backing up copy protected pc games

Hi, all. I am completely new to this pc game stuff and I want to back up my copy protected pc games. I am clueless about the whole process. Would really appreciate help along the lines of an 'Idiot's Guide'! Are there any equivalent downloads to Clonecd, Blindwrite and Alcohol 120%? Freeware or Shareware preferably. Also, what is alcoholer?

 

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I rushed ahead before I received your reply and downloaded a trial version of CloneCD. So far I have made back up copies of my games CATWOMAN and ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 2. Both of which won't work. I can install them but when I try to play nothing happens. I just stay on the desktop. Am I doing something wrong?

 

Some programs ask the writer what kind of cd is inside the drive (a blank or a pressed disc). This is the so-called ATIP check which can only be performed by cd writers and combo drives. In case the ATIP check reveals that there is a blank in the drive, the program refuses to run.
In that case activate the 'Hide CDR Media' function. The 'Hide CDR' function is a special feature from CloneCD and should work on most Windows systems regardless of the burner type.
By activating the CloneCD tray tool you are able to hide CD-R media from being detected by protected programs with a right-click onto the referring icon. This useful tool can be activated in the CloneCD menu (Start->Program files->SlySoft->CloneCD->CloneCD Tray).

 

I backed up roller coaster tycoon a while ago and I just dragged the files to a folder and burned them as a data cd and it does let me intall and stuff.

 

dragging and dropping huh? I wish it was that easy.

RollerCoaster Tycoon has no protection, try that with a game that has protection on it and tell me your method worked.

 

Can someone please tell me why I can't launch the alcoholer.rar download from Free Download Manager? FDM says the download is complete but Windows XP keeps telling me it can't open a rar file? Why? And do I really need alcoholer anyway? Thanks for the 'dragging tip'. Is that as easy to do as it sounds? I did say I was new to this!!!

 

@ geestar20

here are a few I "dragged and dropped"

Roller coaster tycoon 2,
fifa 2004,
age of empires 2,
age of empires 2 expansion.

Thats all i can remember

BTW this is only for install not for playing cause it says wrong cd inserted for all.

 

then the "Dragg and Drop" method doesn't work.

@-tambycat-

You probably need winrar to open a rar. file

Ive never used alcoholer so I have no answers for you on this issue.

 

(stupid question, yeah)

Can you backup a game, install it and play it without it saying "wrong cd inserted"?

I thought there was some encryption that could tell it wasn't the real disc or can some programs do this?

 

These programs can

Alcohol 120%
Blindwrite
Clonecd

 

Thanks for the help geestar20
I already have alchohol 120% (trial) and Blindwrite.

 

if you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

I try to click on HIDE CDR MEDIA but its gray and im not able to click on it and i have the copy in wat do i do?

 

I have a Questions for the AfterDawn team. I have here RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 orig copy. I am trying to make back ups of it so i do not have to move the disk from PC to PC.

In my reading i have used the folling software:
Aray Scanner V 2.0.2.2 "details SecuROM 5.03.06.0020 detected"
Alcohol 120% Trial Ver 1.9.5 (Build 2802)
The backup installs fine, but replies (Please Insert Orig Disc see Securom website for details)

I have also tried:
Game X Copy
Mini Image

Considering
Blind Write v5.2.16
CloneCD or whatever it is

How can i make this work AfterDawn?
Your solutions for my DVD-R problems worked great hopefully you can help THANKS in advance and sorry for the long message.

My Equipment (Burners)
Plextor CD-R PX-320A
TDK DvDRw 1280B

 

Hi guys,

I am trying to backup my copy of Championship Manager 2005, it installs OK but when I come to play it I get a window saying "No CD in the drive" I have used CD clone to copy it and the "hide CDR media" option is ticked.

Hope you can help

Mike

 

if u ask me u would be better off just backin up ur iso or bin or whatever ur image is in data format. Then u can use daemon tools (i love this app cuts cd-r usage in half). It has securerom and safedisc features so they will almost always work. This way you can just back up 3 or 4 images as data on a dvd+-r and ur set. Daemon tools is always being updated and improved so no probs there and even if it does go outdated just burn ur images later.

 

Hi All

I have just backed up my Doom 3 game which installs and plays no problems using the following programs
Cloney xxl
Alcoholer
Alcohol 120%

1.Insert game into burner
2.Open Cloney and select scan disk (which will tell you it is safedisk v2 protected but Doom 3 is Safedisk v3.2 protected)
3.Open Alcoholer
4.Under the heading "1.Selecting a Profile" change the "CD Data" field from Safedisk v2 to Safedisk v2.9x(only need to change for games with Safe disk v3.2 ealier version can be left as detected by Cloney eg Stronghold, Age of Empires 2)
5.Click on start Alcohol 120% which opens the Alcohol 120 % application
6.Select Copy Wizard
7.Select Next
8.Select Next
9.Select Start
10.When all is complete close everything down and you are done

Please Note you should see a crap load of Disc Read Errors at the start of the burning phase!!

For disks 2 and 3 repeat all steps except step 4 because thier is no protection on these two disks.

Hope this helps someone

 

i'm a little curious on what version of clone cd that you downloaded