So...You Want To Backup Your PlayStation Games?
Written: Jun 11 '00 (Updated Sep 01 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Makes perfect backups of your games. Saves you from having to buy the game again when it gets damaged
Cons: ABUSERS use it to copy PSX games illegally
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| gym-378's Full Review: Nero Burning ROM |
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BEFORE we get started, I DO NOT promote the illegal copying of Playstation games!!! This review is for those who own games and want to save themselves the heartache and hassle that inevitably occurs when a disk gets scratched beyond repair. PLEASE be responsible and make sure you buy games legally!
I know I am probably going to take some heat for this review, but I have had three games damaged so far and have truly been saved by the fact that I play my backup copies and keep the original in their covers. Hopefully this epinion will help someone else.
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So you've left your Playstation games lying around again and one got scratched beyond repair. Now you're out $60 and you have to buy the game again if you want to play it again! Don't you wish there was a way to backup the games so you didn't get into this situation? Well there is...if you have a CD-Burner and a MOD-Chip in your Playstation.
OK, before we get to the software itself, let's make sure you have the right components. For the most part, any decent CD-Burner will do. Check around on epinions to figure out which one you need. Next, you need something that will allow your Playstation to read regular CDR disks. As you have probably noticed, Playstation disks have a dark purple bottom and Playstation consoles do not read the traditional blue, gold, or silver bottomed disks. Your two options are a mod-chip (which requires that you open up your PSX console and solder it on) or a game-shark (which only works with PSX consoles that have a Parallel Port in the back).
***Keep in mind that mod-chips require opening the console and soldering on a chip. Doing so automatically cancels the warranty on your console so do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! This is a delicate process and if done by someone who is not experienced with a soldering iron it can destroy your console.***
Once you have a burner and a console that will play backup disks, burning copies is simple. Simply purchase a copy of Ahead's NERO and use the settings that follow. Why NERO? Sony was pretty tricky when they made their games disks. They automatically built in error tracks into each disk. Traditional CD software like Adaptec's Easy CD Creator are unable to handle the error tracks and report a failed copy each time you try to copy a PSX game. What you get out of this is a new, shiny coaster. NERO, on the other hand, has a setting that allows you to ignore these error tracks and makes an EXACT duplicate of your PSX game. This results in a perfect backup of you game.
To backup your game, proceed as follows:
1. Start Nero.
2. Insert the Playstation CD in your recorder.
3. Choose the menu command File->CD Copy.
4. Select the page Copy Options and uncheck the on the fly option.
5. Select your CD recorder as input device and choose (for safety considerations) 1x as read speed.
6. Open the page Read Options and select (if these options are available for your recorder):
"Read media catalog number and ISRC", "Continue copying", "Data Mode 1": "Force Raw reading" "Write uncorrected", "Data Mode 2": 'Force Raw reading" "Write uncorrected", "Read audio with subchannel", "Ignore read errors" and uncheck "Jitter correction".
7. Open the Image page and choose a harddisk drive with at least 700MB of free disk space.
8. Select the page Burn and choose (for safety considerations) 1x as write speed.
9. Click the Burn button
I have used Nero for a couple of years now and find the software very easy to use. Users have the option of letting wizards walk you through the process or to select options from the drop-down menus. Either way, you'll be burning cds and making fewer coasters in no time.
If you are interested in backing up your games, I would definitely look at NERO as your software solution. It's cheap and easy to use and will result in fewer misburns.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gym-378
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Location: Kansas City, MO
Reviews written: 198
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