any USB Flash drive, portable hard drive, iPod / MP3 player, etc.
No additional software required - Just download, install and run portable applications.
This is no joke - It's that easy!
To make it clear how it works, I will describe an example algorithm in the launcher (the simplest one):
1. A backup copy of the registry branches (or configuration files) and files located outside the installed folder, on which the application depends, is created. (This is done in case the system has the same or a different version of this application).
2. Importing data necessary for the application to work into the registry, as well as copying those files that should be located outside the portable folder (for example, in… / System32).
3. Launching the main program and waiting for it to close.
4. (Upon completion) Export settings from the registry (or configuration files) to portable.
5. Cleans traces of the program (more precisely, deleting temporary files).
6. Restoring to the system those registry keys and files that were backed up in the 1st step of the algorithm.
Portable program (in English "portable application") - portable software that does not need to be installed on the hard drive of the computer to run and use. This category includes programs that can be easily installed on a USB flash drive, external HDD, CD, DVD, Bly-ray discs in the usual way, as well as those that work without installation at all. This is convenient for many reasons: you do not need to install the same programs on several PCs, at work you can use your favorite browser, email client, ICQ without any complaints from the system administrator and management, all data is stored on removable media and is very easy to copy, etc. .d. Another obvious plus of Portable programs is that they are free, at least for private (non-commercial) use. Although on the Internet you can find portable versions and paid programs, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop.
What is the secret of Portable programs? Everything is very simple. When you install a regular application on your computer, it has the peculiarity of saving its files in different folders on the PC's hard drive. In addition to the familiar Program Files directory, parts of programs can be found in user folders, temporary directories, etc. Therefore, when we try to copy a program by simply moving its folder from Program Files to another computer, nothing happens. The software cannot find the necessary configuration files and completely refuses to function.
This is not the case with portable applications. The program is installed in the folder assigned to it on removable media, without affecting the computer's hard drive and registry, and will work great regardless of which PC you connect the USB flash drive to. To copy a program, you just need to move its directory to another removable media. Many applications do not require installation, they can be copied and run from anywhere. But keep in mind that Portable programs designed for one operating system will not function on another. In other words, if you are using the portable version of the Firefox browser on Linux, it will not work on a Mac OS or Windows computer.
* Part of a similar PS available on the Web stores all the settings in its own directory and, of course, retains all settings during such a transfer. All this goodness could be called True PS (True Portable Soft).
* Another part persists in storing the settings in "Documents and Settings" and during the transfer you have to restore all the settings manually. It is something of course, the program is workable right away, but until you bring it up to condition ... It would be better to call such things Conditional PS - (Relative Portable Soft).
* There are also subspecies designed to be carried on flash drives and run from them, differing in the place of recording multiple temporary files that occur during operation. Namely - in order to preserve the operability of the flash drive, which, generally speaking, has a limitation on the number of write cycles on each "sector", all temporary files are written to the screw, in a temporary folder created for the duration of the application. Subcategories "True Portable USB Soft" and "Relative Portable USB Soft" appear accordingly.
* Of particular interest is some, let's call it "single-file" version of "True Portable USB Soft" a ". In this case, the application is a single packed executable file, when launched, the settings are transferred to the screw, during operation, only the hard drive is accessed, and when the program is closed, all settings (possibly changed) are again packed into an executable file on a USB flash drive, while the created folder is deleted from the screw.

The licensed version is the most expensive, the game is released by its manufacturer and access to the game without a key is impossible. Pirate is almost the same as the licensed version, but without a key. The repack is most often downloaded, for free. Repack is a newly packaged image of the game. There are flaws in the repack, but it is downloaded for free and without a key.

With a license it's all clear. You honestly buy the game, get a key (if you need it), you can write to technical support, everything works (if the game is not buggy by itself), it is updated.

Pirate is the same thing, only removed from the license disk and patched so that the key is not required. Or a krak is added (often a Trojan is in the krak). The pirate can take up less space, because they can't cut anything out of it: clips between levels, voice acting. Also, some functions such as updates or multiplayer can be removed or broken.

