[bold] Tools you need [/bold] 1) CloneCD:http://www.slysoft.com 2) TwinPeak Tool: http://kickme.to/blackcheck 3) BWA& MDS file download: http://www.copybase.ch/ 4) Blindwrite Suite 4.5.7 (trial) http://www.vso-software.fr/download.htm While the method used is a little time consuming, it isn't difficult and has a number of advantages over other methods. First, and most obvious, is that a copy made with this method will work on most devices without any form of emulation. As such, it is obviously superior to an RMPS copy made with alcohol or an autoplay copy made with blindwrite since copies made with either of those methods require emulation to work. (In my case, most of the games I copy are back-ups for my children and copies that require emulation are useless as they do not have any of alcohol, daemon tools or blindwrite installed on their computers.) Second, whilst Blindwrite Suite version 4.2.5 and 4.5.7 can also make copies of securom 4.8x protected cds that work without emulation (since it too uses a version of the twinpeak process), it is anything but a reliable application. (Blindwrite has been updated several times since the release of that version to try to remedy the bugs but later releases rarely succeed in making copies of securom 4.8x protected games that will work without emulation.) On the other hand, as we all know, within its limits, CloneCD is both fully stable and reliable. Third, blackcheck's twinpeak tool is programmed to be used with CloneCD so why not use it with the program for which it was designed (CloneCD) rather than using a modified version in a program for which it wasn't designed (Blindwrite) or one that, whilst it can make and burn images in CloneCD format uses a different format as its native one (alcohol). OK, that said, now you want to know how to do it. 1. Start by making an image of the play cd of the game you want to copy. There's no need for a special or custom profile. Just read at max using the default Game CD profile. It's quite adequate for this purpose. [Note: If the game has more than one cd, the only one that will be protected will be the one that has to be in the drive to play the game. The other cd/s can be copied by just using your favourite general burning software (e.g. nero) without any special settings.] 2. Then either download a bwa file for the cd you want to copy (you can get bwa files or use blindwrite's bwa builder to make your own. If you're able to download a bwa file, then you can proceed straight to patching with twinpeak. If not, well you'll just have to make one. 3. Next make a bwa file (skip this step if you've downloaded one). To make a bwa file, you need to use blindwrite's bwa builder. [Note: There is no need for blindwrite itself to be on your system. You can install blindwrite, copy the bwa builder exe file to another folder on your hard drive and then uninstall blindwrite if you don't want it on your system. The patin-couffin layer necessary for the bwa builder to function won't be removed when blindwrite is uninstalled.] There are two ways to use the bwa builder to make a good bwa file: a) Once you've put the play cd into your chosen reader, start the bwa builder. Select the reader, if you've got more than one, and speed. Low speeds (1x to 8x) usually work best but not always so experiment and see what works best for you. (In my case, I get best results with my Ltd-163 at 8x but, no doubt, your results will be different. Then click on Start. You'll then be asked if you want the program to set the last sector automatically. Either say yes if you want the bwa builder to analyse the whole cd or say No and set it yourself. If you say No, then you'll need to have previously set the Max sector yourself - blackcheck has indicated that 50,000 is usually enough. The analysis will then start. When it's finished, with any luck, the graph will show a fairly smooth curve with only one or two spikes and preferably none. Don't worry if you can't get the perfect spikeless curves that ViRuS2k is able to achieve. Not everyone is going to be able to achieve his flawless results. If there are only one or two spikes the copy will still work ok, particularly if the spikes aren't in the first 50,000 sectors (the copy will probably be a little slower to verify than one made with a spikeless bwa file but it will still work). [Tip: Don't terminate the analysis just because a number of spikes appear on the graph while the analysis is proceeding. Wait until it's finished because most, or if you're lucky, all of them will be eliminated by the bwa builder as it completes the process.] If, however, there's a lot of spikes in the graph, don't bother with it. It won't work. Try again and if you again get