Virtual CD (alcohol, deamon tools) Needing better

[robbi]

Have always had problems with every pc i have with both deamon and alcohol as they use the sptd driver. Which makes my dvd drives a lost cause for writing and reading speed. Also the driver is also fully to blame for pc not booting when are installed. Ok no problem for a while then flashing _ on black screen that isn't ntlrd.dll or such related. Also have seen similar problem for speed and drive going wrong with patin couffin driver installed.

Though i still need a dedicated virtualdrive that can read copy protected type games and such. Since need to read raw disks for other os such as HFS+ and the likes from vmware. Which seems only these virtual drives can do.

Someone know of good software than are good as deamon tools or alcohol which doesn't use the SPTD driver or the patin couffin driver ?

[philamber]

Virtual clone drive and nero image drive are possibilities though virtual clone drive has only limited capabilities with copy protected games whilst nero image drive has virtually none at all.

[robbi]

Agree those are limited shame since none exist that are stable enough to be relied upon. Actual SPTD doesn’t black screen instantly, does so after a day or so. BUt when it happens only sollution is to install os or use image backup. As long as SPTD isn’t on the back restored.

May have to use it and restore with backup. It would be with deamon tools since any Alcohol install rubbish toolbars and snit. Why they bother to even package them when it is a pay software is just a joke. Never believe a word if they say opt out, it’s a lie.

There has to be a software that is as good as daemon tools taht doesn’t use SPTD driver. Heck knows what it is or called but is needed.

Soapbox-a-coming…

Tried writing to SPTD via inform on the their web site. Kept complaining ‘prove you are human’ enter these words were wrong. Guess they must know how much a joke there driver is. Or more likely peed off with complaints how bad it is.

…SoapBox-Moments…
Why do Alcohol and Deamon Tools use it, i read nothing but problems people have from it. Even i have problems with them writing and reading optical discs. As proven using Chef’s amazing low and high filter utility. After it was uninstalled and proven using the utility all was back to normal. Which just shows how much a lame driver can cause havok on a system. Last straw was the black screen which wasn’t a ntdll problem at all. Since i did a test made a backup and then when the sytem went down, i rebotted over and over to do that. Another backup compare files showed all was well. Removing the SPTD driver only i couldn’t do the same again neither has it happen again. Yet the backup on vmware (tib to vmdk converted) shows the problem is still there. Got similar problems uninstall SPTD and live without it for a healthy system os.
…SoapBox-over…

F’ SPTD driver it truly is F’

…Ok now the SoapBox-Moment is over…

Doesn’t this forum feel empty now. Where has everyone gone, is there another forum where everyone has emergrated. Or is it just summer and everyone is outside. Actualy that’s not correct now since everyone nearly has mobile devices now so able to visit the forum anywhere (where reception allows).

[Terramex]

[QUOTE=robbi;2592019]Have always had problems with every pc i have with both deamon and alcohol as they use the sptd driver. Which makes my dvd drives a lost cause for writing and reading speed.
[/QUOTE]With newer versions of SPTD i haven’t heard of any reading slowdowns yet.
Never heard of any writing issues caused by SPTD.
If you’re having problems with SPTD it would be a good starting point to describe your problem in the official
Support Forums of Alcohol Soft, DT Soft and/or Duplex Secure.

There seems to be a conflict of SPTD with some other driver or service in your systems - mostly some Security Software.
This can be, but doesn’t necessarily have to be SPTD’s fault:
http://forum.daemon-tools.cc/f14/sptd-1-43-problems-17104/#post85318
http://www.matousec.com/info/articles/plague-in-security-software-drivers.php

Some known issues and solutions are mentioned here:
http://support.alcohol-soft.com/en/knowledgebase.php
http://www.daemon-help.com/en/problems_and_solutions.html

Which Security Software are you using ?
Which filter drivers do you have ?

[QUOTE=robbi;2592019]Since need to read raw disks for other os such as HFS+…[/QUOTE]Maybe TransMac or Isobuster fits your needs.

[QUOTE=robbi;2592329]… since any Alcohol install rubbish toolbars and snit. Why they bother to even package them when it is a pay software is just a joke.[/QUOTE]Older versions of the free edition of Alcohol 52% had mandatory Toolbars (which could be easily uninstalled after installation). The toolbar in current free Alcohol 52% edition is optional.
Paid versions of course don’t have mandatory Toolbars

[QUOTE=robbi;2592329]Tried writing to SPTD via inform on the their web site. Kept complaining ‘prove you are human’ enter these words were wrong.[/QUOTE]Yes, Captchas can be a pain in the a…, but don’t blame Duplex Secure for that

[QUOTE=robbi;2592329]As proven using Chef’s amazing low and high filter utility. After it was uninstalled and proven using the utility all was back to normal.[/QUOTE]SPTD is no filter driver.

P.S.: when using DAEMON Tools you have the option to [I]not[/I] install SPTD and use a more simple virtual drive instead - advanced emulation options aren’t available though

[robbi]

Have tried Transmac and Iso Buster both don’t mount images to os.

Don’t mind captures to keep the robots away as long as they work Secure Duplex doesn’t work at all. It has two types of captchas the first doesn’t even work. So i did try and write to them via their own web form, no go.

For Deamon Tools or Alcohol i won’t since its revenue from them from Secure Duplex i’m sure. Or they would never have put up with all the problem the SPTD drivers have and had cause over the years.

Didn’t know Deamon had changed optional driver or not, worth having a second look if really doesn’t install SPTD.

I have done tests with SPTD on new vanilla xp os with different service packs. And minimal needed hardware for xp to run. 1 hdd, memory, monitor, no over clock (ever)
etc. Even so it still on three different intel pc cause the system to hange on repat testing reboots. Without the driver no continous reboot would cause any error. And that bug went on for many SPTD driver over many years. Hardly proven tested as working. Maybe more like still beta untested driver.

MAybe not a filter but with using Chef’s filter analyzer and chef’s advice i uninstalled SPTD. And was proven to be the trouble maker, cannot remember if was on the list or not. Or even care to prove it by installing the SPTD driver ever again. Secure Duplex as a company is not end user friendly. More of a closed doors company to heck with you, use or don’t we don’t care less type of attitude. Their choice but in doing so ruins their own reputation if have any left at all.

Ads in Alcohol yes if you install trial as most people do. Won’t completely unistall when paid for, ok not be ther but not fully uninstalled, registery and more. Same goes for if you have paid for 120% it they are entered to the registry and have seen more but forget what that was. Enough to say that either way remnants or bits are installed. Problem is why they bother at all with such snit. If they say because of 52% then don’t have the 52%. Only have 120% and have it as a trial and fully working after paid for. And leave out all of the crat from the installer and have none. Reputation again, such as i will install Deamon only because no crap, and now because no SPTD needed. Some companies should think more of the end user and how they view and use the product.

One thing is true less comapnies now package crapware in their softwares because people will look elsewhere. Alcohol is a prime example how not to package software, and to remove it from the installer for sake of continued custom. More so since it users teh hopless SPTD driver, maybe alcohol should do as deamon tools has done. As just said 120% a trial and full version. The trial has no SPTD and the full version does. Or better can choose no to both versions and still have no snitware in the installer. You listen Alcohol, yeh bet you are to boot…