How to make an "exact" copy of a cd

[Veerle]

Hi,

I bought for my kids a cd with a Dora game for the pc: the dutch
version of "Dora's Dance to the Rescue" by Atari.

Because my kids are still very young (2,5 and 3,5 years old) I usualy
make images of game cds which I then mount as a separate drive. This
makes that there's no more need to change disks and makes sure the
original disks don't get damaged. I didn't follow this strategy from
the start and they already broke one game cd that I didn't make a
backup copy of. This Dora game although won't work as an image. It
detects that it's being used from a virtual drive and gives an error
message about it.

So I tried making a cd copy using Nero. But then the game complains
about not finding the original disk and won't work again. So I guess
something changed in the cd copy compared to the original disk? Is
there a way to make an exact copy of the game so that it will still
work? Maybe I need to use software other than Nero? Then I can just
put the original disk away for in case something happens to the copy.
I though everyone has the legal right to make copies of stuff you buy
for backup purposes? But what use I have for this legal right if the
copy doesn't work?

I have been searching Google and found stuff about people having the
same problem with other Atari games, but I couldn't find anything
about a working solution...

I think they should at least put a warning on the cd box that you're
unable to make a working backup of it, in that case I could notice it
in the store and would just buy another game. For me, it is to
important to be able to make an image or at least backup of it,
because one cd already got broken and that way it's just a waste of my
money.

Veerle

 

[smh]

.. --------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------
http://tinyurl.com/38wte6

(No Mikey S-lickers have been able to prove ANY of the above )
(is a LIBEL -- despite Mikey claimed to have PROOF of libels!)
'

For a start, go here:
http://www.gamecopyworld.com/

 

[sandy58]

Hi,

I bought for my kids a cd with a Dora game for the pc: the dutch
version of "Dora's Dance to the Rescue" by Atari.

Because my kids are still very young (2,5 and 3,5 years old) I usualy
make images of game cds which I then mount as a separate drive. This
makes that there's no more need to change disks and makes sure the
original disks don't get damaged. I didn't follow this strategy from
the start and they already broke one game cd that I didn't make a
backup copy of. This Dora game although won't work as an image. It
detects that it's being used from a virtual drive and gives an error
message about it.

So I tried making a cd copy using Nero. But then the game complains
about not finding the original disk and won't work again. So I guess
something changed in the cd copy compared to the original disk? Is
there a way to make an exact copy of the game so that it will still
work? Maybe I need to use software other than Nero? Then I can just
put the original disk away for in case something happens to the copy.
I though everyone has the legal right to make copies of stuff you buy
for backup purposes? But what use I have for this legal right if the
copy doesn't work?

I have been searching Google and found stuff about people having the
same problem with other Atari games, but I couldn't find anything
about a working solution...

I think they should at least put a warning on the cd box that you're
unable to make a working backup of it, in that case I could notice it
in the store and would just buy another game. For me, it is to
important to be able to make an image or at least backup of it,
because one cd already got broken and that way it's just a waste of my
money.

Veerle

http://m0001.gamecopyworld.com/games/pc_dora_dance_to_the_rescue.shtml
Taking smh's tip a little further. You need a "NoCD" crack for your
game, Veerle. This you paste into the game folder. I see in this link
that the Dutch version is "greyed-out" (inactive) but have a search
around. Repost if you have no luck.

 

[Michael]

Hi,

I bought for my kids a cd with a Dora game for the pc: the dutch
version of "Dora's Dance to the Rescue" by Atari.

Because my kids are still very young (2,5 and 3,5 years old) I usualy
make images of game cds which I then mount as a separate drive. This
makes that there's no more need to change disks and makes sure the
original disks don't get damaged. I didn't follow this strategy from
the start and they already broke one game cd that I didn't make a
backup copy of. This Dora game although won't work as an image. It
detects that it's being used from a virtual drive and gives an error
message about it.

So I tried making a cd copy using Nero. But then the game complains
about not finding the original disk and won't work again. So I guess
something changed in the cd copy compared to the original disk? Is
there a way to make an exact copy of the game so that it will still
work? Maybe I need to use software other than Nero? Then I can just
put the original disk away for in case something happens to the copy.
I though everyone has the legal right to make copies of stuff you buy
for backup purposes? But what use I have for this legal right if the
copy doesn't work?

I have been searching Google and found stuff about people having the
same problem with other Atari games, but I couldn't find anything
about a working solution...

I think they should at least put a warning on the cd box that you're
unable to make a working backup of it, in that case I could notice it
in the store and would just buy another game. For me, it is to
important to be able to make an image or at least backup of it,
because one cd already got broken and that way it's just a waste of my
money.

Veerle

I think this is a problem with your game, not the CD. You may try
installing the game from CD image and run it again.

 

[RajKohli]

I am using Nero 6 Image Drive from last many years and never had a problem
using it like a Virtual CD Drive.

I always use the Nero Express's "Copy Entire Disc" option to backup an
entire CD as an exact copy of the original.

1. Start Nero Express
2. Click Copy Entire Disc option
3. In Source Drive and Destination Drive set the same CD/DVD writer you have
physically installed.
4. Click the Burn button and Nero file make a temporary image and then will
eject the original/source cd and will ask you to insert the blank disc.

That is all.

You can also use the same option to create Nero Images which later can be
open in Nero Image Drive (if it is being installed), so you don't have to
insert the original cd or burn a blank disc.

Click Copy Entire Disc and in the Destination Drive choose Image Recorder
then Nero will ask you where to save with what name? Specify a name and
location. But before making an disc image be sure that the Nero version you
are using have Nero ImageDrive option available. install the Nero Image Drive
first.

This feature is working for every image I use. Either it is a game or a
software.

Hope this help, let us know!