a bad graph try at a different speed or with a different reader. Once you get one that looks ok, click on File and then Save BWA to save the file. b) If, no matter what you do, you can't get a good .bwa file just using the bwa builder, then you'll have to try to make one by converting an .mds file created by alcohol. To make an mds file with alcohol simply make an image of the play cd using securom new 4.x settings in mds/mdf format. When you're asked to select the measuring speed for the DPM function, again you'll probably get better results at low speed. (With my Ltd-163, I use 4x.) When it's finished making the image files, run the bwa builder and load the mds file by clicking on File and then Load BWA/MDS. If the graph looks ok then create a .bwa file by clicking on File and then Convert MDS -> BWA. This will create a .bwa file in the same folder as your .mds file. You can then delete the mds/mdf files as they're no longer needed. 4. Now it's time to patch the image files. Start Twinpeak and in the Options select the twin sector step. I just use the default of 15 as it works fine for me. However, 6 and 50 are also known work. Select the .ccd file and the .bwa file click Start. Twinpeak will then tell you where it will insert twinsectors and when you click OK it will patch the image files. When it's finished, you'll have three new files in the same folder where you saved the original image files. Those files will be patched.ccd, patched.img and patched.sub. 5. Well, you've patched the image files and you're now ready to burn your back-up copy. How? Simple. Just load patched.ccd and burn with the default Game CD profile. Because this type of copy is anything but standard, out of an abundance of caution, you'll probably get better results if you burn at relatively low speed (say 8x). [Note: If you're using a version of CloneCD older than the current version 4.2.0.2, before burning you'll be warned that the image size doesn't match the lead-out specified in the toc and you'll be given three burning options. The first option is correct: "Keep TOC as on source cd, write until end of image file". If, however, you are using version 4.2.0.2, you won't even be asked. CloneCD will just write using the correct option automatically.] SOME POPULAR MYTHS AND FACTS Myth: Copies made with this method aren't any good because the guard module of securom could be updated by a game update so as to detect twin sectors and thereby render the copy useless. Fact: It hasn't happened yet. Fact: There has not yet been any securom 4.8x protected game released to date that can't be copied successfully with this method. Fact: Any copy of a copy protected game, irrespective of the copying method used, can be rendered useless by an update to the protection effected by a game update; RMPS and autoplay copies do not have some magical or mystical exemption. Myth: Copies made with this method aren't any good because they don't work on all systems and from all drives. Fact: Whilst twinpeak copies do not work on all systems and on all drives, they do work on most of them. What's more, so long as it works on your system on any of your drives, you've got a working copy and you no longer need to use the original. Fact: The alternative methods requiring emulation are worse. An RMPS copy made with alcohol will not work on any drive unless either alcohol or daemon tools is installed on the system and RMPS emulation is enabled. An autoplay copy made with blindwrite will not work on any system unless either blindwrite or the separate autoplay filter is installed on the system and autoplay is enabled. Myth: Twinpeak copies aren't any good because they're not 1:1 copies. Fact: No copy of a copy protected cd is ever a 1:1 copy. Myth: If you made a perfect bwa file, your copy will both install and run on any system and from any drive. Fact: Even blackcheck will tell you that twinpeak copies will not run on all drives, let alone install. Of course, the better the bwa file, the better your chances but, no matter how good the bwa file, the copy may still fail from one or more of your drives. However, this hardly matters so long as it works from one of them. Fact: No matter how good the twinpeak copy, it won't be able to be used to install the game from some drives even though it can be used to play. Again, the better the bwa file, the better your chances but even a perfect bwa file doesn't guarantee success. A twinpeak copy is not a standard cd and many readers will "choke" on the twin sectors when trying to install. As a general rule, the more accurate the reader, the more likely it is to "choke" when reading during the installation process. You will probably have difficulties with installation