IBM PC

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This guide is currently under construction. Thank you for your patience!


Contents

Introduction

This guide is designed to show you how to preserve CD-based games created and released for the IBM PC-Compatible platform. This is a fairly comprehensive guide that aims to provide coverage for all known dumping methods and PC-based securities, so please use the Table of Contents to navigate to the specific topic you are interested in.

Checking for Disc Protection

Required Software

Introduction

Up until the mid '90s the primary method for CD protection was to use a combination of disc-check verification and unique serial keys. However, with the advent of consumer-grade CD-burners, the industry began to use stricter forms of CD protection to minimize the effectiveness of 1:1 disc copying. SafeDisc and SecuROM were the most popular protection forms of the era, but many other protection types were introduced (all of which are explored in this guide).

Tutorial

The tools in the links above allow you to analyze and scan discs, files, or sectors for known protection types. These tools can often identify the version of the protection method as well. As a best-practice, it's typically a good idea to check the disc with at least two of the three tools to get an accurate reading. ProtectionID is generally accepted as the most effective tool, but the other tools can occasionally identify a protection that ProtectionID misses.

Troubleshooting

  • ProtectionID may need to be adjusted to run using Windows 95 Compatibility Mode in some versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.
  • SecuROM is generally best identified using "sector scanning". It can be confirmed using CDMage's 'Scan for Corruption' feature (which typically reports at least '1' medium error near the end of the image).

Non-Protected Discs

Data Only

Required Software

Overview

Non-protected, data-only discs are quite possibly the simplest type of disc to dump. Tools like ISOBuster and DiscImageCreator perform much of the heavy-lifting for you, so there is very little "manual" work that needs to be done to prepare the dump for verification. Simply follow the steps below to obtain a quality dump.

Tutorial

Before beginning, make sure that you have properly setup your tools and drives according to redump's standards. Also, it is redump's ongoing expectation that every dump is dumped at least two times using at least two different drives. Dumps that have not met these requirements will likely be rejected.

  1. Gently clean the disc's reflective surface
    • Wipe down the disc to remove any loose debris, fingerprints, and smudges (always a good idea).
    • Make sure to use a gentle cloth and always wipe from the center out, towards the outer edge.
    • NEVER wipe a disc horizontally. Horizontal scratches increase the risk of inaccurate read errors, and can ruin your disc.
  2. Dump the disc using ISOBuster (1st Dump) (Drive A)
    • Insert the disc into your FIRST drive
    • Open ISOBuster
    • Right-click on Track01 and select 'Extract Track 01' -> 'Extract RAW Data (2352 bytes/block) (*.bin, *.iso)'
    • Specify destination
    • Click Start
  3. Dump the disc using DiscImageCreator (2nd Dump) (Drive B)
    • Insert the disc into your SECOND drive
    • Navigate to the DiscImageCreator folder, and shift-right-click on the folder and select 'Open Command Here'
    • Type 'DiscImageCreator.exe -rall [driveletter] [drivespeed] [trackname]' to begin dumping (e.g. 'DiscImageCreator.exe -rall h 8 track01'). If your drive supports C2 detection features, type 'DiscImageCreator.exe -rall [driveletter] [drivespeed] [trackname] c2' perform additional error correction checking. (NOTE: Unless you specify a filepath in the trackname, the tracks will be generated under the DiscImageCreator folder.)
    • Always use the cuesheet generated by DIC for new disc submissions, as it will include MCN data (e.g. CATALOG 000000000000) if present.
  4. Compare the CheckSums & Search for Pre-Existing Hashes
    • Drag/drop the .bin/.iso/.img file onto HashCalc.exe (or open it manually) to view the checksum values.
    • Verify the MD5, SHA1, and CRC32 values
    • If they match...then the dump is consistent (yay!)
    • Next...copy/paste one of the MD5 values into Google's search engine to see if it exists anywhere on Redump's database.
      • If nothing appears, then you have a unique dump!
      • If a pre-existing match appears, then you most likely either have a verification or an alternate edition.
  5. Capture the Primary Volume Descriptor (PVD)
    • Open ISOBuster (if not open)
    • Right-click on Track01 and select "Sector View"
    • Make sure that the 'RAW' option is unchecked, and enter '16' into the sector box and press 'enter'
    • This will jump to Sector 16, which is where the PVD value can be found.
    • Scroll down to line 320, and copy lines 320-37F (usually just 320-370) and save it somewhere for later
  6. Check the Image for Errors in CDMage
    • Open CDMage and open the image file (or image cuesheet if it already exists)
    • If a cuesheet does not already exist, you will be taken to a set of steps to generate a cuesheet:
      • First, select 'RAW Image' from the drop-down and click 'Open'.
      • Next, define the track detection options by selecting 'CD-ROM' and clicking 'Detect'.
      • Lastly, save the generated cuesheet to the same directory as the image file. Now you can re-open the image quickly using this cuesheet.
      • NOTE: Do not use this cuesheet for your new disc submission, as it will not include the MCN data (if it exists). Always use the cuesheet generated by DIC for new disc submissions.
    • Once the image is open, click on 'Action -> Scan for Corruption', and search 'All checkable tracks'
    • Once the scan is finished, make note of the error count (since it is required for submission). Also, if the disc contains several errors, it's generally a good idea to save a copy of the error report.
  7. Locate the Version #
    • Virtually every PC-compatible disc includes a version number somewhere on the disc. This information is necessary to discern the differences between similar (but unique) dumps.
    • Method 1: Right-click on the program EXE (i.e. the actual program executable, and *NOT* the installer) and open the 'Properties' view. Click on the 'Details' tab and see if the metadata contains a 'File Version' or 'Product Version' description.
    • Method 2: Search the disc for a DATA.tag file, and open it using any text editor. DATA.tag's typically include the disc's category value and version #.
    • Method 3: Look for help files or installation documentation. This can sometimes include the version #.
    • Method 4: If all else fails, search .ini files. Sometimes you can get lucky by finding a version # parameter.
    • Method 5: Install the software (if possible) and perform step #1.
  8. Identify the Write Offset Value
    • Refer to this guide for instructions on capturing the Write Offset value.
  9. Wrapping Up
    • At this point you should be ready to compile your dump information for submission. See below for details.

