CloneCD FAQ


These are the most frequently asked support questions for CloneCD. This list will be updated as we receive more support questions.

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Will my CD-Burner be supported in the future?

This depends on the type of CD-Burner you have. Some might be supported, some will never be supported. More than 90% of all CD-Writer models are already supported, at least in SAO-RAW mode. Here is a list of CD-Burners, and the chance, that they will be supported:

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Why can't I select the "Don't repair SubChannel Data" option?

This option is only available, if your writer supports writing of 96 Bytes SubChannel Data (CD-Text, CD+G). This is a restriction of your hadrware, not of CloneCD.

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My ATAPI CD-ROM or CD-Writer should work according to the hardware list, but it doesn't!

CloneCD uses very uncommon sector sizes for the transfer. Certain DMA Busmaster drivers for INTEL, VIA or ALI chipsets are not working properly with these transfer sizes. You should get an update of the IDE Busmaster drivers from INTEL, ALI or VIA for your motherboard, or you can try to disable DMA for the affected devices in the Windows Device Manager.

A good idea is trying to avoid any 3rd party (INTEL, VIA or ALI) Busmaster IDE drivers. Use the Microsoft IDE drivers which came with your Windows operating system.

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My Plextor CD-ROM doesn't read SubChannel Data!

This is usually caused, because of a conflict between the Software "Plextor Manager" and CloneCD. To use CloneCD with Plextor CD-ROMs, you must uninstall Plextor Manager and reboot your computer. If you still have problems under Windows 95/98, make sure, that the file AUDIOFS.VXD is deleted from the WINDOWS/SYSTEM/IOSUBSYS directory.

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When reading some CDs, CloneCD reports hundreds of Read-Errors, is this normal?

This depends on the CD you are trying to read. Read Errors can indicate that the CD is damaged or that your Reader isn't fully compatible with CloneCD, but errors might be placed intentional on the CD as part of a copy  protection.

If read errors are intentional, you can ignore them. The copy will work.

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My Plextor PX-R820 is producing Coasters with CloneCD!

Please use firmware version 1.07. It is available at Plextor's WebSite.

Further, your unit must be manufactured after March 1999. To be precise: The unit must have been shipped with Firmware 1.03. Earlier units will not work, even if the correct firmware version is installed.

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What are these three Image Files which are written to my Hard disk?

The three files written (with the ending *.CCD, *.IMG and *.SUB) are

The three files must be in the same directory. They must have the same "front" name, e.g. CloneCDImage.ccd, CloneCDImage.img and CloneCDImage.sub. It is a good idea to create separate directories for Image Files from different CDs.

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Are the backup copies still copy protected?

Yes. CloneCD does not modify, decrypt or descramble the data while reading or writing in any way. Copies created with CloneCD cannot be copied with other CD replication software. Only CloneCD can copy these CDs again.

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Is there a generation loss if I backup a disk which is already a copy created with CloneCD?

In theory - yes. CloneCD does real 1:1 copies, including all errors or other anomalies which might belong to a copy protection mechanism. You could think of CloneCD making something more like an analogue copy than a digital copy. However, you would need several generations to actually notice a difference.

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My CD-Rom or CD-Writer does not work with CloneCD! CloneCD tells me, it is "not compatible"!

Most CD-ROMs and CD-Writers work fine with CloneCD. If you get a message that your CD-ROM is not compatible, please disable reading of Subchannel Data. Please make sure, that you use up-to-date drivers for your SCSI controller or the IDE controller on your motherboard. It is a good idea to use the IDE drivers that came with your operating system, because ALI, VIA or INTEL IDE drivers often cause problems. Please tell us, which device you are using. Use the "Send Email about a Device" form to send us an E-Mail. Probably we can support the device better in a future release.

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I have a CD-Rom or CD-Writer that works! But it is not in the Hardware Compatibility list! Shall I send an E-Mail, too?

Yes, please! If you do this, we can add your device into the Hardware Compatibility list. We will further try to obtain such a unit to make our own tests to support it even better. Further, we want to know what kind of devices our users have. Please use the "Send Email about a Device" form to send us an E-Mail.

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CD-Text isn't copied! What's wrong?

The unit you use for reading must be able to retrieve the CD-Text information from the Source CD and your writer must be able to write it. It is possible, that a CD-Writer can write CD-Text, but cannot read it (Example: Mitsumi 4802TE).

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I have a game console which uses CDs. Can I copy these CDs with CloneCD?

Sure you can copy them! But the question should be - will they work? And the answer is: No. CloneCD does not disable the boot protection found on console CDs. As we already said, CloneCD does not modify the data it reads or writes in any way.
However, if you have modified your game console already to accept backup copies, copies created by CloneCD will work. There is even a nice side effect: Almost any *additional* copy protection (apart from the boot protection) will be copied, too. Backup copies created with CloneCD will therefore work better than copies created by a different program. However, CloneCD was designed to make Safety Backups of PC-CDs, not for game console CDs.

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