How do i dd a copy protected disc?
 

Hey guys,
I like to make iso backups of my disc. I was going through some game cds that I have not backed up yet. I want to stress I DO OWN THE DISC. I just want to make an iso backup of the disc just in case something happens to them.

I normally use dd to backup my disc to an iso. Typically I use this command
I always replace the numbers for count with whatever the volume size is when i run isoinfo -d -i /dev/sr0. However I have a few game cds that I can not back up. I have tried 3 different disk that have this issue. I think they are all copy protected.

I am trying to backup the following disc:
Microsoft Rise of Nations
Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Warlords
Microsoft Empire Earth 3

When I dd any of these disc I get an iso that is 1.7GB and is not a valid iso image.

I was however able to back up other disc. How can I make an iso backup of the copy protected disc?


I would like to stress I do not condone pirating and I understand that some people may think this post is related to piracy. I simply want to make a backup of a disc that I have legally purchased

Read about the -clone option to readom in the readom manpage.

I have no problem with this (in fact, I do it all the time), but just wanted to say, the MPAA (and probably the RIAA too) has won in numerous cases stating they do not authorize customers to create copies of dvds even as backups. Recording copyrighted movies is illegal; there might be similar laws for games.

Also, readcd for people who wish to avoid cdrkit.

I don't know if these will really work for a copy protected disc though, daemon tools or alcohol 120% would probably work better.

I hadn't realized that readom was the cdrkit name instead of Schily's. Now I feel all unclean. Apparently my distro aliases readom to readcd.

Thanks, I have never used readom. With a bit of tinkering I figured out the device can not be mounted to use this command.

I tried the following command on my Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Warlords disc
This appeared to work but I am getting read errors so I don't think Iam going to get a valid iso. Here is the output of the above command
It just keeps on and on with the errors. I don't trust the image so I terminated the readom process and tried my microsoft Empire Earth 3 disc. The Empire Earth 3 disc looks brand new, no scratches, no finger prints, nothing. It is a perfect disc.

output:

Any Thoughts?

readcd is the same thing as readom.

Daemon Tools and alcohol 120% are both Windows Apps. I do not own Alcohol 120% so I can't use that and Daemon Tools is just a virtual cd drive for mounting iso images. Daemon Tools does not create iso images.

True, but I don't like playing games through wine, so I do keep Windows installed.

Ah, I was thinking one of the pro versions of Daemon Tools, not the lite version, which you have to pay for as well.

isoinfo (and mount) will report this as an invalid iso, but if you try cdemu, you might find it mounts just fine. A problem arises if you ever try to burn this image: the game will say it's the wrong disc; although, this probably happens even when burning mdf/mds images simply due to the disc media itself. Anway, I've had games accept the image in iso form mounting through alcohol 52% though (I always have all copy protection emulation options on, so that may be why). So, I'd say try this again, mount the image through cdemu, and compare contents of the actual disc and virtual disc.

Neither do I. I have a mixed environment. I have a physical Windows Vista box and I have XP running on VMWare Server 2. I do not have any of those applications so if possible I would like to figure out how to do this on Linux for as little cost as possible. I don't have anything against those applications, I have used them myself. A know someone who has A120 and I use Daemon Tools lite in corporate environments. I am storing the iso images on a Linux box and I would like to have the tools to make the iso images on this Linux box as well so that I don't have to be all over the place to get something done.

Well if I have to use cdemu to mount it and I still may not work because of the copy protection stuff, then doesn't that defeat the purpose of making an iso backup? It is a good idea, but seems like an half way workaround for what I am trying to do. I am looking to make a 100% clone iso image of a copy-protected disc. Legally I should be able to do that under the "fair use" act. However copy-protection is designed to prevent me from being able to do that which is why I am in this situation.

the iso format will never be able to contain copy protection data; it's simply not capable of doing so. I've never heard or read of anyone successfully doing so and only that it's impossible. the most reliable format for making images of copy protected discs I've heard of is alcohol's mdf/mds. No matter what, this is going to require using software capable of copy protection emulation, i.e. alcohol 120% or daemon tools pro to create the image, or at least alcohol 52%, daemon tools lite, or cdemu to read the image. as far as copying copy protected data to another cd while still letting the application that looks for the copy protection information run, I've never been successful. good luck. I've started just adding nocd cracks onto my copies.

Fair play, I appreciate the information. Maybe it is just my lack of what an iso can actually support but I thought an iso was nothing more than a snapshot of the disc itself. That's why I keep asking for a way to make an iso from a copy-protected disk. Am I wrong is assuming this can be done? From you previous post I would have to assume so. Do you have any documentation to support your statements? I hope I am not sounding disrespectful with that statement, I am not the best at wording things sometimes. I really just would like some documentation about it to help me understand more.

In the end, my goal is to be able to create a backup of my Disc to be stored on a file server in case something happens to the disc. If the disc fails or is lost I can just burn a copy of the back up and it is absolutely 100% identical to the original disc aside from the fact that it is on a burned disc instead of the original pressing. I plan on sotring these disc on a Debian server so having the ability to be able to create them directly on the sever would save me a considerable amount of time. A lot of software is actually on DVD now days so an image of the disk can be significantly large and having to copy that to the file server can take up a lot of time, and bandwidth.

It wouldn't be that big of a deal if my network wasn't plumed with cat5e instead of cat6 and if my server actually had a 1000Mbps network card. So I have a bottle neck with a 10/100Mbps network card on my server and a small bottle neck with using cat5e instead of cat6 on my network. otherwise I am a 1000Mbps network.

I am sorry for being difficult, I asked for an answer and I was given a solution. It just isn't the solution I want. There are a number of factors as to why I would prefer a Linux solution to this situation, but if I absolutely have to I can go buy a copy of Alcohol 120%. I know it will do the job, but it just adds a few steps in the process for me and makes it a bit more difficult.

I find it hard to believe there is not a Linux solution to this problem.

Thank you for the solutions you have provided, and once again I am sorry for being difficult.

worm5252,

What you are asking is to make a "backup" to a "server", that can re-create the copy-protected disk when asked.

You cannot be ignorant of what this really means, and this is against the LQ rules particularly:
If your copy-protected disk is damaged, I expect you can return it and have a new disk for a nominal handling fee. Best thing is to treat them with care, because you paid for them.

slightlystoopid's response at post #3 was spot-on, but you have decided not to heed the warning.

Please do so.

If there is a linux solution, I'd really like to know of it as well.

I really wish I did, as my understanding of how copy protection works is quite vague. All I know is what I've found on google which is nothing but forum posts like this one. Advice is generally: if it's not copy protected, isos are fine, if it is copy protected, try mdf/mds, with bin/cues falling somewhere in between working for some copy protection but not all.

I understand what you are saying, but I have stated I want to make a back up which is legal under the "fair use" act. Therefore what I am asking for does not violate the LQ Rules. However if a moderator seems to think otherwise I invite them to delete this thread.

Ok, thanks for the information. I will google my heart out to see if I can learn more about what is and is not supported under the iso format.