Hi, I'm afraid I can't give an advice you haven't already tried out. I'm using Nero NRG format via the virual recorder (not track dump), ie. I'm duplicating/copying the CD-ROM into virtual recorder.
That's not perfect of course, but it will store whole mixed-mode session CD-ROMs in a file. On bright side, though, many virtual drives can read NRG format.
It also can be converted to something else later on. An acquaintance uses Alcohol 120% for years, as well as WinRAR. It's not FOSS, though.
Best wishes, Jo22

"Alcohol 120%" a very old program, but in the WinXP era I used a lot.

I don't recall seeing a lot of open source CD utils that bothered with copy protection (apart from DeCSS) until somewhat recent-ish. It was very common to just rebuild the image with a crack added to it instead, or download a ready-made "mini image" from somewhere to defeat the protection, instead of trying to preserve a perfect copy. So either stick with proprietary tools (Alcohol, CloneCD) or create the images on a modern machine - the Redump project recommends MPF.

soggi wrote on 2024-11-18, 07:31:

I did several searches but didn't found an appropriate thread... […]
Show full quote

I did several searches but didn't found an appropriate thread...

I'm searching for a software which can create images (ISO, BIN/CUE) out of my game CDs/DVDs (to use them via DAEMON Tools 3.47) and want to have them all in the same format. First I tried with Nero 6 but it seems it just can create .nrg images, then I found ImgBurn 2.5.8.0 (w/o OpenCandy PUP/malware) and started to create .iso images but had to learn that CD/DVDss with multiple tracks (f.e. Half-Life) aren't completely ISO format - so it will be BIN/CUE, OK.

But then I ran into the next problem...copy protection. The following games made it into an image:

• ANNO 1602 - Königs-Edition
• Die Gilde 2 - Die Königsedition
• Gothic 3 (but can't open the .iso with 7-Zip)
• Half-Life (generation, incl. "Opposing Force", "Blue Shift", "Counter-Strike")
• Patrizier II - Gold-Edition

These games didn't:

• Die Siedler III
• Midtown Madness

The rest I didn't try until now.

Is there a software (FW/OSS) which does a better job, f.e. a 1:1 copy into the image? I know there was some software back then when illegal copy of CDs/DVDs was a topic in 90s/00s...it's so long ago and I didn't need them back then, just read news about them...

BTW such software (incl. ImgBurn and Alcohol 120% Retro Edition) will make it to my tools page (https://soggi.org/misc/tools.htm), I think it's also useful to others...DAEMON Tools 3.47 is already there.

kind regards
soggi

i used to use nero many years ago but then switched to alchohol, since imgburn came about thats now my go to, im not sure about copy protected games as i dont think any of mine have protection, at least the ones i've converted so far, some older software might help out in that regard even if it produceses more uncommon formats like nrg, bin/cue ccd sub, mdf, i usually just mount with daemon tools and convert to either bin/cue or iso with imgburn, it might be worth trying discjuggler or CDRwin or cloneCD, if you can find copys, i've had real trouble finding them in recent years, your best bet is archive theres usually compilation cd's/dvd full of software from the late 90's early 2000's, if you find them would be cool if you can upload to your site as they are near impossible to find.

I remember, that GTA 1 cd was unique. It had a data sector for the game, and multiple audio sectors for the audio. Not every CD emulator could copy it completely.

Last I read, MDF/MDS images have all the data including the copy protection (at least certain major ones) and such images allegedly work when mounted. I haven't really checked though, so don't take my word.

Daemon tools can both create and mount them.

You might want to ask on the VGPC discord server. They know all about imaging.

PentAmd wrote on 2024-11-18, 13:28:

"Alcohol 120%" a very old program, but in the WinXP era I used a lot.

Windows XP was (and is) the platform of pir.. backup making.
It was the heyday in which, um, backup software had been written.
Beginning with Windows Vista, a lot of obstacles had been integrated into the OS.
The graphics driver is being checked constantly for, um, integraty, for example.

elszgensa wrote on 2024-11-18, 13:35:

mon to just rebuild the image with a crack added to it instead, or download a ready-made "mini image" from somewhere to defeat the protection, instead of trying to preserve a perfect copy. So either s

This is still how I've always worked.
Make an image of the disc, and then find a crack, preferably a no-cd crack so you don't have to even worry about mounting the image.