Repack - repackaging. The same as Windows assembly. It is clear that this is a pirate thing. But with bonuses. As in Windows from some Zver, a bunch of software and drivers have been added, so a set of maps, new items, patches, mods can be put into the game. Or just replace the standard with something else.

The concept of repack comes from the English RePack, which can be translated as repackaging.

Repack is produced, for example, in computer games - in order to save disk space and download faster, in cases where the main version of the game takes up too much disk space, while some files and components of the game are translated into a different format, as well as shrink. It may take a longer time to install a repack version of a computer game.

Repack is actually a kind of game. One and the same game is simply "repackaged", it is simply a compressed version, an archiver is used. In this case, the game can be run without a disc. But the installation of the Repack version of the game may take a longer time.

Repack is when the game is compressed to a minimum size, it takes up much less space on the computer. The repack can be downloaded for free on any website.

The license is a complete game, without any compression or rework. Licensed games are always of good quality, but pirated games are of poor quality, a lot of changes can occur.

Repack is one of the varieties of the format of the same game. In fact, here all the files are compressed into an archive, which leads to a decrease in the occupied volume of the game. Moreover, there is usually a key to the game, which makes it possible to play the game without using a regular disc for this.

As you understand in this case, you become a user of a non-licensed game, but someone hacked and posted it.

* The license is the official image of the game without any alterationsquot ;. How it was made, in this form it is sold.

* The pirate is a converted image, that is, which is prohibited by law. Basically, video is removed in the game, lower quality sound is inserted and other additional applications are added / cut.

* Repack is also a converted image, but basically all files / folders are compressed using an archiver + a crack is often added, allowing you to play without a disk. The repack weighs much less than the license.

We are all economical people, within reasonable limits. We all do not want to overpay for dubious merits or lack thereof when comparing products. Choosing a disc with a game for a PC or console, we by no means become wasteful, and therefore our eyes often fall on illegal copies: they are several times cheaper than licensed products. The so-called pirated versions of games in Russia make up a large part of the gaming industry market. Naturally, the question arises, as in that advertisement: if there is no difference, why pay more? However, there is a difference between a licensed game and a pirate, and noticeable.

The licensed version of the game is provided by the developers and is completed with a unique code and often software protection against unauthorized use of the disc. Revenues from the sale of licensed games end up in the pockets of developers, which theoretically justifies the continuation of work on the series or the creation of new products.

Pirate is an unlicensed copy of game discs, unlawfully deprived of the protection established by the developers, or a version with slightly changed parameters. Making and distributing such copies is considered an infringement of copyright law and is subject to legal action.

In principle, although our people traditionally do not care about the problems of publishers and developers, the main difference between pirates and the licensed version is precisely the violation of the law by those who acquire and use a copy of the game. On the other hand, some licenses allow you to create technical copies (backup) for your own use, as well as transfer software products to other devices. Free distribution of demo versions of licensed games in most licenses is not prohibited.

As for the comparison of the quality of licensed games and pirated versions, here the one who saved on the license payment most often loses. In order to reduce the cost of illegal copies, as well as reduce the volume of files, pirates are ruthlessly squeezed. Instead of two or three licensed discs, one with a copy is offered. Most often, original voice acting and musical themes disappear from such publications, graphics are recoded, multimedia clips are cut out. This is often accompanied by bugs, sometimes critical, with which it is impossible to continue the game. Even if you are offered not a repack, but a 100% copy of the license, errors in the game due to hacked protection cannot be avoided. Accordingly, you will get less pleasure from the game.

The licensed version of the game does not pose any threat to the user. If the system configuration meets the requirements of the developers, in case of any problems, you can contact technical support. Also, official addons and patches are installed only for a license. When installing the vast majority of pirated copies, the standard antivirus will detect a virus or Trojan in folders with protection cracking programs. Many creators of such versions immediately warn the user about the need to disable the antivirus during installation and during the game. No one will vouch for the fact that the Trojan does not collect confidential information, especially if the disk image was downloaded from the Internet.

