I created a backup using Clone CD (game) but it won't play on kids computer

[Cybordolphin]

Does Clone CD create backups that can only be replayed on the machine that created the backups?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Slogun]

No, clonecd is what I use for that purpose.

Certain (usually older) CD-ROM drives though can have trouble reading burned discs.

 

[Cybordolphin]

Hmmm... this is a brand new high quality drive... and FUJI disks.

 

[Cybordolphin]

My other computer shows the disk as EMPTY....nada.... nothing on it!?? But the backup disk I created works perfectly on the computer I burned it on.

Anyone know why this is? I don't want the kids using the originals and trashing them. Will I need to install a burner on their computers, and the clone cd software on them as well? Perhaps that is the only way to create a backup of the games and have them use those instead of the originals.

I enabled "Hide CDR media" when I burned using Clone CD.

Thanks to anyone who can solve this.

 

[Need4Speed]

depends on the protection...safedisc2 is a pain in the a$$, and a 1:1 backup can be flaky.

 

[Mark R]

What type of burner did you use?

The vast majority of burners cannot make a fully working copy of protected discs, no matter what software you use.

 

[Jeff7]

I've found CD-mate to be quite good. Why? It is the only program I could find that could make a copy of Homeworld: Cataclysm that would actually work. The game itself was very good at detecting that the disc I had in was a duplicate - until CD-Mate helped me out. After my Pioneer DVD drive blew up a CD, I decided I'd best make backups of all my CD's, and keep them out of the danger zone when possible.

 

[Slogun]

I enabled "Hide CDR media" when I burned using Clone CD

My CloneCD does not have such a seting.

I have made numerous such backups, never had a problem.

 

[Need4Speed]

you may also look for something called insektors...which will basically patch the safedisc2 image such that it can run on a pc that has insektors installed.

 

[AnMig]

clone cd works for me but sometimes with safe disk 2 I cannot play the game on the cdwriter (liteon) that I wrote it with. What's odd is it plays on my dvd rom. and other computers

 

[Lars]

What game did you copy?

 

[Cybordolphin]

The "hide CDR media" is found by right clicking the CloneCD icon located in the TASK bar.

The burner on my computer is a brand new LITEON 48x. The kids computer has an HITACHI DVD/cd player. The HITACHI reads other backups just fine.

The game is Disneys/Pixar Toy Story First Grade. I have a backup of Disney's Emperors New Groove made via WINXP (disk copy) that works fine in the HITACHI/cd DVD player. The HITACHI is about 4 mos old.

I have tried Alcohol 120%, CD MATE, and they both create the same problem. With these two programs the HITACHI can at least see the files AND install the game. The game will just not play. When I used CloneCD the kids HITACHI DVD/CD player could not even find any files on the disk.

I am wondering if it has something to do with WINXP. I have the SP1 on my machine.... but I don't think it is updated on the kids machine. Not sure if that would help or make matters worse. Guess I can't really make it worse. But It could be a new feature in the SP1 that improves security.

Irritating to say the least. I paid for the game. I should be able to make a backup so the kids don't trash the original... and the kids should be able to take the damn game to grandmas house and play it if they want.

Here's an idea..... why don't the game manufactures create a damn media that is indestructible. That would do away with the need to ever make a backup, put the pirates out of business, and the cd clone software companies. Dumb arsses. It just P's me off. I guess that would be too easy. Go figure.

Thanks for all the ideas. I am really surprised that no one else has had this problem yet.

 

[jcwagers]

Just a quick question or two. What speed did you "read" the source disk at? If it was higher than 1x, you might try setting it to 1x and letting it read at that speed. I also usually burn my backups at around 1-4x(4x is usually max). I've used a generic template of of gamecopyworld when burning backups. They list some "universal backup" tips. Let me find the link. Oops, I forgot that GCW doesn't list specific pages. I guess I'll just try to quote the whole thing for you.

"Here are the instructions to make a working backup of most Protected CDs using CloneCD 4.x.x.x in combination with a CD-Reader/CD-Writer which can both can handle DAO-RAW:

* Create the following directory (if it exists already empty it):
o <TempDir>: C:\TEMP\CD
* Create a CD-Image using CloneCD 4.x.x.x with these Game CD settings:
o Data Read Settings Tab:
+ Set Read Speed Data to 1x (176 kByte/s)
+ Select Read SubChannel Data from Data Tracks (default)
+ Select Regenerate Data Sectors (default)
o Audio Read Settings Tab:
+ Set Read Speed Audio to 1x (176 kByte/s)
+ Set Audio Extraction Quality to Medium (Fast) (default)
+ Select Read SubChannel Data from Audio Tracks (default)
+ UnSelect Only read the first Session (default)
o Error Handling Tab:
+ Set Fast Error Skip to Automatic (default)
+ Set Sector Skip to 100 (default)
+ UnSelect Abort on Read Error (default)
+ Select Don't report read errors (default)
+ Select Intelligent Bad Sector Scanner (default)
* When ready burn the modified CD-Image a CD-R using CloneCD 4.x.x.x with these Game CD settings:
o Set Write Speed to any desired speed
o Select Don't Repair SubChannel Data (default)
o Select Always close last Session
* Play the game!

