# Large Address Aware for 64 bit O/S



## Kull (Apr 3, 2005)

Is it possible for a program (like a batch file) to launch another program and - key point - set the LAA flag "on" in the program that's being loaded? Theoretically it's just a change to a single hex. Some background on this request:

I work on a mod for an older game (Medieval Total War II @2007) that does not have the LAA flag set in the exe. As a result, the game only uses 2 GB of memory, and as a mod team we've pushed the engine so far that we're experiencing an increasing number of "random" CTDs. Fortunately there are utilities which change the flag, thereby making the application "Large Address Aware". We've tested this and it works great - all the random CTDs disappear, and the mod is highly stable - literally 100's of turns without a crash.

The problem is, the LAA utility tool changes the exe, and the game company considers this a violation of the EULA, so we are prohibited from even discussing this as an option. We've made it quite clear that we aren't distributing modified exes nor advocating true EULA violations (this flag is common to ALL applications), but simply trying to explain how game users can solve this issue on their own, all to no avail.

So we're trying to figure out whether it's possible to set the flag using some other method, one which doesn't involving changes to the exe itself. Any thoughts or guidance would be greatly appreciated.


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## draceplace (Jun 8, 2001)

From what you describe and attempt to have the game utilize more memory than the original design would be a EULA violation regardless of how you get there. They want those games to die so they can sell new ones.

I do respect your cleverness and integrity. Perhaps if the tool made all applications LAA you would be indiscriminately making things better for user and not targeting a specific EULA. Its not your fault the exe changes because of a 'system' setting???


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## Kull (Apr 3, 2005)

Thanks for the response. In general, I suspect you are correct - most game companies would prefer their older offerings just die off so consumers will buy new products.

However, oddly enough, a different mod group was able to obtain specific authorization to edit game data in memory AFTER the game loads. By extrapolation, that's not much different from ensuring the data going into the computer's memory is edited "along the way". 

I suspect that lawyers are running the show with regards to exe changes, and so long as we don't make any physical changes to that file, we're OK.


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## Kull (Apr 3, 2005)

Just to clarify, the existing tool is a free, third party offering which sets the LAA flag on ALL games and programs, so it's not something designed specifically for this one game. It doesn't touch anything else, and the flag it sets is a feature in all of the old 32 bit programming. Which is one reason why this whole issue is so maddening. But, it DOES modify the exe, and so technically that's the problem.

Anyone interested in learning more on this subject can get quite an education here


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