from the twinpeak copy if you use either a Toshiba or Plextor drive as the reader. On the other hand, Lite-on drives are somewhat more tolerant of twin sectors and you shouldn't have much difficulty with installation from a Lite-on drive so long as your bwa file didn't have too many spikes. Myth: If you made a perfect bwa file, your copy will work from a writer without CloneCD's hide cdr media or an equivalent utility being enabled. Fact: Securom 4.8x protected cds still have an atip check and will not run from a writer (or one of the very rare dvd roms that can read an atip) without an atip hiding utility. Where copies appear to have worked from a writer without such a utility, invariably it's because you have alcohol on your system and its "Ignore media type" is running in the background without your knowledge. (If you've fallen for this one, don't feel bad about it as alcohol does lots of things behind your back and I've been caught out by this one once too.) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. What should I do if I can run the game from my copy but can't install it from the copy from any of my drives? A. There are two straight-forward solutions: a) Install the game from the original cd on the (rare) occasion that you may need to install (you do own the original don't you?). b) Make a further copy of the play cd using any general burning software (e.g. nero) without any special settings and use that copy for installation purposes. Q. If my original cd is damaged, lost or destroyed, can I make a further back-up copy from my twinpeak copy. A. If you kept your original bwa file and you were able to install the game using the twinpeak copy from any of your drives, yes. Just make an image of the twinpeak copy with the drive you used to install the game, patch with twinpeak using your bwa file and burn the patched image. If you elected to make a separate non-twinpeak copy of the play cd for installation purposes, it's even easier to use that copy to make a further working back-up copy as those readers that would be unable to make an image of the twinpeak copy will have no difficulty reading the installation copy. Q. What does it mean if I've followed all your instructions, made a perfect bwa file and tried everything I can think of but I still can't get a copy to work on any of my drives? A. You're unlucky. A twinpeak copy just isn't going to work on your system and the best you'll be able to do is an RMPS emulation copy made with alcohol or an autoplay copy made with blindwrite. Sorry, but as I said above, whilst twinpeak copies work on most systems, they don't work on all. Guide copywright (c) and provided by philamber, moderator at CD-Freaks. CloneCD 4x: TwinPeak Tool: Shoey__ _X_X_X_X_X_[small]MSI KT6V-LSR MS-7021 AMD Athlon XP 2500+ (OC'd to 3200+) 1 Gig Corsair XMS PC3200 (OC'd DDR 400) MSI MS Starforce nVidia GeForce FX5500(256 DDR) Maxtor ATA\133 200 gig Lite-ON LTD165H DVD-ROM Lite-ON LDW411S DVD-Burner[/small]
Does War3 count as SecuROM 4.8? Hmm, it seems rather that the latest patch brings it up to 4.8, and the original CD (dependant of course, on where and when you bought it) has like 4.6? (I ask because, when I use ClonyXXL on my orig. war3 disk, it comes up with Non/Unknown Prot.) Anyways this^^^ sounds really good Shoey, and I am going to try this method for war3, probably later on tonight. I'll be sure to let you guys know how it went.
I'm glad aldaco12 posted all the WarCraft III update patches. If it were me and what I know now, I would definatly use BlindWrite 4.25 to make a backup to be "safe". Shoey
X, this is strange. I scanned mine with ClonyXXL and it detected SecuRom New v-4.68.00.4608 (as expected). Maybe yours is NOT the english version? Because I posted info on the english one. I have no info on others...
Yes it is strange aldaco. Even more so now. See, I phoned up a good buddy of mine, starting talking about burning and games etc, so I tell him where to snag ClonyXXL from, and he throws in his war3 CD (original and most definately english version, we both live in Canada) and the scan for his came up with Non/Uknown protection as well. So uhh yeah....it has me stumped anyways... I haven't tried a to make a backup copy yet (been busy) But I think I am going to try tonight, as well I will also grab the latest version of Clony that shoey posted up, maybe that will make a difference? At any rate, I will follow through with how I made my Master Of Orion 3 backup (since it's also securom) and then patch up, and see what my results are. Update:....Ok I think these late nights are getting to me ~_^... Grabbed the new ClonyXXL, threw in my war3 disk, and yes...it shows SecuROM *new*... So darn strange....
