Bad Sectors
 

Hi, what shoud I do, if ClonyXXl says "Bad Sectors at 3000" and the Back-up dosen't work?

I've got a prob too: tried to copy a certain game and the backup didn't work. What do you advise?


Got the msg?

BE MORE PRECISE!!! :mad: :mad:

- Before burning the image, have U tried mounting it as a virtual CD to 2 see if the image itself wuz correct, ie. game installs & launches from virtual drive??

- What reader/burner have U got?

- What version of ClonyX are you using?

- Has it identified the protection?

- What read/write software have you used?

- What's your favorite horror movie? :D

etc...

Latest version of ClonyX (2.0.1.5) can identify almost all protections, whereas ClonyX 2.0.0.6 cannot, however this older version, unlike its recent counterparts, also suggests the appropriate read/write settings for CloneCD. So U should first try running Clonyx 2.0.1.5, then Clonyx 2.0.0.6

Usually when handling bad sectors simple RAW mode reading will suffice.

And remember: before burning a dump onto CD, test it using a CD emulator (latest 'Daemon tools' or 'Alcohol 120%' or something)

Quote:

He who laughs last has the slowest internet connection

I have a MSI CDRW 48x16x48.

I have made an image an load it with alcohol 120%. Doesn't work.

I have ClonyXXL v2.0.1.4c and it says: "Bad Sectors at 3000".

Any more questions?

Try downloading ClonyX 2.0.1.5 here. It might be able to identify the protection since U say version 2.0.1.4 didn't and only reported read errors.

It also depends on the settings U used with Alcohol. I rarely use this software for purposes other than CD emulation.

If the game didn't work in the virtual drive, then either the dump was not 1:1 OR Alcohol may be blacklisted by the game. Make sure U have the latest version. U could also try mounting with the (latest) 'Daemon Tools', ie. v3.33.

If the game has a hardware protection (CD-cops, Securom 4.8xx or Starforce) then a media descriptor file is also needed (.mds or .bwa file). U can try the Blindwrite + BWAbuilder combo.

But as I said all this depends on the CD protection.

What is the game title and its edition (ie. US, European, ...) ???

The title is "Soldier of Anarchy" and its European.

ClonyXXL v2..0.1.5 says SecuRom v4.8!

Dire straits
 

If that's the case then I'm afraid 2 say, you've got a major prob comrade. :(

Indeed the protection used on the UK version of SOA seems to be a very tough nut to crack, there's a 2-page thread that discusses it here .

Apparently it's like a deadlier strain of Securom 4.8x, some sort of Securom 4.8 + bad sectors hybrid, the read errors thus thwarting BWAbuilder's attempts to complete extraction of physical media information. I've never heard of such a devilry before.

There's only one way 2 find out.

1st things 1st, download and install latest Blindwrite.

To find out if your reader(s) are compatible with BWAbuilder, run it on a normal CD-ROM or CD-R at 8x speed or even higher. If the reader supports it, then you will see a smooth parabolic curve.

!!! Remember to disable all non-essential applications when running BWAbuilder, especially when a CD can be hardware-protected, ie Securom 4.8x, Starforce, etc... !!!

Now run BWAbuilder on the original CD at 4x speed with automatic set to last sector and see the results (never mind if reading aborts on error): is the curve - or partial curve - a smooth parabola or does it have 2 or more irregularities making it look "thicker" in some places?

No, get Alcohol 120%, and then get the .MDS file by setting precision to HIGH - its much more precise than BlindWrite's BWABuilder.

IceBreaker - I think I will be doing this all the time you suggest BlindWrite :D .

Alcoholics Anonymous
 

*cough* *cough* let me remind U that Blindwrite is the ONLY software that can statically emulate density variations on a backup CD, ie. no running background programs are needed. Whisky 120% on the other hand does NOT use twinsectors and a backup made with Alcohol+DPM requires Alcohol to be loaded for it to work!

