I figured out how to fix random DRE! (data read errors)

Ok I have been researching and testing playing gamecube backups for endless amounts of hours. Here is what I have found it.

If you want to burn your games on to mini discs, then Ritek/Ridata G04 Mini dvd-r are the best. So this is what I picked.

I recently bought a brand new nintendo gamecube from the store, I decided to go with the soft mod method to just use a max drive pro and a broadband adapter to be able to backup my games and then burn them and play them.

I backed up a game using ngc ripper (best ripper out there, auto fixes errors so you do not have to rebuild image and is the fastest, only takes 12 minutes for each game!)

I burned it using nero at 4x using my NEC 3520A burner (it's been known to be quite a good burner)

So then I pop in the backup, boots great! However... I get random DRE when I play the game, and often. So it is very anyoyying. I decided to try and figure out what the problem is. I tested my media in my computer and checked the PI of it and that is fine, so it's not my media or my burns.

Then I decided to check the laser setting on my gamecube, I took it apart and looked at the POT of the laser using a multimeter and found my ohm to be at 150 originally. I have been reading at which setting to put it on and everyone says between 170-210. So I try between those values and I still get dre, just a little less frequent.

So I was like hmm... mabye if I go higher then I will get them less? So I set it to 277 and tried it. No DRE on most of my games at all (played resident evil 4 6 hours straight and had one error, wasn't a DRE error though, some other weird error) but when I played mario golf, I got them real frequent still...

So I decided to go higher, like to 450, I did so and my original games wouldn't even read, I went a little to high.

So I then tried at 350 and that was the magical number. Solved ALL my DRE errors on every games.

My gamecube is a DOL-101 USA with a Drive 8. Bought it about a week ago when I have posted this post.

The point I am trying to make is... the laser setting directly effects whether you will receive random DRE or not. I am also trying to say that the setting of 170-210 ohm is not for everyone, it was totally different for mine. My perfect setting is 350 ohm. So my advice to people having random dre is to first experiment by changing the ohm in increments of 100, then narrowing it by increments of 50. Leave the screws off your gamecube so you can do this a lot faster and all your DRE will be gone.

If this does not work, then run a program called DVDinfo Pro and check the PI of your burnt game, if you have more then like 6000 PI errors and more then 500PI peak, then it was a bad burn. And to fix a bad burn, you should update your burner's firmware and try burning at a different speed. (like if you burnt that game at the fastest speed, then try at like 2x, I however burn mine at the fastest and it gives less PI!)

If anyone has any questions or needs help for DRE and what they have tried to far, please reply, I don't want anyone else to go through all the pointless suffering hours that I have been through... or talk to me on msn messenger at silent_striker100@hotmail.com or email me there. Good luck to you all!

 

You dont have to mess with your laser at all.Just use Riteks. Problem solved.

 

So StrikerGT you use max drive pro to play yours backups? well i'm having some problems with the max drivre pro, they are not DRE problems, when i plug the max drive pro card via the usb cable my PC doesnt detect it. i've checked the cable and the max drive pro card and there is no problem with them. hope you can help me and thank you.

 

Put the max drive pro in the gamecube with the boot disk, when you get to the menu, push A, it will make it so it is PC read ready. you have to do that first before you put it in your PC.

 

windsong, I do use Ritek G04 minis and I still get random dre when I have the pot between 170-277. So yea the laser still matters, as of now, I am testing out 400ohm and so far so good, but I might just put it on 375...

 

Sorry i forgot to tell you that my max drive pro card is already pc ready...

 

This laser tweaking is old thing... And that 170-210 resistance(in first laser tweak thread it was about 250ohm) is good for most people, seems you are'nt in most. I have set that to 210ohm that i remember.
But changing BIOS helps too alot, i get DRE([bold]Disc[/bold] Read Error) in most games with GCOS 1.4 and none with Efal07.

 

Wait two things one can somone tell me how to adjust the lazer 2 can som one give me exact details on the mazdrive pro thing thanx

 

To adjust the laser, you will need to adjust the POT on the laser by opening the gamecube either using the pen method or buying a gamebit screwdriver and then following the guild here using a multimeter http://modthatcube.pxn-os.com/main.htm

The Max drive pro is a 1000 block gamecube memory card that can run gamecube executable file (.dol files) and allows transfer of saves and files to the memory card from your PC using a usb cable and software. The memory card boots up with a gamecube boot disk included. The whole Max Drive Pro kit can be bought at www.codejunkies.com. Using this method is like softmodding your gamecube, no physical modchips required!

Anyways, yea I am not sure why my gamecube likes a setting of 370ohm when most appear to like 170-210. And the weird thing is my gamecube came with 150ohm factory setting! lol. Why can't all gamecube's just be the same! Anyways, just reply back to this if anyone needs any more help.

(Note: another way I have fixed my dre along with adjusting my laser is using black marker on the transparent edge on top of the mini disc so the laser does not see through it. It is described with pictures on this thread http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/187029 it will only help people who have softmodded gamecube (ex. max drive pro)

By the way, burn your games at the speed printed on the disc, you will get best results that way

 

because it's not yet possible to make exactly identical lasers, every one is unique, so they need own setting. if they would be identical, there would not be the pot, just a resistor.

Ehh... just who have softmodded... laser reads exactly same way, no matter softmodded or chipped GC...

 

Well I guess the real question is why does the gamecube laser give up trying to read a disc once it has gotten 1 error?

Kinda like on a cd player, when a cd skips, the cd player will continually keep trying to get past that part of the disc, unlike the gamecube. The gamecube laser just stops once it sees an error, unlike ps2 and xbox.

I am suprized that there is no sticker on the gamecube like on the ps2 and xbox to when you open it, you void the warranty. Pretty funny stuff.

 

Well, it might be part of copy protection plan, that GC reads only discs made to GC... unlike PS2 and X-Box that reads video-DVDs too..

 

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well I guess the real question is why does the gamecube laser give up trying to read a disc once it has gotten 1 error?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Actually to protect your laser from frying itself, unlike the PS2 that will try anything just to read a friggin disc good or not the GC Laser Protection was meant to prevent lens oscillations and the harmful effects it can cause when the Laser overworks itself.
This is why there is a lot less burnt out lasers on Gamecubes vs the PS2 that had almost nothing but burnt out lasers, if PS2 would have implimented this protection there never would have been so many problems at the same time it also makes the laser very picky about what its going to read and what it's not making it a nececty to use good media with little to no errors.