How to backup SecuROM 4.8 using CloneCD&TwinPeak -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CloneCD cannot do so on its own but it can do so with some help from (which is programmed to be used with CloneCD images) and a bwa file. While the method used is a little time consuming, it isn't difficult and has a number of advantages over other methods. First, and most obvious, is that a copy made with this method will work on most devices without any form of emulation. As such, it is obviously superior to an RMPS copy made with alcohol or an autoplay copy made with blindwrite since copies made with either of those methods require emulation to work. (In my case, most of the games I copy are back-ups for my children and copies that require emulation are useless as they do not have any of alcohol, daemon tools or blindwrite installed on their computers.) Second, whilst blindwrite version 4.2.5 can also make copies of securom 4.8x protected cds that work without emulation (since it too uses a version of the twinpeak process), it is anything but a reliable application. (Blindwrite has been updated several times since the release of that version to try to remedy the bugs but later releases rarely succeed in making copies of securom 4.8x protected games that will work without emulation.) On the other hand, as we all know, within its limits, CloneCD is both fully stable and reliable. Third, blackcheck's twinpeak tool is programmed to be used with CloneCD so why not use it with the program for which it was designed (CloneCD) rather than using a modified version in a program for which it wasn't designed (Blindwrite) or one that, whilst it can make and burn images in CloneCD format uses a different format as its native one (alcohol). OK, that said, now you want to know how to do it. 1. Start by making an image of the play cd of the game you want to copy. There's no need for a special or custom profile. Just read at max using the default Game CD profile. It's quite adequate for this purpose. [Note: If the game has more than one cd, the only one that will be protected will be the one that has to be in the drive to play the game. The other cd/s can be copied by just using your favourite general burning software (e.g. nero) without any special settings.] 2. Then either download a bwa file for the cd you want to copy (you can get bwa files or use blindwrite's bwa builder to make your own. If you're able to download a bwa file, then you can proceed straight to patching with twinpeak. If not, well you'll just have to make one. 3. Next make a bwa file (skip this step if you've downloaded one). To make a bwa file, you need to use blindwrite's bwa builder. [Note: There is no need for blindwrite itself to be on your system. You can install blindwrite, copy the bwa builder exe file to another folder on your hard drive and then uninstall blindwrite if you don't want it on your system. The patin-couffin layer necessary for the bwa builder to function won't be removed when blindwrite is uninstalled.] There are two ways to use the bwa builder to make a good bwa file: a) Once you've put the play cd into your chosen reader, start the bwa builder. Select the reader, if you've got more than one, and speed. Low speeds (1x to 8x) usually work best but not always so experiment and see what works best for you. (In my case, I get best results with my Ltd-163 at 8x but, no doubt, your results will be different. Then click on Start. You'll then be asked if you want the program to set the last sector automatically. Either say yes if you want the bwa builder to analyse the whole cd or say No and set it yourself. If you say No, then you'll need to have previously set the Max sector yourself - blackcheck has indicated that 50,000 is usually enough. The analysis will then start. When it's finished, with any luck, the graph will show a fairly smooth curve with only one or two spikes and preferably none. Don't worry if you can't get the perfect spikeless curves that ViRuS2k is able to achieve. Not everyone is going to be able to achieve his flawless results. If there are only one or two spikes the copy will still work ok, particularly if the spikes aren't in the first 50,000 sectors (the copy will probably be a little slower to verify than one made with a spikeless bwa file but it will still work). [Tip: Don't terminate the analysis just because a number of spikes appear on the graph while the analysis is proceeding. Wait until it's finished because most, or if you're lucky, all of them will be eliminated by the bwa builder as it completes the process.] If, however, there's a lot of spikes in the graph, don't bother with it. It won't work. Try again and if you again get a bad graph try at a different speed or with a different reader. Once you get one that looks ok, click on File and then Save BWA to save the file. b) If, no matter what you do, you can't get a good .bwa file just using the bwa builder, then you'll have to try to make one by converting an .mds file created by alcohol. To make an mds file with alcohol simply make an image of the play cd using securom new 4.x settings in mds/mdf format. When you're asked to select the measuring speed for the DPM function, again you'll probably get better results at low speed. (With my Ltd-163, I use 4x.) When it's finished making the image files, run the bwa builder and load the mds file by clicking on File and then Load BWA/MDS. If the graph looks ok then create a .bwa file by clicking on File and then Convert MDS -> BWA. This will create a .bwa file in the same folder as your .mds file. You can then delete the mds/mdf files as they're no longer needed. 