Evil ISOs destroying your hardware

[elnino]

Someone has already mentioned this rumor in a previous topic but I couldn't find it and I think the issue is big enough to be discussed in an own topic.

A few weeks ago, I decided to download some ISOs from the net and play these fake ass disks instead of the original ones since I wanted to keep the games which cost me $200+ in utmost uber mint condition. Yesterday, I was happily playing some SCD games with my Interface unit when I felt like playing some Sylphia. I inserted the ISO, watched the whole intro sequence (no problems so far) and was surprised about the huge loading time for the title screen afterwards. Then I realized that the disk wasn't spinning around anymore. I went back to the system card screen and tried to load again but the disk didn't start to turn around. I thought the ISO was f*cked up and tried a few original games as well as a music CD but none of them was working. I can't even manually choose a track different from 0 with the buttons on the console which is normally possible regardless whether the system succeeds to access the track or not. Usually, you hear a short klick when you press run and the disk starts spinning but since "playing" that ISO, there is a constant buzz instead.

This incident makes me think that those stinkin' ISOs destroyed my lovely hardware in some way. Has anyone experienced something similar or has an idea why this can happen in the first place?

[WoodyXP]

Yeah I've noticed that discs burned from ISO do run like ass.  I have found that they do run a little better
if copied directly from the original media, however. 

[Necromancer]

It's a common problem and is likely due to a poorly made rip or shitty media (or at least media that your particular drive doesn't like).  Is the laser sled cranked all the way to the end?  That's usually what happens when playing isos and can be easily fixed by manually moving the laser back to the center.  Disassembly may be required if you can't get it to move with just your finger - don't force it or you'll strip the gears.

[Tatsujin]

that's a sad story and i hope you'll be able to fix it acc. necromancer's advice. but still i very wonder, how a cd-r is able to crash a cd-rom drive?!? is it because jittering, since sloppy made cd-rs tend to jitter a lot, so the laser mechanism (sledd) get vexed and doesn't know anymore where to go. but why it doesn't reset itself after a power off/on?

the other story could be, that the reflection is different to a normal cd-rom and then affecs the laser receiver itself.

i also read in another thread, that it's a requirement to burn the cd-rs on the lowest speed just possible, best would be 1~2x, to avoid such troubles. the type of cd-r may also have an impact.

[Tatsujin]

here's a qoute from assember (assembler board):

The cd-rom in the duo is inferior in alomst every way and WILL fail.
In my opinion, using CDR will probably wear out the drive faster.

If you habe to use CDR, use it at 2x or 1x if possible and use
a quality media designed for archiving.

I would direct you to buy a real game rather than waste $10 on media
that won't last morew than ten years anyway.

though he's talking about the duo cd-rom, so i think it counts the same as for the old cd-rom.

[gekioh]

I have experienced this very same problem as a matter of fact. And now because of this my system does not always seem to work as well as it should. Half the games i own (original copies mind you) now dont ever make it past the title screen or opening cinema. And this all started happening only after using burned copies.

[Keranu]

I have a hard time playing CD-Rs on my PCE CD Interface Unit. Either the CD won't boot, will boot but freeze at loading parts, or just has really slow loading. My Duo plays them fine for the most part, but I try not to use CD-Rs on them because of the horror stories.

[gekioh]

Well that is a good idea, do not use them on your duo, speaking from personal experience cause now sometimes mine works and sometimes it doesnt. Recently got Y's IV but cant get to load past the opening cinema. Other games that have problems ever since playing a few burned games on my duo include Dungeon Explorer II and Dracula X. Other games I have work fine, at least for now.

[guyjin]

sounds like a stuck laser. Have you tried opening your TG16 and jogging the spiral gear until the laser is free?

this happened to me several times. A genuine JP gate of thunder does it to me.

[gekioh]

No I have not tried that bit I will go it do it right now and see if that works!

[gekioh]

Just popped in Y's IV and it still does the same damn thing its always done. Gets right to the part where Adol and Dogi sail up to the port and are obvoiusly talking but for some strange reason I cant hear any voice work and than it just freezes. But than I pop in other games and they work fine but not always. I think my PC Engine Duo is just screwed up now, probly will have to get a new one.

[_joshuaTurbo]

Try warming it up.

Play a Hucard for maybe 30minutes to an hour

then try the disk again.  Its possible that some connections just need to warm up.



((((I Hope)))))

[gekioh]

I hope so to but at this point I am pessimistic. This happened like three months ago and now my system just hasnt been the same. Im convinced the ISO's screwed it up. But its possible coulb be shitty media. My friend gave em to me for free cause they wouldnt play on his system(he has the RX as i beleive its called). The burned games in question are Dracula X,Super Raiden,Sapphire,and Strider. No problems at first but after many repeated plays through Sapphire and Dracula X I noticed that Dracula X took forever to load and sometime froze. The next thing I noticed was when I played my US copy of Dungeon Explorer II. Sometimes froze during the opening scene and sometimes played but without the sound during opening scene and other times worked fine. Now it doesnt. And YS IV doesnt either.

[Necromancer]

I think my PC Engine Duo is just screwed up now, probly will have to get a new one.

If you're handy with electronic stuff (or know someone who is), then you could replace the laser assembly rather than getting another Duo, which could crap out in short order and leave you in the same predicament.  The Duos use a HOP-M3, available from electronix and other places.

[SignOfZeta]

I think the CD-R problem has two main aspects:

1: getting the laser stuck past it's ability to bring itself back. This is a defect in the design (shouldn't be possible, but is) and is easily fixed.

2: CD-Rs require more work from the PCE to read, and hasten the death of lasers. The shit was 15-20 years old already, you just put the final nail in the coffin. Everything dies, that's the way it goes. By a time an Xbox 360 is 20 years old it will have need to have been rebuilt 12-15 times, from what I can see, so the PCE is a real champ.

I've only spent a decent amount of time on two CD-Rs; the translated Y's IV, and a remix I did of LoT. I had read problems once in a while, more than retail games, but it wasn't that bad. So in moderation I think its fine. If a CD-R kills your system instantly, it must have been pretty far gone.

So have a spare HOP3 laying around, and avoid CD-Rs as much as possible.