Exodus
Tools Of The Trade
CloneCD v4.3.2.2
Alcohol120% v1.9.2.1705
Blindwrite Suite v4.5.7
DiscJuggler Professional v4.10.1140
A-Ray Scanner 1.0.0.0
A-Ray Scanner 2.0.0.0
Twinpeaks
BWABuilder.exe
There are a variety of tools that are used to determine the protection on a disc.
Safedisc 1 / Safedisc Lite (LT)
Even programs like Nero can copy these now. They are characterized by some errors on the disc, which programs used to abort on reading, but now simply ignore.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (cue/ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), Alcohol/Discdump (cue/bin), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
Safedisc 2-2.8
Very similiar to Safedisc 1, pretty easy to copy. Again, errors.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (cue/ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), RAW (cue/bin), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
Safedisc 2.9+/3+
This newer variation of Safedisc is a bit trickier.
Preferred Format: Alcohol (mds/mdf)
Others: DiscJuggler (cdi) (requires reader which can handle "pregap" - Toshiba)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
- for safedisc 2 & 3 just use alcohol 120% and choose SafeDisc 2/3 datatype, uncheck bypass efm error if u have 2 sheep burner (check that on clonecd's web page), otherwise live it checked. Recommended burning speed is 4x (if that doesn't work try to burn with max speed), and be carefull by burning the latest versions (3.15 and up), only few burners can handle it, even Lite-on's have many problems with it...
SecuROM / SecuROM *NEW*
This used to be a tough protection, now most readers/writers can defeat it, because manufacturers started implemented accurate subchannel read/write. Many still need to be read at slower speeds for accuracy though, hence 8x read recommendation.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Read subchannel, ignore errors, 8x or 4x read.
SecuROM *NEW* 4.8-4.9
This has been, for a long time, a bothersome protection. It varies sector density on the disc, and cannot truly be copied 1:1. Several methods are available to emulate it, as well as trick it with twinpeaks, but these methods are not foolproof. Paired with Blindwrite, Plextor Premium can create a backup that does not require emulation.
Preferred Format: Alcohol (mds/mdf)
Others: Blindwrite (various)
Program options: DPM (high accuracy) / Measure physical characteristics, ignore errors.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT RELEASE AN IMAGE THAT HAS BEEN PREPATCHED FOR TWINPEAKS USE. IF YOU DO, INCLUDE A BWA/MDS.
Note: I expect many have different opinions on format. I have chosen Alcohol for a couple of reasons. One is that Blindwrite has changed a lot recently. It is no longer as easy to keygen/patch, so we might have to stay a few versions behind. Another reason is that since Blindwrite 5, physical characteristics (density) is no longer saved as a separate file, but as part of the main image. Another factor is that, in my experience, Alcohol is much more accurate at reading sector density than Blindwrite's former BWAbuilder. And also, with an AlcoholClone, you can create a twinpeaked copy in the following fashion:
1. Use BWABuilder.exe to convert mds to BWA.
2. Mount Alcohol image and read to CloneCD format.
3. Patch with Twinpeaks and burn.
- for SecuROM *new v4.8x/5.x and newer use blindwrite if u have Plextor Premium burner or any of few others that can handle this protection..., if your burner can't make good copies of securom protected games with BW and without using any emulation (autoplay or RMPS) use next method that was tested on many games and it worked (to pruve that the method works official updates of the games were also installed and it was also tested on a machine without any emulation software... and it still worked without any problems), but again it depends from a burner and cd- or dvd-rom that u'll use to burn and play (it'll happen that some cd- or dvd-roms still can't read so burned images, we also recommend that u save somewhere a *.bwa and *.mds files if u'd like to make an BW or Alcohol image to use it on a virtual drive later):
1. make sure that u don't have any emulation enabled (next progies make that possible: alcohol 120%, clonecd, blindwrite, daemon tools,...)
