Retrieving extensive cd info

[ksetsipotos]

Hello all
I am just wondering if there is any way or any tools available through the net, that can help me find out some informations about a recorded cd-rom, such as the exact date the project has been burned and if there is any possible way to learn anything more about the burner from witch it was burn, for instance, is there any way to tell if a given cd-r was burned from the specific cd burner i have installed in my pc or not?

Thanks in advance!

[Joe Forster/STA]

DVDInfoPro. But, no, it can't tell the brand/type of the burner, unless it was burnt onto the CD/DVD by the burner software itself.

[TippeX]

heh nic wilson.. you heard the stories about him joe? also, it might be worth mentioning that the the unregistered version of the program in your link also has bundled ads (yet it claims its not adware).... personally i'd use nero's tool instead of dvdinfopro, simply cos its better and the coder of dvdinfopro has his head up his arse

[Joe Forster/STA]

I haven't been using DVDInfoPro - either the unregistered or registered version - but it looked serious enough to me and a few other, serious, sites were suggesting its use. But thanks for the hint, one less software to remember!

[ksetsipotos]

Thanks a lot for all the help!
So, there is no way a burner leaves any particular "mark" on the cd that can be recognized and identified, right? (maybe some kinda code, serial, etc)

[ksetsipotos]

Or maybe there is something to find out about the software with which the cd was burned? how can we learn that ?

[TippeX]

software with which the cd/dvd was burned, usually manifests itself in the sector 16 block
theres a 'publisher' portion in the struct, most of the times you'll see 'NERO' etc.. in there, sometimes its blank.. really depends on the software used...

can you explain exactly what you need, as i might be able to help...

[ksetsipotos]

Thank u pal.
First of all can u explain me how could i hava access to that block 16 u re mentioning?

Secondly what i want to do is this: veryfy that a given cd-rom is NOT burned from a specific burner on a specific, pc, as well as the exact date, or any other possible clues about that burning seasson! So i just thought that the way to do that should be : if during a burning proccess there are marks, "printed" in the cd that identifies either the pc or the burner or even the software used. what advice can u give me on this?

[Joe Forster/STA]

Again, you cannot rely on the presence of pretty much any information (burning/expiry dates, burner software/person/company etc.) because whether or not they are written and, if so, with what actual content, onto the CD/DVD is dependent on the burner software (and its configuration settings).

[ksetsipotos]

with what actual content, onto the CD/DVD is dependent on the burner software (and its configuration settings).


Yeah i pretty much understand it, so i think of that: knowing the burner software's configuration settings cant i determine whether or not a given cd was burned from that given burner?
Or maybe i can compare two cd's (the one i want to determine whether it is burned from that given burner and another i will burn from that given burner exactly for this purpose) so i ask for some advice where to look to find out any specific marks that aplies due to the burners software configuration, as u suggest above!

[TippeX]

access to sector 16.... erm you read it from the disk

the sector 16 info is dependant on the burner sure, usually a part of this area is stamped with 'NERO' or whatever... tracking it down the the actual machine / burner used to make the disk... i doubt very much thats possible....

it sounds like you dont really know about cd/dvd/iso standards too well....
so i ask again, what EXACTLY is it you're trying to do? (im guessing its some 'protection' thing)....

[ksetsipotos]

it sounds like you dont really know about cd/dvd/iso standards too well....

yeah, thats not far from the truth


so i ask again, what EXACTLY is it you're trying to do? (im guessing its some 'protection' thing)....

yeah, that was the original thought, but it seems somewhat interesting as well to get knowing things like that

[Joe Forster/STA]

For reading CD's/DVD's at sector level, try IsoBuster or WinHex... or, perhaps, Nero also has such a tool.

[ksetsipotos]

Thanks a lot, i ll give them both a try! I aslo tried fireburners "read LBA" feature and seemed quite ok, i laso checked that "16 sector" and i contained some infos indeed ,but when i tried a cd written with DVDDecrypter the software's name was not part of these infos, "NERO" was vissible on another's cd 16nth sector though....

Btw: do u know where we can learn anything about the exact date/time the seasson was burned? (i am not talking about the case in wich the choice in the burning software is set to make default file dates same as the current)

[TippeX]

erm forget that, learn the iso standard first, then code some tools...
most of the questions you're asking really show you havent researched...
there is NO 100% method to detect what burned the disk / date / time it was burned at... at best, you find out what was used to make the image that was burned to the disk

nero was just an example, the sector 16 data is probably all you'll have to work with/from... and its pretty easy to access, especially in 2k or higher using spti....

anyway, go do some research and then come back with any questions....