Vista - Blue Screen:Port Royale 2

I've been trying to load a fairly old game on to my vista laptop but I've been running into a blue screen every single time. From what I've gathered the error that appears, "SSHDRV76.SYS", is related to some old copyright protection system that is no longer supported by Vista (something about checking the disk). It seems highly improbably this late after the game's release for Ascaron to release a patch to fix the problem, and so I was wondering if there were any workarounds available?

I've already attempted to:

• Used compatibility (Windows 2000 + Windows XP) modes
• Use Alcohol 120% and Daemon Tools to create a virtual CD. didn't work
• Tried to patch using the German patches; patches never finished + judging by what others have said would have resulted in the entire game being converted into German.

My specs (although I'm fairly sure it's not a hardware issue):
OS: Windows Vista Business SP1
System Model: (sony) VGN-SZ650N
CPU: Intel Core2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHz)
Ram: 2GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

Have you tried running a no cd program.
Details for Port Royale 2

I have, unfortunately the only nocd crack's that I can find seem to require a fully updated game; and the updates were never released for the English version (or are no longer being hosted). I've been trying to use the German 1.1.0 and 1.1.0139 to patch but the installation progress bar get's to around 95% and then just stalls. Reinstalling the game results in the same problem... I tried leaving it up for a while to see if a windows security dialogue box would appear but nothing came up after several minutes.

Is there any other way to bypass it? I was hoping that Alcohol and Daemon Tools would have the same effect as using a nocd program... but that still resulted in the same blue screen.

im going to look for you

EDIT:
found a 1.4.0.3 patch for US but i know the NOCD needs the patch you tried downloading. have you tried to install the patch to see if the game works with the latest patch or have you just assumed that nocd's will work, try the latest patch and try and run the game again.
links
US & Canada http://download.ascaron.com/portroyale/PR1_403_us.exe
UK, Swedish and Australian http://download.ascaron.com/portroyale/PR1_403_uk.exe
Dutch http://download.ascaron.com/portroya..._403_dutch.exe
French http://download.ascaron.com/portroya...403_french.exe
Spanish http://download.ascaron.com/portroya...03_spanish.exe
Read Me for Patch 1.4.0.3
Ascaron Entertainment presents

Port Royale

Patch Version 1.4.0.3

(c) Ascaron Entertainment GmbH 2002


This patch solves some minor language, text and scripting problems, as well as implements the following changes:

- Multiplayer: only the host is now able to save the current game.
- Multiplayer: it's not longer possible to start a multiplayer game without any clients.

- Laptop: Parameter "/windowed" added, this parameter allows to run the game in a windowed mode.
If you encounter any problems when running Port Royale on a Laptop computer you should start Port Royale in the windowed mode to solve the problems.
Within the Windows-Startmenu (standard: Start/Programms/Port Royale) you'll find a new shortcut to run "Port Royale window". To use the windowed mode of Port Royale you should use a Windows desktop resolution
higher than 1024x768 pixels.

- AutoSave: some Problems with the AutoSave-Routine were fixed.

>< Unfortunately, these patches are all for the original Port Royale: Gold, Power, Pirates; not Port Royale 2: Cartels, Construction, Conquest.

It's weird... but the game isn't even listed on the "Updates" page for the English Ascaron site:
ASCARON Entertainment UK Ltd
I can find Port Royale 2 on the drop down menu for their German site:
Service - ASCARON Entertainment GmbH

All there is is a page describing the game and a forum with a couple threads about the same issue.

@@ and I just found out that the message that appears over the progress bar when I try to update with the German patch, "Dieser Patch ist fur eine andere Sprachversion von Port Royale 2," translates as "This patch is for a different language version of Port Royal 2"...

ive had a detailed look into this, port royale 2 hasnt had any updates since release for english versions, which is a bit of a problem, vista doesnt like this game and will not work unless there is a fix for the cd check, seems that there is no solution we can give you, i can only apologise for this.

You dont need to apologise mate, it is the software company that has stopped supporting an old game, it happens.