Main DVD dumping guide

From Redump Wiki

Introduction

This guide will explain how to preserve DVD-based games in the best possible way. It is a general purpose guide meant for all systems that use DVD media (consoles or computers) and for most DVD variants (data DVDs and DVD-Video). Also the discs must be unprotected and must not have any kind of abnormalities (eg. garbage data). Please refer to more specific guides on how to dump protected and non-standard DVDs.

Software needed

• IsoBuster
• CloneCD

Determining disc type

1. Determining disc type

• Insert the DVD in the drive and launch IsoBuster.
• If the disc is larger than 4,700,000,000 bytes exit and use CloneCD instead.
• If this is a PC DVD note the filesystems in case the disc is PC/MAC hybrid.
• If the disc a either a PC DVD or DVD-Video scan for protections.

2. Dumping Single Layer discs

Insert the disc into the drive and launch IsoBuster. If you have multiple drives with discs inserted, make sure you have select the right one from the list. Right click on Track 01, select Extract Track 01 → Extract User Data (*.tao, *.iso, *.wav) menu item, then choose folder for extraction and press OK.

The copying process may take several minutes. If you get "Unreadable sector" errors during it, press Retry button. If the error appears again, try to clean your disc from dust or scratches and try again. If the errors persist your disc is unsuitable for preservation.

After the disc has been copied, launch HashCalc, check MD5, SHA1, CRC32 and uncheck others. Select File option from the Data format list, then press button next to the Data field, select dumped image and press Calculate. The calculation process may take up to several minutes. These checksums should be posted along with other info.

Dump your disc again and compare old dump checksums with the new ones. If checksums are the same, your disc has been dumped properly.

3. Dumping Double Layer discs

If the DVD is Double Layer dump it using CloneCD. When you select the DVD information will show in the right column about the disc. In the bottom it will show the Layerbreak sector. Note that number as it is needed. Continue dumping the disc and when finished you will end up with an .ISO and a .DVD file. The latter contains the Layerbreak sector and it is recomended to keep it. It is required in case you want to burn to a DL DVD. Always use DL DVD+R.

It is safe to use CloneCD for Single Layer discs too. Please don't be confused with CloneDVD and never use it.

4. Mandatory information

• Game title: most obvious, is located everywhere. Please include subtitle.
• Disc ID: it is located on disc and commonly is in the form of "XXXX-YYYYY" (where X is a letter and Y is a number), also it may have some additional characters appended. Examples: SLUS-21359, SCES-51578#2.
• Disc title: some games stored on multiple discs may have discs with titles. Examples: Armored Core: Nexus (Disc 1) (Evolution) and (Disc 2) (Revolution).
• EXE date: EXE is usually named like disc ID in the form of "XXXX_YYY.YY" (where X is a letter and Y is a number). If you are not sure, check EXE name in the file SYSTEM.CNF. EXE date should be looked in IsoBuster in Modified column.
• Game languages: just start the game on the console and look for "Language" menu in options
• Disc version: Go to the root directory of the disc and open SYSTEM.CNF file in the text editor. Disc version is located in the row which starts with "VER", for example, "VER = 1.00".
• Image size: look for it in any file manager (but not in IsoBuster).
• Edition: some games were rereleased in different packages, for example, Platinum/Greatest Hits/PlayStation 2 the Best series. If game was released in original package, post edition as "Original".
• Layerbreak sector: