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How to copy various protections - Printable Version

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How to copy various protections - LordCrass - 01-15-2014

Here's a cheat sheet on my experiences with making a copy/image various C64 protections as of v.99:

I always leave the option for "index sensor" set to "required" for both reads and writes.

Rapidlok: tracks 1-36 in SPLICE mode. Even though the disks are mastered to the index hole, the key track requires the SPLICE handling for writing back to a real disk. For a G64 image, tracks 1-36 INDEX mode works.

V-Max: tracks 1-40 INDEX mode should work for almost all of these. There are a few I've encountered that had the directory track unaligned and required SPLICE mode (Rastan and Renegade). After Burner requires SPLICE mode.

Vorpal 1: tracks 1-35 SPLICE mode.

Vorpal 2: currently requires reading in SPLICE mode, 2 revolutions and then writing back out manually from the analyzer after specifying start/end. Hopefully added to SPLICE handling in a future release.

EA track 2 PirateSlayer: Some of these disks are mastered to the index hole and can be copied in INDEX, but some (eg. Skate or Die!) are not. Use the SPLICE mode when in doubt, tracks 1-35.

EA fat track 34/35: tracks 1-33 INDEX mode. Tracks 34-35 in INDEX mode with half-tracks enabled. Have "wipe tracks" turned off when writing 34-35. Writing out the whole disk with half-tracks will generally result in a copy full of errors that won't load. You will need to image 1-35 with half-tracks and INDEX mode if you want to make a G64.

Xemag fat track 35/36: Same as EA fat track, but use SPLICE mode as all Xemag disks I've seen so far are aligned about 1/8 of a rotation off the index mark. There's at least one Xemag game that has the fat track on track 6/7 (F-15 Strike Eagle).

Bounty Bob Strikes Back: Copy tracks 1-11 with INDEX mode on and half-tracks on. Copy tracks 12-35 with INDEX mode on and half-tracks off. Make sure to write-protect the copy or it will fail to load. Currently, the byte count protection on track 12 will very likely fail if you write the copy on a drive that spins at a different rate than the one it was read from. If this happens, the title screen will appear but it will hang on the "Player 1" screen when you try to start.

Others: The majority of original disks can be mastered with the INDEX mode option enabled, but if you encounter difficulty, or are unsure, leave this option disabled and let the software determine where the data is. Always leave half-tracks off unless you know the protection uses them, and even then, only copy the half-tracks and surrounding full tracks with this option enabled.

I've noticed that some of my originals show up with errors when read from the PC HD drive; errors that don't appear when reading the same disks with the 1541. I'm not sure why, but it may have something to do with the smaller read/write head of the HD drive being a little more finicky about the data it reads.


RE: How to copy various protections - admin - 01-15-2014

Thanks for posting that info!

The "wipe tracks" option is probably not ever needed, but it can be used at anytime because all it does is turn on the erase head with no data pattern written.


RE: How to copy various protections - LordCrass - 01-16-2014

I think the only time you actually need to wipe the track is if you're writing less than a full track and you want to make sure there isn't a leftover sync+header in the unwritten part.


RE: How to copy various protections - admin - 01-16-2014

Correct, and since that case never occurs in the copier, that option is really never needed. The analyzer can write sub-full length tracks, so it is needed there and is always enabled.


RE: How to copy various protections - LordCrass - 01-24-2014

Added Bounty Bob copy tip.


RE: How to copy various protections - admin - 01-25-2014

Bounty Bob works in INDEX mode with only 1/2 tracks checked being required. Drive to drive, drive to flux, and drive to G64 image all work this way. Currently you can't change how the image is made (1/2 tracks or not), but I will probably add that option in the future - where you could click on the cell and change the settings how each track is copied and then allow templates.


RE: How to copy various protections - sncboom2k - 05-26-2014

Adding this one to your great thread LordCrass.

DiskMaker 1.1 by Basix (Pink Disk)

Copy tracks 1-40 using Splice (non index) - no half tracks
Copy tracks 8-9 using Splice (non index) - with half tracks

Works great.

This disk is not written to the index, contains killer tracks, has weakbits on the higher tracks, and has a half track at 8.5 that is checked during the initial load.

Higher tracks 36+ are checked when you load a copier from the menu.


RE: How to copy various protections - sncboom2k - 05-26-2014

Adding a couple more.

DiskMaker 2.2 & 3.3

(2.2 is an earlier VMAX variant with weakbits and sync counting)
(3.3 is an earlier VMAX variant with 1 killer track. No challenge)

For both - copy tracks 1-40 in Splice mode.

Be sure to load each copier from the main menu as they check the higher tracks for weakbits (36-40). If one does not work - recopy 36-40 until it does. The weakbits read / write success may vary depending on the drive you are using with your SCP.

Also - could not get even the originals of DiskMaker 2.2 to work on my 128 in 64 mode. Tested with my SX-64 and all worked fine. On the 128 it locks up at track 19.


RE: How to copy various protections - Hyperactive - 08-24-2014

Hi
Sncboom2k and I are having a beast of a time trying to read/write out defender of the crown side 2.
When we try starting a tournament, the drive goes berserk as soon as it hits track 16. Raiding works, however.
We can't work out what the problem could be. has anyone else been able to write back side 2 and successfully start a tournament? if so, how did you do it?
Thanks.


RE: How to copy various protections - Budking314 - 10-10-2014

I am having trouble copying the Three Stooges. Can someone give me some advice?
I even purchased a new disk drive that is aligned and modded but no luck.
Thanks in advance!

P.s.
For Commodore 64