How to Backup a Copy Protected Game CD

PLEASE READ THE FAQ!

It’s your choice. Use CloneCD within limitations, generally hardware related, or use another application. The fun is in trying it all out and becoming better and good at it. CloneCD can backup your game CD or data CD unless it’s a rare protection like StarForce. For audio take a look here first

Right now, you have choices with CloneCD.

• For SafeDisc v2, you can “Ignore” the protection, “Amplify” it or “Emulate” it.
• For SecuROM v4.8x you can use the twinpeak method and CloneCD or use another application like Blindwrite.
• LaserLock is dead meat as is Ring Protech

In all cases, you can get your backup onto a writeable CD. Some apps just can't cope with errors. Only DiscJuggler is second to CloneCD for Error Reading. Some applications can only emulate the protection when playing from an image on the hard-drive. This is not a criticism of Daemon Tools which has been developed to play from an image; it’s the best tool for defeating copy protection in a way BUT it does not write and was never meant to write. Some burning apps write emulation code onto the CD-R without telling you; CloneCD does not do this, save emulating the pre-gap for SafeDisc v2 which all apps, except DiscJuggler, will do. This is why DJ either works...or it doesn’t and is unforgiving. Alcohol120% will soon be the best all rounder but CloneCD is unique. CloneCD was the first four - button, out of the box, success story. A lot of development time goes into making it fool-proof and virtually ‘click & go’. These are my words, objective judgement I hope because I don’t get paid for any of this and I have registered every burning app I use (and I love ‘em all!). There are other great products but this is the CloneCD Forum and it’s CloneCD I’m talking about.

Now some terminology

• A CD-R/W is a writeable CD in general
• A write-once CD is a CD-R, although Session At Once means you can write more than once to a write-once CD; this is subtle, OK?
• A hard-drive is a disk
• A CD-R is a disc
• A rewriteable CD is a CD-RW
• We call a CD-RW optical device a “burner” – go figure. I believe it’s a contextual thing

The way to approach CloneCD is to choose the appropriate default profile in the Reading or Imaging window and ditto in the Burning or Writing window. If it works...don’t argue. Doesn’t work? Post here. Wanna have fun? Read on!

• Download CloneCD
• Check here for the copy protection
• Check here for an idea of your writer's capability

Backing up a CD depends on the burning software, reader, writer, system configuration and media CD-R(W)

• Burning software – Roxio’s Easy CD Creator will just not do it...OK?! If you tell me that you copied The Sims Unleashed with it, you’re a liar or a naive warez user. You need a dedicated application like CloneCD
• Reader - can be a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or a burner
• a CD burner or a DVD burner will burn CD-Rs; the only device guaranteed to burn a CD-R is a CD-RW, OK?
• System Configuration - you should have a fast ATA or SCSI disk, DMA enabled, correct IDE/SCSI cabling and Easy CD Creator v4.x or less ABSENT from your system; image (or write to disk) before writing to CD-R
• Use good media; if it costs 3cents per disc, don't ask me for advice!

The latest copy protections abounding are:

• SafeDisc v2.8x
• SecuROM 4.8x
• LaserLock 2 (known as just LaserLock, because, all burning apps take the v2 tweaks into account)
• Ring Protech - not a problem for most readers
• 'Home Made' crap, like that found on some country-specific versions of Soldiers of Anarchy

The critical divisions between copy protections are:

• Up to SafeDisc 2.4 - no ATIP (or CD-R) check; just about anything can write it
• SafeDisc v1.x – a piece of cake for any RAW reader and writer
• SafeDisc Lite – a piece of cake for any RAW reader and writer
• SafeDisc v2.x – what protection?
• SD2.4.x to 2.50 – ATIP Check introduced; weak (error) sectors are easily overcome by many, many writers
• SD2.51.020 – lotsa trouble: some Plextors come to grief as do Acers
• SD2.51.021 – just about everything except ASUS, Lite-On, LG GCE models and some Plex are able to write it without help
• SD2.8x – whoops! Only ASUS, some Lite-On and some Plex can do it without help

Protections go through iterations as do the burning apps and the Firmware coders for the hardware; it’s expensive stuff for the game software developers, little return for the burning app author and possibly not as good as it should be for the optical manufacturers but by golly, do we have fun! There’s more info in the other Read Me posts, please search, look around and make a post.

Now, PLEASE READ THE FAQ!