As a rule, in order to reduce the cost, pirates are packed in plastic boxes with leaflets with low-quality printing, most often one-sided. Such options do not contain any additional bonuses. Licensed versions are always supplied with high-quality covers, sometimes with manuals. An image with the name of the game, the name of the developer and publisher is necessarily applied directly to the discs. Gift license options can be supplemented with posters, stickers, other accessories, promo codes and demos of other games.

Multiplayer pirates are unable to connect to the official recommended servers, which means a significant drop in interest during the game.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between pirates and the licensed version of the game is as follows:

1. The licensed version of the game is more expensive.
2. The pirate version is always the result of criminal activity.
3. The quality of graphics, translation, voice acting and music is poor in pirates.
4. The pirate is almost always full of bugs.
5. In the vast majority of cases, piracy contains a threat to the system, at least a Trojan.
6. The licensed version assumes contacting technical support.
7. The design and equipment of pirated copies is poor, if not absent at all.
8. Official servers for multiplayer games are often unavailable to pirate owners.

• Good day.

  The word repack. The repack is a reduced (according to the space occupied, for example, on the disk) image of the game, where drivers and cracks are sometimes added. All this allows you to play the game without a disc, which is impossible in some licensed games.

  A license or licensed game is the official version of the game that the manufacturers release. It is the licensed product that scares away buyers at its cost, and therefore many people buy pirate (pirated version). Pirates usually ship a bunch of games on one disc, so some games may either not be installed at all, or may not start after installation.

  All the same, only the game is shrunken more - it doesn't weigh as much as a license or a pirate. One thing was removed (video unnecessary), and the patch was inserted and a crack.

  If everything is clear with the licensed version - this is an official product, the game is the way the developers intended it and how they developed it.

  Repek is already a redone image. Here, unlike pirates, the main files are compressed using an archiver, sometimes a crack is added, which makes it possible to run the game without a disk (the size, of course, is much smaller than that of the license).

As you know, there are developers who change or add major versions of programs. This is done to make the programs more functional and convenient. And sometimes originality and variety are simply introduced into the old version. Let's define a term like Repak.

So Consider this with the example of computer games. Usually the original version takes up a lot of space. It uses specific modules and file encodings.

So, creating a Repack is necessary to reduce the space that the main version of the game takes on disk. Usually all audio and video files recorded in WAV format are cut and compressed. For example, they translate into OGG format.

When repacks of games are created, all the components of the game are significantly compressed, but without any loss of content. For this, FreeArc and 7-Zip are used. And answering the questions about what Repak is and what it is, we can say that it looks like an archive, which takes up much less space on your hard drive.

This method is used by multimedia pirates, which, in other words, are virtual disk files, and the computer recognizes them as a real medium.

One important point: the games are compressed only in the installation form. And when the installation is complete, they take up the same amount of disk space as the original itself.

Thinking about what Repak is, we can say that this is a change in the encoding and configuration of files. You can also replace the models in the game and somehow diversify the virtual world.

The question arises as to what Repack versions of the game are. This is, without a doubt, a more complete, with all the additions version of the game itself. It doesn't need a real disk.

Let's note the main advantages of Repack:

It downloads much faster than the main version. This is because its installation weight is much less than the original version.

It is easy to burn the repack onto a DVD (4.7 GB).

Patches are often added to the application.

Most Repacks have clear application guides. This uses a convenient electronic format.

If the original game is purchased, then along with it you need to download additional content from the manufacturer's website. And the Repak version will save you from such work.

The presence of utilities such as NoCD or NoDVD.

And now about some negative aspects of Repack versions of programs and games. It all comes down to the application here. The speed of installation depends on this and may require a lot of computer RAM. It happens that the installation of a version takes several hours.

Well, the fact that you need to work in ISO format with certain disk images using additional applications. These include the following: Alcohol 120%, Daemon Tools or UltraISO.

The main features of a high-quality Repack are the following:

If the interface contains Russian, as well as dubbing in Russian.