Typically, I'll use iso unless it requires a bin/cue format. I don't really like nrg or other formats that are only supported by a few software packages.

I used to use Nero 5 to create the iso's and still install it on my retro PC's with a burner but mostly use imgburn now.

What was the one with the sheep logo, was that CloneCD ?

First, a clarification:

The program don't have to be FOSS, it can also be closed source freeware...and it can also be payware if it's worth it (I don't care about some bucks, but I don't think there's appropriate payware anymore)...and it has to work on WinXPSP3 (because that's the daily driver), at least on Win7SP1 - but it mustn't be adware/shareware or something like that, that's important, I don't want to bother with this kind of software.

------------------------------

Jo22:

In another thread I already read that you're using NRG format, I first wanted to try BIN/CUE format as it's more widely supported, but would come back to NRG if it has significant advantages (have Nero 6 UE installed here). As said above, "ImgBurn" and "Alcohol 120% Retro Edition" will have it's place in my website's tools section with the next update.

------------------------------

elszgensa:

Maybe I was a bit unclear, made a clarification at the beginning of this post - freeware and payware are also OK, if theay run on WinXPSP3 (at least on Win7SP1). Is/was there a freeware version of CloneCD? Thanks for the link to the Redump Wiki! Does MPF.exe create images which I can put into a virtual DAEMON tools drive? This is not clear to me after reading for some minutes.

------------------------------

DudeFace:

I'll have a look into it! But I can already say that I cannot put any kind of software to my website like archive.org does, I can only provide FW/FOSS and maybe some old "abandoned" software (aka abandonware) where the corresponding rights are unclear - I can't make commercial software (which of I don't own the corresponding rights) available for free on my website!

------------------------------

PentAmd:

Multiple tracks were common back than as already said in the start post (Hafl-Life f.e.), so GTA isn't unique conderning this.

------------------------------

eddman:

Hm...so I should switch to MDF? Since when DAEMON Tools can create images? I only can create virtual drives with version 3.47.

------------------------------

chinny22:

Why talking about NoCD patches for images which aren't there because it isn't possible to create them? This doesn't make any sense! xD And it is the question of the thread how to create them! Nero 5 could create ISOs? Couldn't get it managed with Nero 6 (only NRG).

------------------------------

BitWrangler:

Yes, it's the sheep -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CloneCD! I did some research but should have another look...

kind regards
soggi 😀

soggi wrote on 2024-11-19, 08:21:

Hm...so I should switch to MDF?

Don't know. Is imaging the copy protection important?

has to work on WinXPSP3 (because that's the daily driver), at least on Win7SP1

Since when DAEMON Tools can create images? I only can create virtual drives with version 3.47.

Years ago? Don't know exactly. Use Alcohol to create the images, I guess.

ImgBurn shows errors when imaging faulty tracks which belong to the copy protection, I guess - so it's the only solution to copy them in RAW mode!? CloneCD did this (read it on their archived website) and I remember vaguely there was some trouble with such software ~20 years ago when there was a new law against SW piracy. But CloneCD isn't anymore and there was no freeware...just the Virtual CloneDrive was and is freeware.

BTW Virtual CloneDrive 5.5.0.0 seems to be the last version to work on Win98(SE)/ME/2k - will put it on my website (if PUP free).

Edit:
Virtual CloneDrive 5.5.0.0 is clean -> https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/cd56643dc … 86b569c38f82cee.

kind regards
soggi

CDBurnerXP comes to mind.
Don't know if it can do what you want but surely worth a look.

soggi wrote on 2024-11-19, 08:21:

First, a clarification: […]
Show full quote

First, a clarification:

The program don't have to be FOSS, it can also be closed source freeware...and it can also be payware if it's worth it (I don't care about some bucks, but I don't think there's appropriate payware anymore)...and it has to work on WinXPSP3 (because that's the daily driver), at least on Win7SP1 - but it mustn't be adware/shareware or something like that, that's important, I don't want to bother with this kind of software.

