Tried running GK3 both under GOG Galaxy (launched as Administrator) and from the start menu link (as Administrator) - in all cases, the only thing I ever see is "Insert CD 1". I also tried running it the same ways after installing Virtual CloneDrive to make it think I have a CD player. Same error.

I'm running Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 4. Everything installed to default location. Other GK games run fine - but not GK3.

Suggestions?

Just wondering if you ever got this resolved. I'm having the same issue on the same device.

Try grabbing the patched .exe from the GoG Support FTP Server:

http://files.gog.com/support/GK3.zip

This did not entirely fix the problem for me. I still had to have a CD-ROM drive present. With modern versions of Windows, I've taken to just right clicking a valid .iso file and choosing Mount from the menu instead of installing 3rd party software. Once I had ANY iso mounted, I was able to run the game.

I am doing this on a Dell XPS 13, not Surface Pro, so your mileage may vary, but I think it should get you up and running.

what kind of iso? i have the same problem ty

Any .iso file will work (you can download all kinds of cd-rom images from the internet).

Unfortunately in my case it does't work. I tried with an iso file from the web (see attachment) and I also tried with a physical iso cd win, but it still does not run... every time "insert cd1" ;(

You mounted that iso in Windows (only so that you had a "cd-rom" drive mounted that the OS could see) and installed the "new" GK3.exe from the GOG ftp site, and then ran GK3, and are still seeing the issue?

If so, might be best to open a GOG ticket.. remnants of copy protection that are clearly behaving differently based on variables of computer, operating system, drives attached, etc.

Ty for support my friend. However i contacted the support and they send me a new file .exe
After replaced the file in folder, the game started correctly. Remains a question: why they don't insert the right file directly in the first link of download? ty bye

I had this same issue, ie, Insert CD 1. I already a CD-Rom drive on my Win 8 laptop. Using the patched .exe file solved the problem for me and game runs fine

I got the same problem, in my case it was the windows 8 i am using.
I can only hope that it will be possible to play this game on windows 8 in the future :(

I got it working on Windows 10. I don't know if I took the long way round but this is what I did. I downloaded the .exe file from this thread (GK3.exe) and then used Power ISO to burn the file into an image (ISO image). Then I simply created a D: drive with Power ISO (Didn't bother mounting the GK3.iso file) and hey presto, it worked.

FYI, looked like hell with flickering graphics when I fired it up, until I switched to software rendering in settings, just in case you come across the same problem.

Edit: I kept GK3.iso in the same folder as GK3.exe

This is irritating, why the hell do they not state all this on the purchase screen, I don't know about downloading extra files and crap to think my laptop has a cd drive, I just want to play a game.

agggghhhhh. bloody waste of money.