Which CD emulator is Best?

[VLC]

relocated to proper board now.

[IceBreaker]

So far, Daemon tools has never let me down: it's freeware, and perfectly transparent & stealthy. One constraint though : has 2B REGULARLY updated to avert 'blacklists'.

[gh0sth@cker]

For me, Alcohol does it all and more.
31 virtual drives leaves me spoilt for choice.

[IceBreaker]

...
31 virtual drives leaves me spoilt for choice.

True Daemon tools limits the number of drives to 5, but I seldom need even > 2 virtual drives hehe... Besides I'm not sure how the presence of many virtual CDs affects system performance and stability.

Nevertheless, it would be a good idea for the Alcohol guys to release a "very lite" freeware version of their software which would in fact only comprise the 'virtual CD drive' part of it ...

Actually, Alcohol is the ONLY virtual drive I've never really tested.
But I do have it at my disposal, and "registered" version at that
Could U tell me
- which of Devil tools/Booze 120% is the stealthiest, ie. prevents its detection by game protections ?
- which of the two takes up the least system resources?
- speed comparison (though I think both may be equivalent)?

I NEED to know, now that U've made me curious

[Machina]

Alcoholics always make the best soft!

[IceBreaker]

Sure: HARD liquor -> SOFTware

[Machina]

Yup! Don't worry, when I will own half of the world, I will force developers and engineers to create some incredible machine that can do 1:1 copies on CD-ROMs (not CD-Rs) without software !

[IceBreaker]

Huh... Machina I don't want 2 disappoint you, but if I'm not mistaken CD replicators already exist , they R known as "hardware CD duplicators" (btw there wuz a thread posted a few days ago in this forum, concerning these devices, by 'fumtu' I think - to this day it got no reply - sob ).

[Machina]

LOL, then why in the world were you telling me that those machines are impossible to make in the SafeDisk thread?

[IceBreaker]

counter-LOL oh yeah the good old safedisk thread...

Sacrebleu! I only said that it was impossible to make a replicator that reads "blindly", ie. in 100% RAW mode, which would mean without any error correction and with perfect accuracy, regardless of original CD's state (scratches, etc...).

Now hardware CD duplicators DO exist, but serious doubt is to be cast upon their efficiency. The big difference between these (expen$ive) hardware CD-writers and standard CD-burners is that the former write on blank CD-ROMs instead of CD-Rs, thus eliminating the famous ATIP prob. There is also - perhaps - the sense of self-satisfaction in having a backup pressed on a CD-ROM, (that is, with pits & lands) rather than burnt on a simple CD-R (with dark & clear areas that simulate pits & lands).

Nevertheless, as I previously said, even those devices need an internal error-correction mechanism, most probably also based on EFM modulation. Even if you own half the world , true RAW reading is impossible unless you also own the entire universe, succeed in overthrowing its one Creator, and thus gain access to all Supreme Knowledge. This I've already tried - without success, so good luck...

[Machina]

But there maybe another method of reading CDs!
Maybe like a WHOLE NEW way, maybe some THICK and WIDE laser would be pointed at the CD (whole thing at once), and then copy the pits & lands etc in its...clipboard and then maybe it would PRESS that image of pits into a CD-ROM.
There is ALWAYS a way, nothing is impossible.
Maybe some chemical could do it!
Think outside the box! Outside the CD-RW
.

[IceBreaker]

Sure, nothing's impo$$ible if you throw in the buck$...
Once way it might be possible would be by devising a new king of hardware duplicator that still uses lasers but this time to simulate some sort of "mould effect" (since CD-ROMs use pits) to perfectly reproduce the CD...

But hey, even without considering its dirt-cheap price, my good ole' Litey has never as of yet given me anything to complain about, so I'll jus' stick to it - 4 now at least

...
Think outside the box! Outside the CD-RW

U mean ASTRAL PROJECTION ?

[Machina]

StarForce 3 - you beat that with your Litey!

[IceBreaker]

Starforce 3 uses a new encryption that protects not only the executable, but also non-executable files as well . Thus making a crack will be considerably harder. As for the copy-protection, I know little about it: some have claimed to have made a working image with Whisky 120% using Starforce 1/2 profile, PLUS enabling subchannel data reading AND setting data position measurement to 'high'. As for burning a workable copy which needs no emulation (ie. with Blindwrite+BWAbuilder), I know that the most recent Securom and Starforce schemes are much trickier to fool using the BW 'twinpeaks' method - the Blindwrite guys had better keep up...

I've heard that the Plextor Premium is capable of reproducing density variations on a CD-R using its onboard Gigarec feature, giving it a (temporary) headstart over other burners. But although it works with recent Securom versions (where it makes (working) backups that are almost 1:1, in fact 'damn close to the originals' according to a german forum) it has not been tested with Starforce disks, where physical characteristics are somewhat different, and much more complex.

ClonyXXL 2.0.1.3+ can detect this new protection and the Clonecd/Blindwrite/Alcohol guys are already working on a solution. It is but a question of time before this protection is officially defeated, and most probably in the immediate future. However there is a dark threat on the horizon, a looming shadow, and it has a name: Starforce 4 SE (Secret Edition). Its release date is of yet unknown...

But hey, never fear, for as I've always said,

IF IT CAN BE READ IT CAN BE BURNT

Some day, freedom and justice will prevail, and people all over the world will live in total bliss, and peace of mind, regardless of their age, caste, creed, color, or CD burner brand, making 1:1 backups of all their games

[gh0sth@cker]

Originally posted by IceBreaker
the Clonecd/Blindwrite/Alcohol guys are already working on a solution.

Clone CD is dead unfortunately.