Its size should be no more than 60% of the original version.

If during the installation and direct operation of the Repack there are no errors related to repacking.

The presence of bonuses. This refers to official addons, patches and addons.

Instructions

Repack can be done in two ways: installer or disk image. In the first case, it is enough to run the file by double-clicking on it. Further, the process will take place automatically. As a rule, the compressed files of the game installation will be unpacked to the computer hard drive first, after which the installer will start. Specify the desired disk space, if necessary, specify other installation parameters and click the appropriate button to continue. Wait for the process to finish.

In the second case, you will need one of the programs for working with disk images. The most popular with users are:
- Daemon Tools Lite (http://www.daemon-tools.cc);
- Alcohol 120% (http://www.alcohol-soft.com);
- Ultra ISO (http://www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso/).

Launch Daemon Tools Lite application. Click on the "Add virtual DT drive" or "Add virtual SCSI drive" button on the toolbar. They are identified with the appropriate caption pictograms.

After that, click on the "Add image" button (the first on the toolbar) and in the explorer window that appears, find the required image file and double-click on it. You can also add an image to the program window by simply dragging and dropping the file into the Image Catalog field.

Then right-click on the added image, hover over the "Mount" item and select the created virtual drive from the list that appears. You can also drag an image from the list onto the virtual drive icon in the program interface.

If the image does not start automatically, double-click on the virtual disk, opening "My Computer". Select the item responsible for the installation. Select the desired hard disk space and click the corresponding button to continue. Wait for the process to finish.

A large number of games that are now appearing on the Internet are packaged in files with the extension .rar, .zip, .iso, .mdf. Thus, an ordinary user is faced with the problem of unpacking games that are associated with these archives. It turns out that in order to start the passage, it is enough to install a couple of well-known programs.

You will need

• - Internet and software (WinRar, Daemon Tools)

Instructions

In fact, not all of the listed archive formats are actually archives. Files with the .iso and.mdf extensions are images of the copied disks. And this is done due to the fact that some video games do not have a disc in the CD / DVD drive. If you have an emulator of the original discs, it is always possible to unpack and into a new game. Therefore, you need to install these programs: WinRar and Daemon Tools. Distributions of these programs can always be found in the open.

It is possible to unpack the game enclosed in an archive (.rar and .zip) by downloading the WinRar or WinZip program. Let's take a closer look at the example of the WinRar program - the number of users is large. We installed WinRar, let's start unpacking the game. This can be done in 2 ways:

1. Run WinRar, in the file manager (main program window) find the file of the packed game. Select it by clicking the left mouse button. On the toolbar, click the "Extract from archive" button, second from the left. In a new window that opens, specify the folder where you should unpack your game. Click OK. The end of unpacking will be the disappearance of the file copy window. Immediately after unpacking the game, proceed to install it.

2. Find the packed game in your (Mine) explorer. Right-click on the selected file, select "WinRar" - "Extract files" or "Extract to current folder", depending on where you want to extract the game files. Click "Extract to current folder" if you want the game files to be located in the same folder. By clicking "Extract files", you can unpack the game, according to the method described above.

In order to install the game, which is in the disk image file (extension .mdf and .iso), you need to install the widely used Daemon Tools program. Run the program. A lightning bolt icon that appears in the tray indicates that it has been launched. Right click on this icon - "Virtual Drives" - "Drive" - \u200b\u200b"Mount Image". In the window that opens, you must specify the location of the image with the game. Click OK. You have just mounted a disk image.

Sources:

• unpacking games

Game developers sell only their original product, only occasionally supplementing it with addons and DLCs. However, if a project has a fan base, re-pack versions inevitably appear, which users supplement with amateur patches and extensions.

You will need

• -Inno Setup 5.2.2;
• -ISTool.

Instructions

Install the game to your hard drive and add whatever you want there. It can be all sorts of cracks, crackers, DLCs, add-ons, author's voice acting and any additions of this kind. In addition, you can transcode or cut out videos and some of the sounds to reduce the final volume of the product.

