Using both Clony XXL and A-Ray Scanner I detected SafeDisc 2.70.030 and when using Alcohol 120% I used the SafeDisk 2/3 datatype and made the backups. (Not sure if I should have selected "SafeDisk" or "SafeDisk 2/3") The backup disks will install the program on another computer, but will not run when the program is executed. However, the originals will work on this second computer just described. But when using the backup CD, I get an error message asking me to restart the program When I go back to the computer I burned the backups on using Alcohol 120%, the program accepts the backup disk just fine when executing the program. I don't understand. RPMS is turned off, however, and I did not use advanced sector scanning, or Data Position Management thinking since it was deselected when choosing the SafeDisk 2/3 datatype I shouldn't use them. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Also wondering if Nero 6.6.0.8 can do the same things Alcohol 120% can do. If not, why not?
This setting is correct...also make sure your Burn image wizard is set the same as your Image making wizard. And in this case it should be set as SafeDisk 2/3 for both. Alos try reading and writing at 4x which will cause less errors while making the backup. On the other PC try installing the game with the originals and just use the bakup play disc to use. You might just need emulation on the other computer to be able to play the backup. Nero cannot do what Alcohol or Blindwrite5 and Clonecd can do. Nero is a burning engine as were as these other programs are designed to write back copy protections back to the disc. Im here if you need any more questions.
Thank you, I appreciate your feedback and assistance. I made the copies we are discussing at 1x taking an hour per disk. Ugg! Perhaps I can try 2x without errors. I did as you suggested here but I came up with the same problem with the backup disk being rejected when starting the program. I don't understand how emulation works. It seems I would have to install Alcohol on every PC I try to use this program on if I use emulation. Correct? I will try the SafeDisk 2/3 datatype with Data Position Management, and Advanced Sector Scanning enabled. At the same time, making sure Burn image wizard and Image making wizard are both set the same way. I will respond with the results. Thanks
This is something I wrote as a "universal" explanation for general questions - some of it applicable here, "To give you a better understanding of what I'm talking about I'll explain a couple things. Unlike burning DVDs where the protection is stripped out, burning protected PC games involves having to read the protection then write it back to the disc - both of which need to be done very accurately. Not all burners are able to write the protections accurately enough to make a working copy...... When you try to run a protected game it needs to perform a "handshake" of sorts between the disc and the game on your hard drive to verify that the disc is legitimate. If the protection is written back to the disc accurately enough it'll pass the handshake and you have what's known as a "working" copy – one that doesn't need emulation to run. If the copy is less than perfect the handshake will fail because the copy protection will detect that there's something fishy with the copy. In that case you can use emulation tools which basically help the disc pass the handshake process." That's correct and also the reason why true "working" copies are so desirable
Thanks again for all the help. This process has been quite the education. So, if all else fails, I can record RPMS emulation on the CD or image, and the copy would likely work, just not without Alcohol. Guess this drives one to "drink" after a while, no? Anyway, as mentioned earlier, I tried SafeDisk 2/3 datatype with Data Position Management, and Advanced Sector Scanning enabled. At the same time, making sure Burn image wizard and Image making wizard are both set the same way. I burned at 4x. I noticed the burn process presented absolutely no errors this time. However, when I went to use the backup on the second/test computer and started the program, I ran into the same problem: A button pops up on the task bar, and when I click on it nothing happens. I presume its the copy protection kicking in. Then I get "Unable to recognize CD." And the program won't start. Yet, I can use the original CD and everything is fine. I was told my CD Burner might not be an EFM capable burner. Don't know what that is, but I'm on the hunt for some way to find out. I've been using a Yamaha CRW3200S. Also, don't know which write method I should use and if it matters. At this point, I am stumped. I welcome any ideas on how to proceed.
Dang! Someone's been doing alot of homework - great job! I used a Yamaha CRW3200 for quite a while and it's a fine burner but it's definitely not EFM capable so this is probably why your copy isn't even being recognized. In a nutshell EFM is a write method that is essential to accurately writing protections and not all burners have it. The three best EFM capable drives are the Plextor Premium, Asus 5232AS and the Lite On 52327S.
Thanks for the encouragement. So, I've found EFM means Eight-Fourteen Modulation and burners are ranked in their ability to handle information almost correctly, correctly, or ??super correctly?? They are labeled oddly as sheep 0,1, or 2 respectively. And, what the word "sheep" has to do with it... sounds sort of fuzzy. Furthermore, there is an annoying test to figure it out indirectly by downloading files, unzipping them, creating them in dos, and burning them to a CD, all just so one can make an image of them on one's hard drive and watch for error messages. Thus, if there are error messages, one then supposes they have a less than 2 sheep drive. I have a Yamaha CRW3200S, a Creative DVDRW DR8420E, and a Mitsumi DR-6800TE. And I have a hunch none of them have two sheep running around in them. And as you say, this is the likely reason nothing is working. All this brings one to wonder why companies would sell us a CD-RW drive which does the job "almost correctly," or "not at all?" Feeling kinda jipped. Grrr... Thanks for your support. I'll be counting sheep, and shopping for my next drive soon it appears. If you have any suggestions for a really good drive? Probably one of the three above?
It's a specialized quality that 95% of computer users don't need or even know about so the drive makers don't make a big deal of it either way. Kudos again for the excellent research - it's very refreshing I use and recommend the Plextor Premium. It costs about twice as much as the other but is well worth the money and performs beautifully. In addition to being a definite 2-sheeper it also has a VariRate write method that works magic on SecuROM when coupled with BlindWrite5 which is made to take advantage of it. I've used mine with great success
I'll be looking for the Plextor then. And, I assume Blind Write 5 is similar to Alcohol 120%? If you have a link for me, I would like to go read up on it. Maybe I'll have a working system soon. Thanks again.
Well...they have differences in how they work and beat copy protections. If for some reason you cannot get a backup to work with Blindwrite then you might need emulation and thats where Alcohol comes in. Alcohol has more of a datatype selection to choose from but thats where it can confuse the user, Blindwrite is automatic. there is alot going on and many different directions you may have to go when trying to make a backup (and also a good burner) heres a link to Alcohols FAQ http://support.alcohol-soft.com/en/knowledgebase.php and heres a link to Blindwrite FAQ http://www.vso-software.fr/blindwrite5_english.htm (I couldn't find much with the FAQ's but Im Know -Nephilim- has all the answers for you regarding BW5)
Geestar's absolutely correct. A120's strong suit is beating SafeDisc as well as having the emulation options but it's downfall is SecuROM - it's not very good at it. I'm a huge fan of BlindWrite. I'm a real snot when it comes to backups and won't settle for emulating a game so A120's emulation isn't very useful to me. Between BW5 and BW 4.57 I'vew been able to make working copies of SecuROM (up to 5.03) and SafeDisc (up to 3.20.022) that require no emulation. There's a small utility called BW5 Tweaker that will allow more control over the settings for BW5 and I have it here: http://nephilim.ccsau.info/tweaker.exe If a person doesn't mind spending the money it's awful handy to have both A120 and BW5 since the protections are constantly evolving and you never know which one will be able to make the better copy
