burning game CD's

[Stween]

I have been reading up on the SafeDisc v2 copy protection found on a lot of new games lately and was wondering if cdrecord would be able to 'see' through that?? Or any other form of copy protection that is.

I know it sounds dodgy, but what the hey. I am looking for a good CD-CD copy, ie identical to the original so that the software believes its running off the original CD.

I know someone will slag me off for trying to pirate software, but id like to point out i do like to pay money for a good game. I dont pay money for other software, hence why i use linux more often than not. It would just be nice to keep backups for the occaisions where i lend people the game and never get it back. or the dog has chewed it (it *has* happened). U can choose not to believe me if you wish.

The windows tools iv been using seem a bit dodgy and unconfigurable, i would like a good command line tool to use :)

I have a Creative Labs cd rewriter (stats are 32x12x10 i think. cant remember, not at home at the minute).

Cheers,
Stween

[Icarus]

I know what you mean, I always install the game, patch it and then find a no-cd 'fix' for it so I can store the disk in a safe place. The place I find these is www.gamecopyworld.com (http://www.gamecopyworld.com) they also had ways to make 'backup copies' of your CD's. This is a pirates playground, but very useful for what we are doing. The Fair Use Act rocks! I just hope they don't also make THIS illegal soon :(

[Mr Myaghi]

Just out of curiosity.
Have you tried clone disc (windows)

[febisfebi]

i have also wanted to know how to do this, for backups etc. if u find anything plz post it here

[Duh]

some cd-copiers go bit by bit instead of file by file (dont care what the data is, its just 1 or 0, not dontcopyme.dll or something), i think thats how to get passed it.
im not sure which cdrecord does, but im assuming its bit by bit.

[bdl]

http://www.daemon-tools.com/

[Icarus]

Originally posted by bdl:
<STRONG>http://www.daemon-tools.com/</STRONG>

Those are all Windows tools, any for Linux?

[Strike]

dd

[Mr Myaghi]

By the way, clone disc is a bit-bit copier. That's why I asked. It works through most protections. But unfurtionally it's only for windows as far as I know. :(

[deadlock]

As Strike says, dd should work - dd if=/dev/cdrom of=test.iso is the command you should use (please someone correct me if i have that wrong). This basically creates a bit for bit copy of the CD in a file on your hard-drive. Most CD-Burning software can take an ISO and burn it bit for bit back to a CDR.

The only problem I can perceive is where the publisher has used that cheat that lets them burn data closer to the inside of the disc, thus giving them extra disk space (DeusEx does this, AFAIK). I don't think you'll be able to copy these CDs, because although you can create the ISO no problem, you can't burn it back to a standard CDR; unless, of course, your CD burner can create overfilled CDs.


----edited by Strike----
I'm not Sensei ;)

[ 10 December 2001: Message edited by: Strike ]

[Stween]

I *have* tried clonecd for windows. it seems to burn perfectly but when i insert the copy to see if it works it tells me there is no disk in the drive. Whn i try to mount to drive in linux it tells me the drive is not ready (after spewing out a few lines of Things I Cant Remember...).

I do know, however, that Clonecd has some problems with SafeDisc2, and was wondering if ths would affect cdrecord too. here is some information on safedisk 2. (http://www.cdfreaks.com/document.php3?Doc=52)

I have a CDRW disk so i should always be able to screw about as much as i like until i get it working. My attempts havent been succesful so far tho' :(

And, re: the first post to this thread, I know about gamecopyworld. However, im a perfectionist, and that method seems messy :) Also, at home i am running off a 33.6k modem. Not always ideal for larger downloads, even with a download manager...


Cheers,
Stween

[Stween]

In fact, now I have tried mounting a copy (or in theory a copy) i made under windows on a CDRW disc in linux, and it simply says "mount: No medium found".

I know that windows is having trouble acknowledging there is anything in the drive so I can blank it again, which is a bit of a bugger.

Time to get linux set up properly for the job then :)


Stween