Here are the instructions to make a working backup of most Protected CDs using CloneCD 3.x.x.x in combination with a CD-Reader/CD-Writer which can both can handle DAO-RAW:

* Create the following directory:
o <TempDir>: C:\TEMP\CD
* Create a CD-Image using CloneCD 3.x.x.x with these settings:
o Set Read Speed to 1x (176 kByte/s)
o Select Read SubChannel Data from Data Tracks
o Select Read SubChannel Data from Audio Tracks
o Select Fast Error Skip
+ Set Read Retry to at least 5
+ Set Error correction to None
o UnSelect Don't report bad sectors
o UnSelect Intelligent Bad Sector Scanner
* When ready burn the CD-Image a CD-R using CloneCD 3.x.x.x with these settings:
o Set Write Speed to any desired speed
o Select RAW DAO
o Select Don't Repair SubChannel Data
o UnSelect Simulate Writing (if available)
o Select Burn Proof/Just Link (if available)
o unSelect Perform Laser Power Calibration
o unSelect Wait until Buffers are full
o Select Always close last Session
* Play the game!

NOTE: CloneCD v4 includes a CloneCD Tray utility which is active when your startup your PC. This utility includes a feature Hide CDR Media which can be very helpful when playing a backup from a CD-Writer. Some games try to detect if they are run from a CD-R media and this tool let's them think it is an original CD.
Backup Hints

Here are some general hints when making a 1:1 CD-Copy:

* Use your CD-Writer to also read the CD-Image - In most cases the CD-Writer can handle more protections!
* To avoid coasters always make a CD-Image on harddrive before writing it to a CD-R.
* Read the CD-Image at 1x or at a maximum of 8x speed. Reading the CD-Image at 1x speed takes a long time to complete but it is the safest speed to correctly read the image from any CD-Reader. Most modern CD-Readers can handle faster speeds. Just experiment!
* CD-Writer software like Adaptec Easy CD Creator will NEVER be able to copy protected CDs and in most cases only interferes with other CD-Writers software! Software like CloneCD, Nero & CDRWIN are far better products!"

This may not help you at all......but if it does, it's worth it.

jc

 

[Slogun]

My version of clonecd (which works well) is 2.5.5.2, no tray utility.

 

[Cybordolphin]

Thanks JCwagers....

I have tried most of the hints... but let me reduce to 1X. I have tried at 4x.
Thanks for the tweaks.

I believe this could be brand new security technology, and I may be SOL. If so... I will write the game company (Disney), and explain to them that their game is.... easily damaged by children (gee ya think!? Its a cd!), expensive, and I need to make backups that can be played instead of the original (so it does not get damaged). If they don't want to allow us to make backups..... then they need to invent media that is indestructible to children, (be happy to offer my solutions - for the right price of course). This will do away with piracy as it will negate having to ever create a backup. My kid wants to take his game (that we paid a lot of money for), with him and play it wherever he likes, and I am now having to install a cdburner in every family members computer (even grandma's) just so that I can backup the game onto a disk at each location that my kid wants to be able to play his game at. For this... I want SEVERAL copies of the game I paid for. Or I want them to reimburse me for the burner installations. Wake up and spend your technology dollars with some intelligence. Its not trying to secure a media I liken to toilet paper.

Good luck eh?

 

[Cybordolphin]

Interesting thing...

I cannot change the read speed with the latest version of CloneCd. There is not a tab for changing it!?

Let me know if I am missing something. Do you find a tab to change the READ speed? I can change the WRITE speed only.

 

[Cybordolphin]

Never mind... found the tab.

 

[SuperPickle]

First, Lite-on drives seem to take hold of CloneCD very very well. Your problem is probably the reading drive. I've noticed this on other backups that I've made that none of my DVD drives nor CD burners will play the games properly. They'll instally fine, but they won't pass the CD-check when trying to play. I have a Creative drive that plays them fine as well as my UltraPlex. What I have found (via EAC) is my drives with L2 error correction seem to deal with backups fine and those that don't, well don't. I express no knowledge here, just anecdotes.

 

[Hawg]

The 'Hide CDR media' does not install if your location is set to the United States if I recall. Some legality issues. However if you had a Canadian computer for a while and installed it on that one, it would install the hide CDR media option. Figure it out fron there.

 

[grunjee]

What copy protection scheme does that title use, do you know?

The newer SD2's (2.8 and higher) are a real b1tch, even with good drives (Lite-Ons).

The newest SecuRom is impossible to copy correctly.

If that game is SD2, I would suggest reading the image with CloneCD, and writing it with CD-Mate. If you don't have CD-Mate you can download the demo version, which as far as I can tell is fully functional and does NOT have the lame 1x writing speed limit some other programs' demo versions have. CloneCD has a hard time writing the weak sectors right of the newest SD2 versions.