 

[dadiOH]

Hi,

I bought for my kids a cd with a Dora game for the pc: the dutch
version of "Dora's Dance to the Rescue" by Atari.

Because my kids are still very young (2,5 and 3,5 years old) I usualy
make images of game cds which I then mount as a separate drive. This
makes that there's no more need to change disks and makes sure the
original disks don't get damaged. I didn't follow this strategy from
the start and they already broke one game cd that I didn't make a
backup copy of. This Dora game although won't work as an image. It
detects that it's being used from a virtual drive and gives an error
message about it.

Does/did something get installed from the original CD? If so, it has
probably kept a record of the drive letter and when you try to use a virtual
CD the drive letter is different.

If that is the case you might try looking in the install folder for an ini
or cfg file; if found and drive letter is listed change it to the virtual
drive letter. Alternatively, change the virtual drive letter to that of the
install drive.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Xandros]

I used Nero DriveImage too. Sometimes a game needs to look at drive letter
"D" as the location of the disc. Try changing drive letters so that your
virtual drive is letter D. If you don't know how you can right click My
Computer and select Manage to open Computer Management. Under the Storage
section left click on Disk Management. In the left window pane you will see
your drives. If another drive is listed as D you need to change it first.
Right click the device and select Change Drive letters and paths. Change the
letter to something else. Afterward you will have drive letter D free to
assign to the virtual drive.

 

[LVTravel]

In addition to what every one else is saying, there are methods to prevent a
CD from being copied and there are no hacks to allow the use as you want to
use or copy it. One is to create a true CRC error on the disk master and
that CRC error won't be copied to a clone disk. Other method is to place a
physical skip in a data track on the disk. This also won't copy to a clone
disk even when imaging disk to disk. The program looks for the CRC error or
the track skip and it then knows that the disk is not genuine.

 

[Veerle]

Thanks for all the responses.

I deinstalled the game. Then I did a re-install from the image drive
(I don't use Nero DriveImage but PowerISO by the way, Nero is what I
used to make a cd copy). Then when I tried starting up the game
(without cd but with image still mounted) it gave me a different error
than before, something about the wrong disc being inserted. So the
suggestion Michael gave doesn't do the trick. And it also proves all
the drive letter theories wrong (dadiOH and Xandros).

Then I applied the english fix from gameworld (thanks smh and
sandy58!) by lack of a dutch fix (I tried searching for a dutch one
but it always got me back to the gameworld website). That solved the
problem. I can now play the game without the original cd and even
without the image mounted. I tried it for a few minutes and Dora still
seems to talk dutch (with the occassional english, but that's the
point) and also the few text lines I saw were still in dutch. Guess
all the language dependent info is not in the main executable (which I
replaced by the fix) but in the other files. This is exactly what I
wanted. Thanks a lot!

Less important now that I've found a good solution is to mention that
I did make a entire disc copy of the original cd using Nero. An
installation that was done with the original disc (and that was not
fixed in the way described above) does not run with the copied cd. So
either the entire disc copy doesn't make an exact copy of the cd
(probably using one of the methods described by LVTravel) Or when
installing the game some unique code of the cd is saved on the hard
disc and when starting the game the two codes are compared. I could
find that out by installing the game with the copied cd and seeing if
the game works with the copied cd then. But that will be for some
other time. My guess is that the entire disc copy doesn't make an
exact copy, because the other possibility doesn't prevent people from
making illegal copies which is what I guess that Atari is trying to
do.

Thanks again to all of you for thinking along and helping to solve the
problem!

 

[smh]

.. --------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------
http://tinyurl.com/38wte6

(No Mikey S-lickers have been able to prove ANY of the above )
(is a LIBEL -- despite Mikey claimed to have PROOF of libels!)
'

Thanks for all the responses.

I deinstalled the game. Then I did a re-install from the image drive
(I don't use Nero DriveImage but PowerISO by the way, Nero is what I
used to make a cd copy). Then when I tried starting up the game
(without cd but with image still mounted) it gave me a different error
than before, something about the wrong disc being inserted. So the
suggestion Michael gave doesn't do the trick. And it also proves all
the drive letter theories wrong (dadiOH and Xandros).

Then I applied the english fix from gameworld (thanks smh and
sandy58!) by lack of a dutch fix (I tried searching for a dutch one
but it always got me back to the gameworld website). That solved the
problem. I can now play the game without the original cd and even
without the image mounted. I tried it for a few minutes and Dora still
seems to talk dutch (with the occassional english, but that's the
point) and also the few text lines I saw were still in dutch. Guess
all the language dependent info is not in the main executable (which I
replaced by the fix) but in the other files. This is exactly what I
wanted. Thanks a lot!

Less important now that I've found a good solution is to mention that
I did make a entire disc copy of the original cd using Nero. An
installation that was done with the original disc (and that was not
fixed in the way described above) does not run with the copied cd. So
either the entire disc copy doesn't make an exact copy of the cd
(probably using one of the methods described by LVTravel) Or when
installing the game some unique code of the cd is saved on the hard
disc and when starting the game the two codes are compared. I could
find that out by installing the game with the copied cd and seeing if
the game works with the copied cd then. But that will be for some
other time. My guess is that the entire disc copy doesn't make an
exact copy, because the other possibility doesn't prevent people from
making illegal copies which is what I guess that Atari is trying to
do.

Thanks again to all of you for thinking along and helping to solve the
problem!

If you want more than sandy58's "NoCD" solution and want to make a
working copy:

CD Backup Guides and Tutorials - Articles on BlindWrite, Alcohol
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f81/

Copy Protection Identifying Guides
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f81/copy-protection-identifying-guides-updated-may-2008-a-102273/

Blindwrite
http://www.blindwrite.com/

Alcohol 120%
http://www.alcohol-soft.com/