Many people download programs and games with the word repack at the end, but not everyone knows its meaning. Today we will look at what a repack is, why is it needed, what it gives and how it differs from a license for the example of games.

Where did it come from

Repack (repack) translates as repacking: re - short for Russian re (repeat), pack - to pack, or in computer terminology - to compress. The need for clamping appeared in the early 2000s, when games began to be released, whose distribution was more than 4.5 gigabytes and did not fit on a DVD disc.

Firstly, it was so inconvenient to distribute content from gamer to gamer who did not buy it on DVD (there was no high-speed Internet everywhere yet, people changed blanks and put games to download at night), and secondly, the compressed installer took less places, making it easier to distribute games over the Internet. And later, a third appeared: when a simple mounting of an image to bypass protection was not enough, nodvd - hacked executable files and dynamic libraries - began to be placed in repacks. They allowed you to run games without unnecessary problems.

What means

The compression is as follows: install the game, remove all unnecessary things that need to be added (patches), replace (picture in the menu, textures), save all registry paths and compress with more efficient compressors (in other words, archivers). Let's take a look at how repacks from Engineers and Khattabs are usually manipulated.

1. Own installer.
2. Textures, sounds, videos and other resources - each can be compressed with a separate archiver.

Textures, for example, are better compressed with FreeArc, and models with 7zip.

1. 1. Music and all audio files are often recoded (most often in OGG). The quality suffers slightly and the final size is reduced noticeably.

Here you can recall the time-stretched installation of Gothic 2: Night of Raven (or the Raven in some translations), when after unpacking you had to wait at least an hour until all sounds and compositions are decoded from ogg into mp3, understandable for playing.

1. The most recent patches are added.
2. Videos with voice acting in all languages \u200b\u200bexcept Russian and / or English are deleted.
3. Video resolution and quality is often reduced by converting with lower resolution and bit rate.
4. DLC integration, replacement of textures with better ones and other resources that do not affect gameplay.
5. Often, files are split into parts equal to the size of a DVD for easy distribution (less relevant with the development of the Internet).
6. All unnecessary resources are removed: translations into other languages.
7. The most basic thing is that a tablet is added - the original executable file is replaced with the cracked one.

Most repack authors set different goals when creating them. As a rule, this is the development of their own torrent trackers and advertising sites. To do this, of course, a watermark with a logo and a link to the advertised resource is embedded in the installer, sometimes in the game menu or introductory video. Calls to visit the site can also be created in other ways, for example, a shortcut to a resource in Start or opening a resource in a browser upon completion of unpacking.

The official website of Mechanics provides data that their releases sometimes come out in two versions:

• original media quality (video and audio are not affected);
• with compressed audio and video (videos are most often compressed).

There is another less common type of repack from Mechanics. A separate group of people called Mechanics VoiceOver translates games into Russian and gives voice to them.

We will consider how to make a repack in the next article, and now we will touch on the features of this phenomenon.

What a good repack should be

The main signs that the game is repackaged with high quality are:

• individually designed installer;
• integrated all patches at the time of compression;
• the presence of a working tablet;
• the size of the distribution must be noticeably different from the original (at least one third less);
• no errors during decompression;
• all registry paths are saved;
• presence of official add-ons, DLC, other add-ons and bonuses;
• additionally, there may be an option to select the language of subtitles and translation, for example, between Russian and original, if the original is not deleted;
• opening of game archives is not performed.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, let us single out the positive and negative aspects of the phenomenon.

pros

• Allows you to get the game for free by downloading it via torrent.
• Application size and loading times are significantly reduced.
• The ability to burn the game to multiple DVD discs.
• Availability of DLC and the latest patches.

Minuses

• Unpacking files with a higher compression ratio takes longer than a license, and transcoding files even takes a long time.
• Requires significantly more RAM and processor power than the original installation.
• Many distributions are distributed with errors.
• Poor quality video inserts.

Now you know what a repack is, why it is needed now and was used before the era of the ubiquitous appearance of the Internet, and you also have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe advantages and disadvantages of downloading compressed games.