2. download a clone of a game that u'd like to play (as we talk here for securom protected games, the images probably will be in bw or alcohol format),
3. u must get also the latest version of alcohol120% and alcoholer or A-Ray Scanner,
4. after few days of downloading and spending some time with your girl it's time to make a patched image and to burn and play the game (if u got an alcohol image (*.mds and *.mdf file) of securom protected game just skip next steps and go to step 11),
5. enable virtual Drive in Alcohol120% and mount the downloaded image (u can do that from Alcohol120% or in windows explorer by clicking on the downloaded *.bwt file with the right mouse button and than choosing to "Mount Image"),
6. after u have mounted the image open Alcohol120% and choose "Image Making Wizard",
7. choose as CD/DVD Device the virtual drive AXV CD/DVD-ROM,
8. choose "Securom *NEW" (not "Securom *NEW (4.x/5.x)") Datatype, u can set to read at maximum speed and select next,
9. select where would u like that the image would be made and for Image Format select "Media Descriptor Image file (*.mds)", than click on start,
10. wait while alcohol is dumping the image and than unmount the *.bwt image and disable the virtual drive in alcohol120%,
11. open alcoholer or A-Ray Scanner and select "Run TwinCreator", as "Select Supported Image" select the image that u made at step 10 or downloaded at step 2 if it was alcohol image, as "Select Media-Description" select the *.bwa or *.mds file that u downloaded at step 2,
12. now in TwinCreator choose Start, click in next window on OK and wait that TwinCreator makes the patched.* files in alcohol format,
13. insert in burner a blank CD (maybe u should 1st try with a CDRW), than open again Alcohol120%, choose "Image Burning Wizard", Browse to the patched.mds that u made at step 12 with TwinCreator and click on next,
14. by Datatype choose "Securom *NEW" (not "Securom *NEW (4.x/5.x)") and it's recommended that u choose lower speed like 4x, when alcohol asks u to choose one of the options below to proceed select "Keep TOC as on source CD, write until end of image file (recommended)" than click OK and burn the CD,
15. after u burn the CD install the game and try it out if it works, if the game has updates also install them and try to play it, let us know if it works...
16. if u want to play the game from CDRW u must check in alcohol120% by "Emulation" to Ignore Media Type!
Good luck and have fun!
CloneCD v4.3.2.2
Alcohol120% v1.9.2.1705
Blindwrite Suite v4.5.7
DiscJuggler Professional v4.10.1140
A-Ray Scanner 1.0.0.0
A-Ray Scanner 2.0.0.0
Twinpeaks
BWABuilder.exe
There are a variety of tools that are used to determine the protection on a disc.
Safedisc 1 / Safedisc Lite (LT)
Even programs like Nero can copy these now. They are characterized by some errors on the disc, which programs used to abort on reading, but now simply ignore.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (cue/ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), Alcohol/Discdump (cue/bin), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
Safedisc 2-2.8
Very similiar to Safedisc 1, pretty easy to copy. Again, errors.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (cue/ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), RAW (cue/bin), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
Safedisc 2.9+/3+
This newer variation of Safedisc is a bit trickier.
Preferred Format: Alcohol (mds/mdf)
Others: DiscJuggler (cdi) (requires reader which can handle "pregap" - Toshiba)
Program options: Ignore errors, fast skip errors.
- for safedisc 2 & 3 just use alcohol 120% and choose SafeDisc 2/3 datatype, uncheck bypass efm error if u have 2 sheep burner (check that on clonecd's web page), otherwise live it checked. Recommended burning speed is 4x (if that doesn't work try to burn with max speed), and be carefull by burning the latest versions (3.15 and up), only few burners can handle it, even Lite-on's have many problems with it...
SecuROM / SecuROM *NEW*
This used to be a tough protection, now most readers/writers can defeat it, because manufacturers started implemented accurate subchannel read/write. Many still need to be read at slower speeds for accuracy though, hence 8x read recommendation.
Preferred Format: CloneCD (ccd/img/sub)
Others: Alcohol (mds/mdf), Blindwrite (various)
Program options: Read subchannel, ignore errors, 8x or 4x read.
SecuROM *NEW* 4.8-4.9
This has been, for a long time, a bothersome protection. It varies sector density on the disc, and cannot truly be copied 1:1. Several methods are available to emulate it, as well as trick it with twinpeaks, but these methods are not foolproof. Paired with Blindwrite, Plextor Premium can create a backup that does not require emulation.
