Gauntlet Legends Help?

[DJB14336]

OK, I will apologize up front for being an idiot, so, please be gentle.

Got a rental copy for $10, but it is scratched to h*ll and back. It plays fine--even when I do the switch with my mod chip--yes I finally got one installed, so no more "knifing it"--so I assume it is not ModProtected, but not sure. I got the no solder chip from Modchip (V5)--fo $15 with shipping (it will do until I can snag a US version of the Messiah).

Anyway, I wanted to try backing it up first before I plunk $30 on a DiskDoctor and try to sand the disk down--I will get one, just tight on cash until next paycheck. I snapped off what appears to be a perfect copy with clone CD--CDRWIN Sector view shows all the same EDC's as the original--even got 0'ed out EDC's in the Mode2/Form2 sectors, just as the original shows (used version 2.8.3.1 CloneCD, it seems to work best with my DVDROM as reader, so I don't have to swap media--call me lazy). As a Double blind measure, I took the time to also rip one on CDRW with my burner as reader (LiteOn LTR-12101B, sold as Pacific Digital U-30104 12X10X32) and ran a file compare in NTI CDMAKER against the first dupe and it says they are identical, so I guess it is as good as it's gonna get.

The game starts the opening graphic, then freezes and I hear the drive spinning up and down and the head searching, like it can't read the disc. The image is about 590 MB's, so I know I may have trouble with files in the middle, but my PS2 Starfighter Backup is just as large on the same media created by the same process, and it loads and runs flawlessly, even with the CD Driver at high speed. I was curious, is it the medium? The Trainer/patch kit didn't seem to work either--ECCREGEN didn't ID any errors to regenerate after patching--I may have to actually confirm this manually in sector view when I have more time. I used JENSEN 32X 700MB 80Min CDR. Extremely highly reflective media--I've ripped VCD's at 12X on this media and they play flawlessly in my home DVD Player up to an overburn of 720 MB's. Do I need to use 650MB CDR's instead?

I don't have to get it ripped, but it's just bugging me that a tried and true combination for me has just gone belly-up all of a sudden. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks!

PS:--After it hangs, I can swap the copy for the original by normal eject, and the game continues like nothing is wrong--Really weird.

[DJB14336]

Sorry, but I have got to be one of the lamest noobs out there!
It's right there on the modchip comparison chart--this mod doesn't support the use of 80 minute CDR's??!!
Swapped some 80 min's for some 74 min's with my brother--snapped it off on the first try!

For Future Reference, here is the media:

Maxell 650MB Gold Label CDR, Certified to 24X in 10 Pak Gold Box, Product Code #623112, UPC Number 0-25215-62040-9. (I've seen these boxes everywhere--My brother thinks he got them a while back on sale at Office Depot or Circuit City. The center ring is marked "RJD74M-50013

***I AM USING AN OLDER VERSION OF CLONECD--WAS NOT FOND OF VER. 4.XXX SKIN (ANNOYED BY THE RIGHT CLICK TO EDIT THE PROFILES--I BURN EVERTHING ON SAME SETTINGS ALL THE TIME WITH 2.XX AND 3.XX VERSIONS WITH NO PROB'S IN THE PAST, ONLY UPDATED BECAUSE I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH 32X MEDIA, ONLY TO FIND IT WAS MY CDR'S FIRMWARE THAT WAS OUT OF DATE, NOT CLONE CD. IMPORTANT NOTE--MAKE SURE READER AND BURNERS FULLY SUPPORTED WITH VERSION OF CLONECD, UPDATE CDRW FIRMWARE, UPDATE ASPI SET ALSO (CDRWIN VER. 3.9 WILL UPDATE FOR YOU WHEN YOU INSTALL IT)

CloneCD Version 2.8.3.1 does not allow Copy on the fly, but same settings will apply otherwise in Ver 3.xx.-- Ver. 4.xx will have to edit the profile for Game CD--some options will not be available, but they are the same by default.

I use my DVD-ROM to read because it does handle subchannels and rips audio better then my CDRW, but it is recommended to use the CDRW as source reader. If you have the media to spare, try it--you don't have to swap media after the read is done.

You can use Disc to Disc copy--just make sure you copy to Hard Drive first. I recommend you copy image to drive first, this way you can examine the file in HEX for correct EDC or scan for errors and what-not if you are unsure of reliability, then create from image when you are sure it is a good read. That may be a bit advanced for many, you can use CDRWIN's sector view to look for the EDC's after you make a test burn on CDRW media. Scroll through to Sectors 12-15. They should read as Mode 2, Form2(Empty) with a ZEROED out EDC. If you have ISO Buster, look up the Movie or Stream fils (.str) sector location and start scanning again from there (type the value in, then click up arrow)--within the first 10 or 12 following sectors, you should see another Mode 2, Form 2 pop up (Audio)--it should also have a ZEROED EDC. If these conditions are met, you have a good copy that CloneCD SHOULD burn successfully--unless it is modchip protected--you'll have to patch it (use CDRWIN to create BIN file....see tutorials)

CloneCD Setup is the constantly recommended settings, I will list them again so everything is in one posting for whoever needs it:

Read speed at lowest possible setting (1X/2X--4X absolute max)
Read Sub-Channels for Data and Audio
CLEAR CHECK FOR FAST ERROR SKIP! (Check Abort on error in ver 4.xx)
**All you need to do is read slowly and process the subchannels**

Don't Delete the Image File, just in case something goes wrong, this way you can just create from image next time, or (like I do) snap off a test image on CDRW first and inspect it with sector view, or want to scan it for errors with a patch utility/ECCRegen.

Enable Burn Proof/Just Link for good measure if available.
DON'T REPAIR SUB-CHANNEL DATA
CLOSE LAST SESSION
WRITE in DAO RAW Format, at SLOWEST SPEED possible (I have 10X CDRW, so I snap the test Image at 4 to 8X, depending on how impatient I am--I'm only verifiying the Zero'ed EDC's)

Global Page should not need changing. If you increase the buffer sizes, you risk having the disk spin up and spin down during both the read and write process--that is why we DON'T CHECK "WAIT UNTIL BUFFERS ARE FULL" on the write page. You want to keep the CD and CDR spinning at a constant rate--remember lots of posts say CDR's strain the laser a bit, so you want a smooth stream of data--this also saves the drive's motor as well. The only reason to use these buffers and crank them up is for high speed burning and copy-on-the-fly (i.e. ripping audio cd's or PC Software--yes, this works well for PC Games as well--play the backups, then sell the originals in mint condition when I'm done with the game....hehe!).

Good Luck!