4. Now it's time to patch the image files. Start Twinpeak and in the Options select the twin sector step. I just use the default of 15 as it works fine for me. However, 6 and 50 are also known work. Select the .ccd file and the .bwa file click Start. Twinpeak will then tell you where it will insert twinsectors and when you click OK it will patch the image files. When it's finished, you'll have three new files in the same folder where you saved the original image files. Those files will be patched.ccd, patched.img and patched.sub. 5. Well, you've patched the image files and you're now ready to burn your back-up copy. How? Simple. Just load patched.ccd and burn with the default Game CD profile. Because this type of copy is anything but standard, out of an abundance of caution, you'll probably get better results if you burn at relatively low speed (say 8x). [Note: If you're using a version of CloneCD older than the current version 4.2.0.2, before burning you'll be warned that the image size doesn't match the lead-out specified in the toc and you'll be given three burning options. The first option is correct: "Keep TOC as on source cd, write until end of image file". If, however, you are using version 4.2.0.2, you won't even be asked. CloneCD will just write using the correct option automatically.] SOME POPULAR MYTHS AND FACTS Myth: Copies made with this method aren't any good because the guard module of securom could be updated by a game update so as to detect twin sectors and thereby render the copy useless. Fact: It hasn't happened yet. Fact: There has not yet been any securom 4.8x protected game released to date that can't be copied successfully with this method. Fact: Any copy of a copy protected game, irrespective of the copying method used, can be rendered useless by an update to the protection effected by a game update; RMPS and autoplay copies do not have some magical or mystical exemption. Myth: Copies made with this method aren't any good because they don't work on all systems and from all drives. Fact: Whilst twinpeak copies do not work on all systems and on all drives, they do work on most of them. What's more, so long as it works on your system on any of your drives, you've got a working copy and you no longer need to use the original. Fact: The alternative methods requiring emulation are worse. An RMPS copy made with alcohol will not work on any drive unless either alcohol or daemon tools is installed on the system and RMPS emulation is enabled. An autoplay copy made with blindwrite will not work on any system unless either blindwrite or the separate autoplay filter is installed on the system and autoplay is enabled. Myth: Twinpeak copies aren't any good because they're not 1:1 copies. Fact: No copy of a copy protected cd is ever a 1:1 copy. Myth: If you made a perfect bwa file, your copy will both install and run on any system and from any drive. Fact: Even blackcheck will tell you that twinpeak copies will not run on all drives, let alone install. Of course, the better the bwa file, the better your chances but, no matter how good the bwa file, the copy may still fail from one or more of your drives. However, this hardly matters so long as it works from one of them. Fact: No matter how good the twinpeak copy, it won't be able to be used to install the game from some drives even though it can be used to play. Again, the better the bwa file, the better your chances but even a perfect bwa file doesn't guarantee success. A twinpeak copy is not a standard cd and many readers will "choke" on the twin sectors when trying to install. As a general rule, the more accurate the reader, the more likely it is to "choke" when reading during the installation process. You will probably have difficulties with installation from the twinpeak copy if you use either a Toshiba or Plextor drive as the reader. On the other hand, Lite-on drives are somewhat more tolerant of twin sectors and you shouldn't have much difficulty with installation from a Lite-on drive so long as your bwa file didn't have too many spikes. Myth: If you made a perfect bwa file, your copy will work from a writer without CloneCD's hide cdr media or an equivalent utility being enabled. Fact: Securom 4.8x protected cds still have an atip check and will not run from a writer (or one of the very rare dvd roms that can read an atip) without an atip hiding utility. Where copies appear to have worked from a writer without such a utility, invariably it's because you have alcohol on your system and its "Ignore media type" is running in the background without your knowledge. (If you've fallen for this one, don't feel bad about it as alcohol does lots of things behind your back and I've been caught out by this one once too.) