I STILL can't get my backup discs working

Sorry I just had to make a new thread for this. The other thread was originally a different question anyway and it was probably confusing as hell to people trying to read it through.

Anyway, I've been at this a little more than a month already and still can't get any of the backup discs to play. I have a slim ps2 V12, and Swap Magic 3.6+. My burner is a NEC ND-3520A, firmware version 3.06 (Pretty sure this is the latest version, and enough to actually matter) My PS2 is in mint condition and only got this about a year ago or less. It works perfectly fine with my original PS2 and PSX games, and has never given me any other problem.

Here's what I do. I power on my PS2 with SwapMagic DVD (or CD) version in, I wait for the main menu of SM to come up (Load Program, Video Mode, etc), I press eject button on my PS2 and while the tray is open, I get the "Insert Bigger TOC disc" message. I've heard TOC refreshing won't work on Slim PS2's, I've tried it anyway with 5 different original DVD games, it didn't work. I've also gone the way of ignoring the "Insert bigger TOC disc" message and just tried to put my burned backup DVD game instead, as normal. Here now, I close the tray, I press X to normal boot the game, and i've also tried pressing [] for special boot. Neither works. I just get the "Not a Valid PS2 Disk" error no matter what.

I've pretty much gone through Paddymail's excellent checklist thread, and checked off everything that I have or have tried. I've tried 2 batches of Taiyo Yuden media from Newegg and Supermediastore. I returned the SMS batch of TY media because I was getting bad results with NERO CD-DVD Speed. This batch from Newegg is acceptable though.

I've used DVD Decrypter to burn the ISO games, and also created an MDS file and tried to select those too when burning. I burn at 4x and lower on my 8x media, and 2x on my 4x (bad batch of) media.
In Alcohol 120%, I just burned at 2.4x speed, trying both the MDS file and ISO file here as well.
Just so you know, i've tried about 8 different 'downloaded' games, and also 1 game that I ripped myself (MGS Snake Eater), and tried to burn that too with DVD Decrypter but it didn't work (It's only 4.2 GB).

That's pretty much everything I've tried and done so far but nothing has given me working results. If there's anything I left out or you would like to know concerning this issue, just ask.

EDIT: I forgot to mention I have a fliptop installed.

 

The ps2 cant know you opened it when you put in your burnt game. Do you have any of the tools (magic switch, magic keys, slim tool, etc)?

 

I have a flip top that's about it... It's an alternative to using a magic switch, magic key, or slide tool, right?
So you are saying I shouldn't be getting the 'insert bigger toc disc' message? My flip top was fairly easy to install and i'm sure I had installed it right, but now you've gotten me thinking differently.

 

so are you lifting up your fliptop portion, or still using the eject button. Yes, if your getting the toc refresh message, the ps2 knows its being opened. Try putting a little pressure on the back of your fliptop when you open it (ive read this sometimes works).

 

Ok i'm a complete moron and feel like slapping myself right now! All this time I was pressing the eject button and it says insert bigger toc disc. I figured this out when I was looking at the pictures in the flip top installation guide. I noticed the pictured showed only the circular portion of the flip top coming up, but not the whole thing! So yes, I was opening the top and it was knowing that I did.
But yeah all my backups i've burned work now! I was going to throw them all 15 or so backups away when I was waiting for my new batch. Thank god I didn't.

Do you know if i'm supposed to use the eject button to take out (or switch)the game, or do I just force open the 'circular' part of the flip top? It seems like it's not supposed to be forced open. I think I may have messed up on step #8 on the guide.

here's the guide I had followed: http://www.modchip.com/installpics/v12fliptop/v12fliptop.pdf

 

yeah, you just force up the circular part. If you use the eject button, the ps2 rechecks the security stuff, which is why you were getting invalid disc.

 

All right and one more question, does the top have to be closed in order for the disc to be loaded, or can I just leave it open?

 

I just use the duct tape method, and not use the flip top

 

Ok, so? Was that a post just to get your post count up? As you can see above, i've already figured out what was wrong.

 

See it wasn't the TY's. You didn't mention the thing about the eject button it the other threads. God job Sly, way to pay attention.