Preferred Format: Alcohol (mds/mdf)
Others: Blindwrite (various)
Program options: DPM (high accuracy) / Measure physical characteristics, ignore errors.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT RELEASE AN IMAGE THAT HAS BEEN PREPATCHED FOR TWINPEAKS USE. IF YOU DO, INCLUDE A BWA/MDS.
Note: I expect many have different opinions on format. I have chosen Alcohol for a couple of reasons. One is that Blindwrite has changed a lot recently. It is no longer as easy to keygen/patch, so we might have to stay a few versions behind. Another reason is that since Blindwrite 5, physical characteristics (density) is no longer saved as a separate file, but as part of the main image. Another factor is that, in my experience, Alcohol is much more accurate at reading sector density than Blindwrite's former BWAbuilder. And also, with an AlcoholClone, you can create a twinpeaked copy in the following fashion:
1. Use BWABuilder.exe to convert mds to BWA.
2. Mount Alcohol image and read to CloneCD format.
3. Patch with Twinpeaks and burn.
- for SecuROM *new v4.8x/5.x and newer use blindwrite if u have Plextor Premium burner or any of few others that can handle this protection..., if your burner can't make good copies of securom protected games with BW and without using any emulation (autoplay or RMPS) use next method that was tested on many games and it worked (to pruve that the method works official updates of the games were also installed and it was also tested on a machine without any emulation software... and it still worked without any problems), but again it depends from a burner and cd- or dvd-rom that u'll use to burn and play (it'll happen that some cd- or dvd-roms still can't read so burned images, we also recommend that u save somewhere a *.bwa and *.mds files if u'd like to make an BW or Alcohol image to use it on a virtual drive later):
1. make sure that u don't have any emulation enabled (next progies make that possible: alcohol 120%, clonecd, blindwrite, daemon tools,...)
2. download a clone of a game that u'd like to play (as we talk here for securom protected games, the images probably will be in bw or alcohol format),
3. u must get also the latest version of alcohol120% and alcoholer or A-Ray Scanner,
4. after few days of downloading and spending some time with your girl it's time to make a patched image and to burn and play the game (if u got an alcohol image (*.mds and *.mdf file) of securom protected game just skip next steps and go to step 11),
5. enable virtual Drive in Alcohol120% and mount the downloaded image (u can do that from Alcohol120% or in windows explorer by clicking on the downloaded *.bwt file with the right mouse button and than choosing to "Mount Image"),
6. after u have mounted the image open Alcohol120% and choose "Image Making Wizard",
7. choose as CD/DVD Device the virtual drive AXV CD/DVD-ROM,
8. choose "Securom *NEW" (not "Securom *NEW (4.x/5.x)") Datatype, u can set to read at maximum speed and select next,
9. select where would u like that the image would be made and for Image Format select "Media Descriptor Image file (*.mds)", than click on start,
10. wait while alcohol is dumping the image and than unmount the *.bwt image and disable the virtual drive in alcohol120%,
11. open alcoholer or A-Ray Scanner and select "Run TwinCreator", as "Select Supported Image" select the image that u made at step 10 or downloaded at step 2 if it was alcohol image, as "Select Media-Description" select the *.bwa or *.mds file that u downloaded at step 2,
12. now in TwinCreator choose Start, click in next window on OK and wait that TwinCreator makes the patched.* files in alcohol format,
13. insert in burner a blank CD (maybe u should 1st try with a CDRW), than open again Alcohol120%, choose "Image Burning Wizard", Browse to the patched.mds that u made at step 12 with TwinCreator and click on next,
14. by Datatype choose "Securom *NEW" (not "Securom *NEW (4.x/5.x)") and it's recommended that u choose lower speed like 4x, when alcohol asks u to choose one of the options below to proceed select "Keep TOC as on source CD, write until end of image file (recommended)" than click OK and burn the CD,
15. after u burn the CD install the game and try it out if it works, if the game has updates also install them and try to play it, let us know if it works...
16. if u want to play the game from CDRW u must check in alcohol120% by "Emulation" to Ignore Media Type!
Good luck and have fun!
