Sims 2 Backup help for a newbie

Burning Software Copy Protection
#1

I have read, I believe every thread on Sims2. I have tried Alcohol 120% with the Safedisk 2/3 emulation, read 1x, write 4x. I am seeing what most are, where the game starts to load, but you get the Sims2 Splash Screen, then after a LONG while it will say to eject the CD and re-insert, and try again. Sometimes it will just crash. I see that most of you are posting your reader/writer make/model. I am at work and am not near my machine, but I can tell you it is a Dell X2. I do not think the CD drive in the machine is anything special. I am suspecting that my ISO image is ok, but it is the burn that is the problem. I have used Alcohol 120% to burn as well.

I am wondering if there is a MUST have switch/checkmark that I have maybe NOT done?

I am a regional IT Manager, but im not a game copy expert heheh (my kids probably are…I should ask them!) I figured you folks were the experts. I am at 6 coasters now so I thought I would officially ask for help.

Thank you all!

#2

I missed a thread below mine, but it said:

Lite-on dvd rom drives read SafeDisc backups pretty good. So if your looking for a no shit solution, then get one and burn with the SafeDisc 2/3 settings in Alcohol 120%.

But if u aint, then a Asus CD-RW or Lite-on CD-RW would be a good choice.

So basically, you folks are saying it is also the READ process that could be the issue as well as the write process? The drive listed above is the best? Is that something you can get at CompUSA/BestBuy? Can you tell me appoximate cost? Any issues with a Dell X2?

#3

The post you are referring to - the liteon DVD-Rom is good for “reading” the backup cd (ie. getting it to run) as it is not as picky as other drives with copy protections.

The reading process (to make an image file) is important, but it is the write process that is key as many burners cannot burn the copy protection info correctly, whereas nearly all drives can read it to an image file.

Liteon or Asus 52x burners to write sd 3 backups
Liteon DVD-Rom to read the backup cd to get it to verify correctly