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 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).

The tools in the links above allow you to analyze and scan files or sectors of a disc to determine the approximate protection type and version being used. It's typically a good idea to try to verify a disc's protection by identifying it with two of the three tools. Sometimes one program is more successful than the other.

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

Supplemental Software (Optional)

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)
    • 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)
    • 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 (example: 'DiscImageCreator.exe -rall h 8 track01')
    • NOTE: Unless you specify a filepath in the trackname, the tracks will be generated under the DiscImageCreator folder.
  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) Value
    • 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 Images 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.
    • 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.

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

  • COMING SOON!

Tutorial

  • COMING SOON!

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 have actually 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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