 

I blame the fliptop being OEM and not coming with any sort of documentation and/or images with it. Instead I was left to rely on what info I could find on the internet.
But yeah, either way it was very careless of me to not look at the damn flip top a little bit more closely.

 

No biggy. Glad you got it sorted out. I had a flip top that was manufactured by circus monkeys as well, it was all crooked and made my disc tray horribly off center. Cheers!

 

Yeah, glad you got it sorted out in the end what was wrong... I told you it was something simple being missed didn't I. After numerous posts and checking DMA and updating firmware, blaming TY discs as fakes, even changing windows??? and it was that you didn't know how to use the fliptop properly... this just proves what I've always said.. "people need to research something properly BEFORE trying to make backups" - not having a pop at you ppills, just saying how it could have been so much easier for a lot of people if they'd done a bit of research.

Glad you got it worked out buddy

 

Even though I use DMS 4... I learnt a lot from this discussion. I think this should be made into a quick guide. Very informative thread indeed. (Maybe a t-shirt too?)

 

ppills, sly and Tokijin, I'm having the exact problem, verbatim, except I have the fliptop version for a v1-v3.

Unless I assembled the flip top cover incorrectly, there is not method of ejecting by opening the flip top and putting pressure on the back. Once the flip top cover is open with these versions, all you have is the disc on the spindle.

The game I burned using the DVD Decrypter walkthru which was extremely easy and handy, was a 3.9 GB game (NBA 2k6).

I don't see this game listed as problematic at the swapmagic site (I use 3.6).

I boot SW to the Load Program, note that Load Program blinks when it appears to be in a ready state, and while trying to boot a backup, it no longer blinks, I bring this up only because I have not seen anyone mention this as of yet.

I open the flip top, use my hand to remove the sm dvd disc, and then I place in the backup. I then hit X, and after a minute or 2, I get 'Not a Valid PS2 Disc'

The media I used was in the 2nd tier, Optodisc -R, and I burned at 2x.
If this is the problem, I'll grab some dvd-r's from the 'top shelf' tier.

Extremely frustrated, please advise.

Thanks,

bran

 

This is probably your problem. Sounds like your doing everything correctly. Get better media, and if it still gives you problems, try a different game.

 

Yep. Once again Sly hits the nail right on the head. That link is a little outdated. Optodisc is more or less crap. Along with TDK. That link has TDK MIJ rated as top tier media, which it's not. Get some Taiyo Yuden's or Verbatim's.

86. Q. Where can I find good deals on legit Taiyo Yuden's and Verbatim's?
A. http://www.supermediastore.com
Great List of Merchants locally, online, in the U.K., etc:
http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/buyerguides/buymedia.htm

 

@Tokijin You are sadly mistaken about these TDK 8XDVD+R. These code out as Taiyo Yudens. Have had no problems at all and was a fool for not buying 5 stacks of 100 when I saw them on sale $16.99 at BBuy. Here's the scan:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD+R:YUDEN000-T02-000]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc & Book Type : [DVD+R] - [DVD+R]
Manufacturer Name : [Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd.]
Manufacturer ID : [YUDEN000]
Media Type ID : [T02]
Product Revision : [Not Specified]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,295,104 Sectors = 4.70 GB (4.38 GiB)]
Recording Speeds : [1x-2.4x , 4x , 6x-8x]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ DVD Identifier V4.2.0 - http://DVD.Identifier.CDfreaks.com ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I wasn't referring to TY TDK's, I wasn't even aware of TDK made TY's. I was referring to TDK's made in Taiwan/Japan with the TDK, TTG0x, TTH0x media code. Those are overrated. I've talked to plenty of people who've had issues with those. Of course those are good, there TY's.

 

yes please help i'm totally lost i have a v10 ps2 with a dms4 pro ezi solderless mod chip and i get something about please insert a ps2 or ps formatted disk. any advice is very much welcomed. i tried to back up a couple of my games ex(gta:sa,need 4 speed:underground)and i get the rsod if anything. but for the last few months i'v read that some chips have to be flashed. could that be the case with this dms4 pro chip? if so ive tried that too but with no sussess. when i make the back ups i use imation dvd+r disks? also the back up looks right but again they dont work. is there a way or something that i can use or do to narrow down the source of the problem. please help.