Weird disc backup issue Artec WRA-WA48 Writer

[Zulummar]

I need some input and some help figuring out some issues I've been having making backups of a lot of discs.

I've been trying to make copies of certain game discs I have, like C&C Generals and Ghost Recon: Desert Siege.

Now I know Safedisc2 is hard to replicate on a lot of CD-RW drives, and these are both safedisc2 protected games, but what's happening is rather odd to me.

My writer is an Artec WRA-WA48. I'm not sure if this drive has the EFM encoder issue or not, as it's not listed in the CloneCD list that's referred to in one of the FAQs.

With Ghost Recon: Desert Siege, the backup disc I produce obviously does not work in my CD-RW drive, as it recognizes it is burned media. When I put the disc in my AOpen 12x DVD drive, the game crashes with an illegal operation.

However, when I take the same disc to my friend's house and put it in his normal CD-ROM drive (unsure of the brand, generic 24x or 32x cd-rom) it works just fine.

With C&C Generals, the same thing happens in my writer (it asks for the correct CD), and in my DVD (illegal operation). I haven't yet had a chance to take it to my friend's house and test it in his CD-ROM.

Is it possible here that my writer is successfully making 1:1 backup copies that work, but my DVD Drive is having issues reading the discs?

My DVD drive has always been rather slow (takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute to recognize and access a disc when it's put in, spins down frequently while reading a disc causing pauses in data read, etc)

What makes this more confusing is that while the back works in a CD-ROM but not my DVD drive, the originals do work in the DVD drive.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

[Zulummar]

Ok, some additional info that might be more useful

I'm running WinXP Professional
The firmware on the Artec WRA-WA48 is 1.01

The DVD Drive is an AOpen 1240/AMH Firmware R06

I have the latest ASPI layer installed

Using Nero CDSpeed and doing a scandisc in the CD-RW on an original pressed disc (almost brand new, clean, no scratches) shows about 97% damaged (bright yellow sectors), however the disc is perfectly readable.

Putting the same original disc in the DVD drive shows 100% damaged (orange sectors, more problems than yellow, but not unreadable), but the disc is perfectly readable in this drive as well.

I've done a lot of reading on CDRLabs.com and this seems to me to be extremely abnormal to see this high of "damaged" sectors on a disc, especially one in good condition. Any ideas?

[jasonphi]

I need some input and some help figuring out some issues I've been having making backups of a lot of discs.

Hi, had the same problem here. Fixed it by running CloneCD4 Tray. Not neccessary to have virtual drive enabled, must be running tray icon or copied discs cause the same problem you have. Running in DVD drive causes same crash, running in CD Writer reports "insert correct CD and run again".

My originals run fine, obviously. I haven't tried running images from the hard drive, no drive space left.

HTH.