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. What should I do if I can run the game from my copy but can't install it from the copy from any of my drives? A. There are two straight-forward solutions: a) Install the game from the original cd on the (rare) occasion that you may need to install (you do own the original don't you?). b) Make a further copy of the play cd using any general burning software (e.g. nero) without any special settings and use that copy for installation purposes. Q. If my original cd is damaged, lost or destroyed, can I make a further back-up copy from my twinpeak copy. A. If you kept your original bwa file and you were able to install the game using the twinpeak copy from any of your drives, yes. Just make an image of the twinpeak copy with the drive you used to install the game, patch with twinpeak using your bwa file and burn the patched image. If you elected to make a separate non-twinpeak copy of the play cd for installation purposes, it's even easier to use that copy to make a further working back-up copy as those readers that would be unable to make an image of the twinpeak copy will have no difficulty reading the installation copy. Q. What does it mean if I've followed all your instructions, made a perfect bwa file and tried everything I can think of but I still can't get a copy to work on any of my drives? A. You're unlucky. A twinpeak copy just isn't going to work on your system and the best you'll be able to do is an RMPS emulation copy made with alcohol or an autoplay copy made with blindwrite. Sorry, but as I said above, whilst twinpeak copies work on most systems, they don't work on all. Guide provide by philamber, courtesy CD-Freaks Shoey
Warcraft III "original" SecuROM cd protection in the USA is SecuROM 4.68. My question: If you backed up this game NOT using BlindWrite 4.25 or CloneCD\TwinPeak. Does your backup still work after updating patche(s) up to, or past SecuROM 4.8.3? Shoey
I answered in more detail in my War3 topic, but perhaps because I live in Canada and not the USA, this affects SecuROM ver.? Anyways, the latest patch (1.05) brings me to SecuROM 4.78.xx....as indicated by using ClonyXXL's system monitoring tool and loading the game. So, I guess I can't really answer you yet Shoey, seeing as how I'm not at 4.8.3....seems strange to me...I'm not sure?? But...it works!! ....lol
X (factor) Did ye use latest ClonyXXL to scan your backup after updating to 1.05 patch? Could be ClonyXXL just not up to date. Good news that your backup works m8! Shoey
I hope you're still here Shoey, I have a question. But to answer yours first, yes I have the latest version of ClonyXXL, (from the topic that you made about it) Now, I said I was super sure emulation was "not" a factor with my backup games working right? Well, I just finished "deleting" all traces of any cd-burning programs on my computer and guess what? My backup games "still" work...but with one small exception. When I throw in the disk, to either my rom or writer, the autoplay menu does "not" come up. Any idea as to why? Any fix for this? I'm uber-picky >_< I like "perfect backups"
Bloody hell, what did I do now???? >_< Argh I hope someone out there can help me out. Ever since I deleted all the burning software (I.E. Alcohol, BlindWrite, and CloneCD) Autoplay does not work anymore. Heck I don't even have it listed as an option when I right click on my cd drive while a cd is in it. And now, even my "original" versions of my games do not come up with the autoplay menu when I throw it in. Argh, wtf? I bet it has to do with all those custom cd drivers that said burning programs install on your computer. I know very very little in this respect. Updating your CD-rom and getting drivers etc. Any help would be super appreciated.
Ugh.... I went to that link Shoey and I downloaded that autoplay program from blindwrite. I installed it and it still doesn't make a difference. NO autoplay on any discs. Jeeeeez, time to hit up a search engine for aspi layers and cd-roms and aspi drivers I guess.... *fumes away*
Finally..... Somehow my registry entry for autoplay was changed. Found a site, told me where to go in regedit, and the value to change it to. *Phew*.....now...... must.....sleeeeeep.......zzzzzz
Staff, Please remove this thread and replace with this one. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/27097 If possible, cut or merge the reply post from This thread to the one I just post. Thanks Shoey