UNLESS ...

unless U meant using Alcohol only to create an .mds file (with 'high' precision) and then convert it to .bwa with BWAbuilder - not a bad idea. In that case never mind the previous paragraph. Besides, this still needs Blindwrite to be used 4 the burning part hehe... :cool:

A word of warning for Alcohol 120% users :
Drinking and Burning is not recommended as it will most likely result in incorrect Data Position Measurement - regardless of precision settings - and may be sanctionned to the maximum possible extent of the law :D :D

Er, I think we already discussed that after uninstallation of BlindWrite - there are certain files are STILL loaded in the memory. Alcohol is simply more honest and removes all files once its uninstalled :D .

Yes, get just the .MDS file and NO, BlindWrite is NOT needed.
Once you have the .MDS file, then simply read the image using ERROR SKIP and READ SUBCHANNEL DATA options. Once you are done - use Alcoholer's TwinCreator (which can PATCH .MDS diles and .MDF files with TwinPeak) to patch the files, and then burn with Alcohol 120% :D .
No BlindWrite once again!


Who?

Alcohol 0% ...
 

Oh yeah I'd forgotten about that 'TwinCreator' thing. Still think creating Alcohol .mds, converting .mds -> .bwa and burning BW image is simpler though - I'll call it my new patented 'Alcohol+Blindwrite' hybrid method - or "soft liquor" method, if ye like :p

Quote:

... use Alcoholer's TwinCreator (which can PATCH .MDS diles and .MDF files with TwinPeak) ...

Actually, TwinCreator only patches the .MDF file according to the data in the .MDS descriptor !!

Surely inveterate Alcoholics should be knowing their favorite software better than that... ;)


semper idem, sed aliter

Thats what I mean :o .

Question - when you get the .MDS file and convert to BWA file, and then use BlindWrite - does BlindWrite automatically patch the file with TwinPeak 0.2? If not - thats not good, if yes - thats good!
Its just the more complicated and difficult ways are usually the most guaranteed ways.

Quote:

Question - when you get the .MDS file and convert to BWA file, and then use BlindWrite - does BlindWrite automatically patch the file with TwinPeak 0.2?

Answer - no and yes...how to explain...actually, it's much simpler than that! :D

First of all, Twinpeak is not a seperate program, it's a twin-sectors routine built into the main Blindwrite program.

Blindwrite does NOT modify the BW image - for security reasons relating to the twinsectors method and detailed in the BWA .doc file provided by blindwrite. Basically, depending on the reader used to create the data/physical images, a patched file can in rare cases be corrupted by the twinpeaks method (ie. game data loss!!), obviously resulting in a coaster if the corrupt image is burned to CD.

When about to burn a BW image onto a CD-R(W), BW asks you if you want to include the physical media info contained in the BWA file (if it finds such a file with same name as the BW image & in same folder of cos'). If you answer 'yes', then it combines the BW image and the data in the .BWA file when burning the CD.

So it comes down to EXACTLY the same thing as patching a CD image - then the BWA file is no longer needed - and burning the patched dump onto CD. The only difference is that as I said in the case of BW the image is left intact, CD data and CD physical info are kept in seperate files.

So U C, BW is quite simple - so simple in fact that one could use it blindfolded, hence its name :D


semper idem, sed aliter

Hmm...
Well, I prefer 1000s of options to simplicity since it allows you to create a better image, more more precise image, or lets ust say - as close to 1:1 as possible :D .
BlindWrite did wonders with my oldy Plextor 16x. I made working copies of MORROWIND with it :D - the highly protected SafeDisk game.
Alcohol 120% seems more professional.

Quote:

... Alcohol 120% seems more professional

to a certain "degree" (no pun intended :D )


To each CD scheme the appropriate tool. I've found out that for advanced software protections such as safedisk 2.8+, and especially 2.9, even BW is not always up to the task. In these cases nothing beats the 'Discdump + Fireburner' combo.

When it comes to "hardware" protections such as CD-COPS, Starforce or Securom 4.8+, well it seems there are 2 camps: the blind & the alcoholics. :D

But hey, we're all working for the same goal, right?
WORLD DOMINATION!

no, wait...wrong thread...

I do not believe that Discdump - FREEWARE (its freeware, right?) can do a better job than Alcohol!