------------------------------

Jo22:

In another thread I already read that you're using NRG format, I first wanted to try BIN/CUE format as it's more widely supported, but would come back to NRG if it has significant advantages (have Nero 6 UE installed here). As said above, "ImgBurn" and "Alcohol 120% Retro Edition" will have it's place in my website's tools section with the next update.

------------------------------

elszgensa:

Maybe I was a bit unclear, made a clarification at the beginning of this post - freeware and payware are also OK, if theay run on WinXPSP3 (at least on Win7SP1). Is/was there a freeware version of CloneCD? Thanks for the link to the Redump Wiki! Does MPF.exe create images which I can put into a virtual DAEMON tools drive? This is not clear to me after reading for some minutes.

------------------------------

DudeFace:

I'll have a look into it! But I can already say that I cannot put any kind of software to my website like archive.org does, I can only provide FW/FOSS and maybe some old "abandoned" software (aka abandonware) where the corresponding rights are unclear - I can't make commercial software (which of I don't own the corresponding rights) available for free on my website!

------------------------------

PentAmd:

Multiple tracks were common back than as already said in the start post (Hafl-Life f.e.), so GTA isn't unique conderning this.

------------------------------

eddman:

Hm...so I should switch to MDF? Since when DAEMON Tools can create images? I only can create virtual drives with version 3.47.

------------------------------

chinny22:

Why talking about NoCD patches for images which aren't there because it isn't possible to create them? This doesn't make any sense! xD And it is the question of the thread how to create them! Nero 5 could create ISOs? Couldn't get it managed with Nero 6 (only NRG).

------------------------------

BitWrangler:

Yes, it's the sheep -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CloneCD! I did some research but should have another look...

kind regards
soggi 😀

yeah hosting cracked versions is probably not a good idea, as far as i could remember discjuggler and cloneCD were freeware and only CDRwin required a licence though i could be wrong on that, i just checked and its discjuggler and CDRwin that are shareware, and the latest version of clone CD for win 10 requires a licence, so im not sure on the stance for older version that are win 98/xp compatible, at the least you could still host the trial versions, and how people go about activating them is up to them, i think back in the day with trials i use to adjust the date on my pc 😀

Daemon tools 4.49.1 can create MDF/MDS images and generally seems to be the last recommended version for XP and 7.

I tested it on 7 SP1 inside vmware; created an MDF/MDS image of Assassin's Creed 1 (which has SafeDisc 4.85) and it played fine when mounted.

Here's the archived page but the download link doesn't work:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140323015926/ht … download/daemon

I downloaded it from the below site and checked the exe with the checksum posted on the above page and it matches:

https://www.filesoul.com/software/DAEMON-Tool … -49-1/download/

DudeFace:

Shareware/trialware won't have a place on my website, sorry. CloneCD never was freeware and my memory was correct there was a new copyright law ~20 years ago (-> https://web.archive.org/web/20030927020412/ht … e_cd/index.html). A few years later CloneCD has been reissued by SlySoft...until 2016...then it was reissued by RedFox and the it vanished this year (April 2024).

eddman:

Everything above DAEMON Tools 3.47 is Shareware/Adware and contains PUP/Malware, additionally version 3.47 is the last working on Win9x. The version you have linked has OpenCandy inside -> https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/17761e85f … f749078c55f1bb0!

kind regards
soggi

That 20 years ago change had features blocked in several of these utilities, that they had previously. Nero was previously more capable. For several of these it might be that a 2003 edition works on a 2002 disc, but the 2005 edition doesn't.... though they also ceased to develop, so 2006 discs if it uses older schemes might still be able to be "backed up" by a 2003 edition, but with newer schemes the 2003 edition won't work, but neither will 2005-24 editions because that feature group ceased development in EU and US releases.

I used to use DDump Frontend. But I don't think it was open source software.