ijor Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 The Copylock bit cell density track when copied using an analog copier was considerably messed up when tried it. So to say it doesn't work because of that is probably the reason - and I tried it on both old and newer versions of Copylock on the Amiga. How do you know that this was probably the reason? How do you know it wasn’t something else? Hmm, you said before it “usually fails”, now you say it fail always … Let’s talk numbers: What is the precision of the CopyLock density? What precision an analog copier achieves? What precision can you measure using your tools? What precision the CopyLock software expects? And what is more important. Explain why an analog copier will fail at all to reproduce a “cell density” precisely enough? Again I am not wrong. Flakey bits as we define them do exist: on the Amiga. I guess from your statements that they do not exist or are at least far more rare on the ST. What I said above has been seen in practice, a game that checks for these "flaky" bits on an analogue-copied game fails because the bits are no longer changing, exactly as we describe on the site. Analogue copiers cannot reproduce this. However yes, it is perfectly true to say that I was not aware of the techniques causing a similar effect, not that it really matters. LOL. Your own "expert" acknowledged that “weak bits” intentionally produced are usually not “as you define them”. But this doesn’t matter. How many Amiga games with flakey bits (I will use your own terminology to avoid confusion) were produced “as you define them”, and not by “causing a similar effect”? How do you know at all which “type” of flakey bits are present in a specific disk? The only reliable way is by reading at the flux transition level. But you already acknowledged you don’t. I would like to know which game has flakey bits that they don’t change anymore when copied by an analog copier? And don’t answer me with a game that an analog copier can’t copy, this is not the point. The point is if the flakey bits are not flakey anymore and the program fails for that reason (and not for other reason). And are you saying that the Cyclone can’t copy any disk with flakey bits at all? An analog copier can perfectly reproduce flakey bits. There are plenty of ST, PC, and Atari 8-bit examples. Want me to list games that an analog copier can perfectly copy? And again, explain from the theory why an analog copier won’t copy flakey bits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danwinslow Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Well, fine. Nitpick if you must. But if this discussion were about something that it is not, then I would be *right*, by god, RITE I tell you! :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taritan Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 For copying more or less protected stuff: I recommend "Bitte ein Bit", a german Bitcopy, and "T-Nibbler", which stands for Turbo-Nibbler. regards Taritan (former Sysop of TheRedEmu) Ps. Questions: †ari†an@gmx.net (use normal "t"´s) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 So are "flaky bits" anything like "bad sectors"? When I was a kid and I was copying Apple and Commodore games (some for legal backup, some for admittedly bootleg purposes) I was always told that the reason some copies failed was because they didn't have the intentionally "bad sectors" that the original did, since the disk drives couldn't purposefully write bad data or create corruption; it was a mechanical process done in production and checked for by the software itself. In fact some of the Commodore copy programs I owned had specific vendor lists of titles and protection schemes, and for each one someone had hacked the game so it wouldn't check for bad sectors when you copied it (or so I recall, my memory on it is kind of hazy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 For copying more or less protected stuff:I recommend "Bitte ein Bit", a german Bitcopy, and "T-Nibbler", which stands for Turbo-Nibbler. Most copy protected disks (which means most games) can't be copied by any ST software (nibbler) copier. Software copiers can copy earlier US releases and some european ones. But most protections simply can't be reproduced without extra hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 So are "flaky bits" anything like "bad sectors"? Bad sector is sometimes used as a generic term (sector with any kind of error). And sometimes it is used for a specific type of error (Sector Not Found). Weak bits is a very special protection, it is known also as fuzzy, phanton, wondering, flakey, and some more terms I don't remember. Weak bits is my prefered term, but feel free to use whichever one you like. It consists on bits that change every time you read them. So each time you read a sector with weak bits, you get different data. Yes, there are some copiers that hack the program instead of actually copying the protection (because they usually can't really "copy" the disk). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazah Posted April 19, 2005 Author Share Posted April 19, 2005 Doesn't there exist a copier that apples a patch to a copied game to make it work? Like a parameter? Like on the other platforms. The C64 and Amiga had lots of them. You would copy the disk, then apply the patch for that game, and presto a cracked copy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muguk Posted April 29, 2005 Share Posted April 29, 2005 Doesn't there exist a copier that apples a patch to a copied game to make it work? Like a parameter? Like on the other platforms. The C64 and Amiga had lots of them. You would copy the disk, then apply the patch for that game, and presto a cracked copy! 839809[/snapback] Yes .. Evesham (I think) released the Disector on the ST. It copied the disk, cracked it and then wrote back a cracked copy. Mostly handled the old (first gen) Copylock disks if I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazah Posted April 30, 2005 Author Share Posted April 30, 2005 Well I won a bid for the Blitz Copier and cable from ebaY so I will be able to copy all my copy protected software now!!!! Woot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlm Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Well I won a bid for the Blitz Copier and cable from ebaY so I will be able to copy all my copy protected software now!!!! Woot. 846740[/snapback] erm you will be