Redump.org: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

From Redump Wiki

Latest revision as of 14:20, 8 November 2021

Overview

What is Redump.org?

Redump.org is a database and internet community dedicated to collecting precise and accurate information about every video game ever released on optical media.

What do you mean by optical media?

CDs, DVDs, GDs, NODs, UMDs, Blu-ray discs, etc. If it spins, is read by a laser and has digital game data on it; we want to preserve it.

Why is it called Redump?

A "dump" is a slang term, used as a noun, to describe the resulting data obtained in the backup process. The term can also be used as a verb, as in: "I'm going to dump this game." Many groups in the past have attempted to preserve video game data with varying degrees of success. We believe that our methods of preservation are more accurate at preserving all the information contained on a disc than previous attempts made by other groups. The name "Redump" is a way of saying we need to dump again or redump games that have been dumped by others. The name "Redump" can also refer to the way in which our database is setup. A second dump or redump is required to confirm the accuracy of an unverified dump in the database.

Isn't dumping games illegal?

Redump.org does not provide copyrighted material nor do we condone software piracy. Please read the Redump.org disclaimer. You will need to consult your country's laws to confirm whether or not backing up the data on your discs is legal. However, "sharing" copyrighted material is definitely a crime and will not be tolerated here. If you want a game; buy it. Video game developers deserve money for their hard work.

What do you provide on this site?

Our database contains information about copyrighted data such as titles, version numbers and check sums, but not the actual data contained on the discs. We also provide links to tools and guides to assist you in dumping your discs. We encourage you to join our community and share information about the the backups you create. The Contributing section below will provide you with more information on how to do this.

What's the purpose of this information?

With the information in the database, the tools provided and the steps in our dumping guides, you can compare a backup you've made to a backup someone else has made. This comparison will verify that you've dumped your disc accurately. The backup you've created can then be archived in case your disc is damaged in the future. We give you information you can use to preserve your games and any information you give us helps others to preserve their games as well. Giving back to Redump.org is covered in more detail in the Contributing section below.

Why preserve game discs?

Nothing lasts forever. Optical media is especially susceptible to damage in the form of scratches, cracks, heat, sunlight, etc. Preserving these discs now will ensure that future generations aren't deprived of our video game history.

What sets Redump.org apart from other projects that have similar goals?

Most other projects encourage you to backup your discs in such a way that data is lost. Our methods of preservation try to backup every bit of data contained on the disc. In this way your dump should be as close to a 1:1 copy as possible. More information about our methods is covered in the Dumping section below.

Contributing

I want to contribute, but where do I start?

Thank you for your enthusiasm and desire to help us preserve our video game heritage. Where you start depends on what you'd like to do. There are more ways to contribute than just what is written here, but the following should give you some ideas. You can post answers to questions in the forum or IRC channel. You can add or modify information in the wiki. You can program useful tools to assist the community. You can dump optical media and submit the information about those dumps to our database. However, contributing to the database requires more reading and preparation. Please see the Forum and Dumping sections below for how to contribute in this way.

Forum

What's the purpose of the Redump.org forum?

The forum is the heart of this community. Browsing the various sections and reading some of the posts will give you an idea of how this site works. The most up to date news, discussions, guides and dumps can be found on the forum. It can also be a great source for answers to questions not found in the Redump.org wiki.

How do I reply to a topic or create a new topic in the forum?

The first step is to register for a user name at the Redump.org forum. After you've completed the registration process you can login with the user name you've chosen. To reply to an existing topic, click the name of the topic in which you want to make your reply. Then click the "Post reply" link in the upper right corner. Type your message and click the "Submit reply" button. To create a new topic, click the name of a section in the forum in which you'd like your post to appear. Then click the "Post new topic" link in the upper right corner. Type your message and click the "Submit topic" button. The "Post reply" and "Post new topic" links will only appear when you've registered and logged in with your Redump.org user name.

How do I search the forum?

Wiki

What's the purpose of the Redump.org wiki?

IRC channel

What's the purpose of the #redump IRC channel?

Dumping

What is pressed optical media?

What should be dumped?

Please ask yourself this question about the disc you want to dump: "Does this pressed optical media contain video game data or material related to a video game?" If the answer is yes, please dump the disc using our guides and submit the information about the dump to the database. If you are unsure of the answer, please continuing reading or consult the forum.

Should I dump console and computer games?

Yes. The majority of our database is about these types of games.

Should I dump an expansion pack for a game?

Yes. Although many expansion packs for games don't contain the actual game themselves, the expansion pack does contain game data.

Should I dump demo discs?

Yes. Similar to expansion packs, game demos rarely contain the entire game, but they do contain some amount of game data.

Should I dump video DVDs and audio CDs that are included with a game?

Yes. Discs included with a game are usually material related to that game.

Should I dump operating system discs?

No. We are not accepting information about operating system discs unless the disc is used in a console. For example: http://redump.org/disc/15004/ and http://redump.org/disc/12542/.

Should I dump discs containing a computer application?

Maybe. It depends on the usage of the application. Is the application used in such a way that it relates to a certain game or a type of video games? For example, a level editor application for the game "Doom" on a disc could be added to the database. However, a disc containing programming tools like "Visual C++" would not be acceptable for the database. While both the level editor and the programming tools can both be used to create or modify game data, the programming tools are not specifically designed for that purpose. If you are unsure of the difference or think a particular disc should be an exception, please consult the forum.

Should I dump bootleg discs?

Maybe. It depends what you mean by "bootleg." The information added to the database should be from pressed optical media and not a disc that was burned in a computer. If you are unsure of the difference or think a particular disc should be an exception, please consult the forum.

Should I dump beta game discs?

Yes. This is the usual exception to the bootleg answer. As with most programs, video games go through several revisions before being released to the public. Some of these game versions, through various means, leave the hands of the developer and end up in the hands of the general population. These unfinished games are usually contained on burned discs and not pressed optical media. Since this version of the game data was never made available on a pressed disc, beta game discs are the exception to the rule. We would like these rare versions of games to be preserved.

Should I dump reviewer copy game discs?

Yes. Video game reviewers are frequently sent early unfinished versions of a game for review. However, unlike bootleg and beta game discs, a reviewer copy is usually pressed optical media. Most game developers ask that the disc be returned or destroyed when the review is completed. We would like these rare versions of games to be preserved.

Should I dump ______ discs?

If you can't find the answer here for a particular type of disc, please consult the forum.

Is it true that some data on a disc can't be accurately copied?

As of this moment, yes, that is true for some types of optical media. The subchannel data of a compact disc is especially difficult to retrieve with perfect accuracy. Certain copy protections can prove difficult to backup as well, but we are working on these issues.

This entire FAQ is still a work in progress