Get Down & Dirty

If you are in the market for a burner, check out one of these: Brand Model Firmware Revision

• ARTEC CDRW241040+ -
• ASUS CRW-1610A -
• ASUS CRW-3212A -
• ASUS CRW-4012A -
• ASUS CRW-4816A -
• ASUS CRW-5224A -
• BTC BCE-3212IM -
• BTC BCE4824IM 2002 11 21
• BTC BCE-5224IM 2002 11 21
• BTC CD-RW IDE4816 2002 08 26
• BTC CDWRITER IDE4824 2002 11 21
• BTC CDWRITER IDE5224 2002 11 21
• CyberDrive CW099D 52x24x52 2002 12 02
• LG GCE-8160B -
• LG GCE-8320B -
• LG GCE-8400B 2002 06 26
• LITEON LTR-16102B -
• LITEON LTR-24102B -
• LITEON LTR-24103S -
• LITEON LTR-32123S -
• LITEON LTR-40125S -
• LITEON LTR-48125W -
• LITEON LTR-52246S -
• MEMOREX 16MAXX 1040JB 2002 05 13
• MEMOREX 24MAXX 1040 2002 05 13
• MEMOREX 32MAXX 1240AJ 2002 05 22
• MEMOREX 32MAXX 1240AK 2002 05 13
• MEMOREX 40 MAXX 1248AJ 2002 05 22
• MEMOREX 48MAXX 1248AJ 2002 05 23
• POLAROID BurnMAX40 2002 11 25
• POLAROID BurnMAX48 2002 11 25
• POLAROID BurnMAX52 2003 01 31
• SONY CRX175A1 -
• SONY CRX185E1 2002 05 22
• SONY CRX185E3 -
• SONY CRX195E1 2002 05 22
• SONY CRX220E2 2002 11 21
• TEAC CD-W548E 2002 12 06
• TOSHIBA SD-R1202 -
• TOSHIBA SD-R1312 2003 02 18
• TOSHIBA SD-R2312 2002 07 25
• TOSHIBA SD-R2412 2002 11 27
• TOSHIBA SD-R5002 2002 11 14
• TRAXDATA CDRW-2440MB -
• TRAXDATA CDRW-2440SD -
• TRAXDATA CDRW-4824E 2002 11 21
• TRAXDATA CDRW-5224E 2003 01 31
• WAITEC FRISBYII 2002 09 26

The ASUS is most reliable in CloneCD. The Lite-On is cheaper and has more 'fun' FW upgrades. The Toshiba is a superb piece of kit - the 5002 and 1312 are 3 sheep burners (if there was such a thing )

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Last edited by FutureProof; 21-02-2003 at 13:17.

My sony make perfect copy'es of all safedisk protections. i just wanted to make a notise.

I have a 24x creative is it worth throwing in the bin???

If so can u give me the 1 model number of what to buy to fill the hole??

Thx

Try this link. Here you can see how good your writer is working with CloneCD.

The Polaroid BurnMAX48x can easily backup Safedisc 2.8.x (The Sims Unleashed) using CloneCD 4.2.0.2. Here are the CloneCD settings I used.

[CloneCD ReadPrefs]
ReadSubData=0
RegenerateData=0
ReadSubAudio=0
AbortOnReadError=0
FastErrorSkip=1
ReadSpeedData=0
ReadSpeedAudio=0
IntelligentBadSectorScan=0
SectorSkip=100
NoErrorReport=0
FirstSessionOnly=0
AudioQuality=0
[CloneCD WritePrefs]
DontRepairSubchannelData=0
AlwaysCloseLastSession=1
AmplifyWeak=0
WriteSpeed=0


Shoebedobedoo

Is the Asus 48/48/24 (I think model CRW-4824A?) be able to defeat all SD 2.8 and Securom 4.8 protections (with the correct software/settings)? It's not listed above.

Very easily and I don't even own an Asus cdrw (anymore). Use BlindWrite Suite to backup the latest SecuROM and Safedisc cd protections Latest BlindWrite Suite release confirmed to backup Grand Theft Auto Vice City....
BlindWrite Suite:http://www.vso-software.fr/download.htm

Shoey

i have a sony cdrw crx175e and i need a iso copy of my gta3 cd2
how du i make a iso of the cd easy

if you have icq send me ancer on 7980526

sweetmeinert,
Take a peek at the forum rules before you post m8.

Shoey