Mixed Mode (Data + Audio)

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!


Audio Only (CD Audio)

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

Protected Discs

CD-Lock

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

LaserLok

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

PSX LibCrypt

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!


SafeDisc

Recommended Software

  • CloneCD (License)
  • CD Manipulator (Freeware)
  • BurnOut
  • ProtectionID

Introduction

SafeDisc is a protection format that places "corrupt" sectors near the beginning of a disc (usually in the 807 - 11920 sector range); however, these sectors can be found just about anywhere. The key to dumping SafeDisc images correctly is to make sure that the corrupted sectors are dumped properly. It is also critical to dump the disc at least two times using at least two different drives (the more, the better). If everything goes well, all of your checksums should match.

Methods

There are two solutions (at present) for dumping SafeDisc games: (1) CloneCD, and (2) CD Manipulator. Both tools have been tested extensively, and have proven to be highly dependable in most cases (when properly configured). It's generally advisable to dump protected discs using different software AND different drives whenever possible in order to ensure that a thorough dump has been performed. That said, feel free to use whichever tool suits you best! Use the following to guide to setup your software:

  1. CloneCD
    • Create a custom profile (see link), and use it for all SafeDisc dumps.
    • You're all set! The software will handle the rest.
  2. CD Manipulator
    • Select "Read from CD to Image File"
    • Select the applicable drive from the drop-down list
    • Select "Single-Session mode (high compatibility)" in the drop-down menu
    • Specify where the image (.CUE/.CDM) will be saved
    • Check "Extended Settings" and then check "Ignore Read Errors" and "Auto Detect Read Channel". Uncheck everything else.
    • Set your "Data" and "Audio" speeds to 4x-8x, depending on your drive's compatibility.
    • You're all set! The software will handle the rest.

Data-Only Discs

  1. Use BurnOut or ProtectionID to determine the SafeDisc version
  2. Use either CloneCD or CD Manipulator to dump the disc.
  3. Compare the dump checksums.
    • If they match...then great!
    • If they do not match...check your settings; try different drives; try different tools; ask the community.
  4. Check the image in CDMage to get the SafeDisc error count (it's usually helpful to save the log).
  5. You're now ready to submit your dump!

Mixed-Mode Discs

Thankfully, most of the protected disc formats are data-only. However, a few mixed-mode (data+audio) discs have been spotted in the wild. If your disc is SafeDisc protected and contains audio tracks, it is critical that you dump the SafeDisc protected DATA portion of the image separately from the AUDIO tracks, and then dump the AUDIO tracks in the normal way. This is done because SafeDisc sector errors are translated by the dumping software in a special way, and if any such errors are present in the audio tracks they need to be interpreted the normal way.

Additional Submission Data

Please include the following information with your SafeDisc dump submission in addition to the regular Submission Information:

  1. Number of SafeDisc sectors
  2. SafeDisc version


SecuROM / StarForce

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

Smart-E

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

Tages

Recommended Software

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!


Submission Information

Only include the information that pertains to your dump AND that you personally verified.

Catalog Data

  • Dump Name
  • Disc Title
  • Disc Number
  • Disc ID / Serial
  • Category
  • Region
  • Languages
  • Barcode
  • Version #
  • Edition
  • Comments

Ringcode Data

  • Mastering Code
  • Mastering SID
  • Mould SID
  • Additional Mould Text
  • Toolstamp

Dump Data

  • CDMage Error Count
  • Write Offset
  • Cuesheet
  • Primary Volume Descriptor (PVD)
  • Copy Protection with Version #
  • Folder Contents (Demos, Patches)
  • ClrMamePro Hash Data (Dir2Dat)
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