: Without the crack, the DRM prevents the game from starting on any system newer than Windows 7.
In the underground software scene (often referred to as "The Scene"), groups competed to be the first to release games and, more importantly, to crack the copy protection.
These versions don’t need any crack.
I notice you're asking about a (specifically from the group Hoodlum ) for Need for Speed: Underground 2 (version 1.2).
This trick is often necessary for certain versions to bypass final disc checks. Performance and Compatibility nfs underground 2 12 no cd hoodlum
: Improved performance for NVIDIA 6800 series cards running at high resolutions.
—usually points to a specific file or a simple "FOOBAR" fix to bypass the CD check on modern systems. Primary Fixes for the "Insert CD 2" Error : Without the crack, the DRM prevents the
If you still get the error, you have a bad crack (likely v1.0 or a corrupted download). Find the genuine Hoodlum v1.2 version; it should be exactly 3,187,712 bytes.