What to do with a non-working CDI (that others have burned successfully)?
 

I have a couple of CDI game image files (and have had in the past) that seem to burn just fine - no errors - with DiscJuggler. But then when I pop them into the DC, they load up the Sega logo, and just spin and spin (and spin). When asked if other people have had ANY problems with the same CDI's, they did not (they burned the games just fine with them).

The question is, what can I do differently to get these games to burn?

Would it be easier to play with the settings in DJ (although this doesn't seem to help, and doesn't seem as if it would - especially since many of you claim that changing the settings isn't going to do anything anyway)? Or should I convert the cdi to another type of image file (say, Nero/ISO) and try burning with Nero (or whatever)?

I hate wasted time in d/l'ing these files, and in burning the discs, and hate making coasters. There's gotta be something I can do...

Delete it and give up.

C'mon, MP, I *know* you have a better answer than that.

Why give up, when you know there's a way to fix it?

*MajinPenis takes a deep breath*

Okey, I'm pretty sure there is a way to fix it (isnt there a way to fix anything?), but with all the possible software/hardware configurations it would be impossible for me to give you a more or less percise answer as to what you have to do exactly.

What I'm trying to say is if you are plenty stuffed on blank cdr's than go and experiment. I for one, must have killed a dozen cdrs before I found a (easy) way to get a game to burn successfully. I'm suggesting for you to try different things, but first make sure you dont have one of those unfixable problems (new model dc, incapable burner, etc.) If none of those apply to you then I'm pretty sure that at somepoint something will work out for you.

Sorry for the blunt answer, but with all the different factors that can cause a problem I really cant help you any better from the inside of my home. I consider myself lucky for finding a solution before it was too late for me, so try your best, think of reasonable ways you can fix it. From every failed attempt you gain knowledge. Use it! :-)

I understand the blunt answer, and I guess I failed to mention that I've burned over 75 "backups" successfully with no real problems in DJ. I'm also far from an ignorant "newbie" (just not an expert, either). But it's just been a couple of games that have eluded me - they burn fine, but end up being just "spinning" coasters. I can burn a game just before and just after the problem games - same settings and everything - with no problems. So it's not my DC unit, it's not my burner, and it's nothing else that I can sem to tell. Just these 3-4 games that I've had probs with, and that don't wanna work no matter what.

And if it makes ANY difference at all, 2 of he games in question that I remember are NFL2K2, and Ooga Booga. Don't know if it's anything about those games, per se, but they don't wanna work for me. I think therewere a couple more, but I can't remember which ones (as I *DID* delete them and forget them).

Now, again, is converting the CDI's to another format, and using another burning prog a good alternative to solving a problem like this? Or is there another (better) solution?

Converting works for some and fails for others. It only worked for me ONCE, the rest of the time I got a similar error.

However it is good that you mentioned NFL2k2. It appears that the latest echelon sports releases, nfl2k2 and wsb2k2, both seem to have some glitches in their rips. I've been to many irc chatrooms in the past 2 weeks, and many ppl have said that they are having problems with those two games. I never heard anything about ooga booga, but it could have a similar glitch, its just less popular so there arent that many ppl to complain about it.

Late echelon releases do appear to have some errors in the selfboot code according to many people I have talked to. I wouldnt be surprised to see them release a patch for those games. I never had problems burning those games, I guess I got lucky on my h/w s/w configuration.

You could try converting to nero, or some other format (if possible). It might work for people who have DJ problems, or you could rebuild the files, and maybe fix them.

Another thing you can try is to extract the CDI using CDMAGE, then use the Echelon tutorial to create a new disc or use mkisofs.exe and bin2boot.exe to create a new bootable .CDI to burn to a new disc.

I have succesfully burnt both of the games and if you haven't had problems prior, I would guess it is because of a bum file. In Explorer (windows), list the items using "Details"... Sort it by "Details" and see if they are all EXACTLY the same (except for the last file). If there is one that is even off by 1 kb, yer fricked.

Try re-downloading the file.