able to copy -some- of your protected software tjlazah. Sorry to rain on your parade, but blitz even in protected mode won't do all titles.... karlm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Well I won a bid for the Blitz Copier and cable from ebaY so I will be able to copy all my copy protected software now!!!! Woot. No device (that you can buy) can copy all ST disks. The Discovery Cartridge is the best device. Second best is the Catweasel. The Blitz, or any other analog copier, is not really recommended for copying any disk. Not even simple not copy protected disks. It is not about what can copy, but about how it copy. Or more precisely, how reliable are copies made with an analog copier, as discussed previously on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazah Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 (edited) Well the Blitz was able to copy almost all my disks except for Batman and Ghosts 'N Goblins. I actually was able to copy Batman with an Amiga Super Ami II Card !!! But not Ghosts'N Goblins! Darn! Edited May 13, 2005 by tjlazah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijor Posted May 16, 2005 Share Posted May 16, 2005 This is typical of an analog copier. It can copy very advanced protections but it can’t copy some simpler ones. In some cases it won’t be able to copy disks that a software copier will easily handle. Note that some copy might seem to work, but will fail at later stages. But again, the important point about analog copiers is not what can copy and what it cannot. It’s about the reliability of the copies it makes. I’m not sure about Ghost and Goblins. If you send me a Pasti image of your disk I might be able to offer some hints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 @tjlazah Great! Please email contributions@caps-project.org, and we will sort you out with all the software you need and take you through the process. The same goes for anyone else of course. I have 150 or more originals that I am copying with Pasti I would like to find a program that will copy them to hard drive I use an Ultra Satan with a micro usb chip so dumping them to the PC is easy. I also have manuals with over 50 % of them that I can scan in on my flat bed scanner (20 inches by 14 inches). Russ Campbell. PS: I am dumping everything to mega at the moment so I will not loose the images. W are talking about rare wargames as I picked up a wargamers collection, stuff that is unheard of. List coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 This is typical of an analog copier. It can copy very advanced protections but it can’t copy some simpler ones. In some cases it won’t be able to copy disks that a software copier will easily handle. Note that some copy might seem to work, but will fail at later stages. But again, the important point about analog copiers is not what can copy and what it cannot. It’s about the reliability of the copies it makes. I’m not sure about Ghost and Goblins. If you send me a Pasti image of your disk I might be able to offer some hints. I have lots of Pasti images ijor: I will send you a link to my Mega site with just the new stuff (over 150 titles coming soon, all originals) Russ Campbell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
256 colors Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 I have lots of Pasti images ijor: I will send you a link to my Mega site with just the new stuff (over 150 titles coming soon, all originals) Russ Campbell Please send me and link too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Well I won a bid for the Blitz Copier and cable from ebaY so I will be able to copy all my copy protected software now!!!! Woot. I am going to make one , I have the disk that contains every program for the Blitz copier, but I hear its not that great, the Happy Discovery cart is better, I know where I can borrow one for while if it has been fixed, last I heard it had a few popped caps in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Please send me and link too Coming in a minute I will send you several links.... Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
256 colors Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Coming in a minute I will send you several links.... Russ Dunno why but link sent is not working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Mega is not working on web right now , I too am having problems getting into any link, instead use Megasync and import the link , that works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 For anyone else here is the link: Note that Mega's web site is down , it loads the link but locks up I and others are having problems , instead download or use Megasync and import the link until they get back online ... Russ https://mega.nz/#F!MF9TzK5a!u-hDGys9tlW_-YecqOSPJw PS: New image for US cards being uploaded as we speak , 16 GB card copied with Peters Drive Image program, but its 11 Gigs! Yikes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 No device (that you can buy) can copy all ST disks. The Discovery Cartridge is the best device. Second best is the Catweasel. The Blitz, or any other analog copier, is not really recommended for copying any disk. Not even simple not copy protected disks. It is not about what can copy, but about how it copy. Or more precisely, how reliable are copies made with an analog copier, as discussed previously on this thread. The only disk I have that I can't backup with my Discovery Cartridge is TMNT but it's no big deal there's cracked copy on the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
256 colors Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 For anyone else here is the link: Note that Mega's web site is down , it loads the link but locks up I and others are having problems , instead download or use Megasync and import the link until they get back online ... Russ https://mega.nz/#F!MF9TzK5a!u-hDGys9tlW_-YecqOSPJw PS: New image for US cards being uploaded as we speak , 16 GB card copied with Peters Drive Image program, but its 11 Gigs! Yikes! Holy fucking sheep shit! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcamp48 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Link is working now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazer Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 How did you make the pasti images? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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