# I can't burn a proper Dreamcast CD it seems [Help pls]



## FreeCats (Jan 4, 2017)

Hello! I'll try to explain everything I tried so hopefully someone can realize what's happening to me. Sorry if I make spelling mistakes, English is not my first language.

I have a Dreamcast now, since my brother moved out of my house and he didn't bother to take the Dreamcast with him. I remember, years ago, how he burned a lot of games in regular CD-Rs, some of them had autoboot, some other needed an Utopia CD first. But, since he made mistakes burning some of them (I remember a Sonic Adventure CD which would turn off the Dreamcast every 30 minutes or so, it was really frustrating to play like that) and some CDs are physically damaged, I decided to burn my own.

[Also, this Dreamcast asks for time and date every time I turn it on. I read somewhere that the battery may be dead, but if it works fine if I put the time and date every time I'm ok with it. Really annoying, but it's better than having to buy a new one]

Anyway. I bought a bunch of *Verbatim CD-Rs, 700MB, 80min*. I followed a tutorial, which I cannot link I think. So I'll explain how it was:
-Download *ImgBurn* and copy *pfctoc.dll, pfctoc.h and pfctoc.ibg* onto its folder
-Open ImgBurn > write image file to disc
-Open a .cdi (not .gdi)
-Insert CD-R
-Only use supported speeds, recommended speeds were 4x, 8x, 16x (I used *4x* because someone said that slower is better)
-Write

I tried with Sonic Shuffle (ah, the nostalgia). I thought about Sonic Adventure International, but maybe that would be a problem since it's technically a Japanese title and I have an European Dreamcast. So, *Sonic Shuffle, PAL/European version, in .cdi*. Burned it, 4x speed, not touching anything else in ImgBurn.

I first tried to load it right away. It didn't work, so I thought well, it probably needs a Utopia boot or something, so I burned an *Utopia CD. V 1.1.* Same settings, 4x speed.  My Dreamcast loaded it, and when our friendly reindeer asked me to put the other disc, it didn't load. Also, it sounded like it tried to make the CD spin, but after that it stopped. It kept doing that repeatedly. 

I burned another Sonic Shuffle, with *16x* speed, since some people recommended that. Did the same as the 4x one.

So I thought, maybe this Dreamcast is not the same as that older one which worked? Maybe this can't load CD-Rs? So I tried more stuff. Obviously, original games work (I found an original Shenmue). I also found in my brother's room a bunch of Dreamcast CD's. He even had an Utopia CD, and a few games with autoboot (it was written on his CD's which ones were). The autoboot ones didn't work, probably because the CD's were physically damaged (I could see that lmao). But then I tried his Utopia CD, which was a different version than mine (also a different version from that one I remember we used years ago. Can't find on the screen which version). Then, I inserted a Worms CD, burned by him. IT WORKED.

But that was all. His Sonic Shuffle copy didn't work (with and without Utopia), probably because that CD was broken. But, an interesting detail, his damaged Sonic Shuffle sounded different from mine. The Dreamcast didn't have problems making the CD spin, but it didn't load after that. Also, I tried his Utopia CD with my Sonic Shuffle and it didn't work. So I guess it has something to do with my burning, but I can't really find anything helpful out there.

And no, I can't ask him directly. Welp, I can play Worms with his Utopia and his Worms CD [not that I'm interested, having the PC version, lol], but almost all the other games are broken. So I need to make my own copies.

Also I haven't been burning more copies blindly until I find more or less what would be my problem, I don't want to waste all I bought. I don't care if my games are autoboot or not, I'm fine using Utopia or another boot CD. So please if someone knows what the hell is going on I would appreciate some help.

Btw, my Sonic Shuffle .cdi works on emulator, so that's not it either.

*TL;DR*: How do I burn proper Dreamcast CDs please


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## DavidRO99 (Jan 4, 2017)

Try another game. Like worms, just to test(I know that you have a limited supply of CD-Rs).


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## FreeCats (Jan 4, 2017)

Tried Worms! Burned it at 4x with ImgBurn, but it had the exact same problem as Sonic Shuffle. Won't load with Utopia (and sounded like it started to spin and then stopped, several times). 

I found, though, this error in ImgBurn (probably overlooked last time with Sonic). Don't know if it's relevant, but here it goes:







16x is supported by my drive, and I made the test earlier (that second Sonic Shuffle CD I burned) so I don't know anymore why this is happening, or why the Utopia CD I burned yesterday is working if the settings are the same.


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## DavidRO99 (Jan 4, 2017)

FreeCats said:


> Tried Worms! Burned it at 4x with ImgBurn, but it had the exact same problem as Sonic Shuffle. Won't load with Utopia (and sounded like it started to spin and then stopped, several times).
> 
> I found, though, this error in ImgBurn (probably overlooked last time with Sonic). Don't know if it's relevant, but here it goes:
> 
> ...


maybe its the cds and the file size of the rom, you could try different cds, I remember getting that with my gamecube


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## FreeCats (Jan 4, 2017)

Ok. I can't buy new ones just yet, maybe tomorrow or the day after. So I'll buy a pair if necessary.

"But while I'm waiting maybe I should look into other things" I thought, so I inserted both Worms CD's on my computer and I found a difference.

My brother's one:





Mine:





Looks like there are a few files missing :__

Maybe it's because of the website where I'm getting the roms? I can't say the name, but it's a pretty nice website, with lots of platforms and filters, with European and even Spanish roms, so I always use it. Everything I've ever downloaded from there worked with emulators and NDS flashcards. My Utopia CD works (I checked it with my brother's Worms), and it's the only thing I downloaded from other site.

Is it plausible that an entire web has .cdi's that won't work on a real Dreamcast (they work on emulators)? If it's true, how can I check .cdi's from other websites without wasting a big pile of CD's? [Maybe there isn't a way, but I'll ask first just in case xD].


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## raulpica (Jan 4, 2017)

I found this on Reddit



			
				Reddit said:
			
		

> I suppose everyone's experiences are different, but I had very bad results with those TDK CD-Rs (manufactured by Ritek Co) - from my box of 25 discs I only managed 5 successfully-burned ones (20 coasters!)
> 
> I'm currently back to using Verbatim discs (manufactured by CMC Magnetics Corp) where I previously managed 12 out of 25 successfully burned discs. I'm using a very cheap USB burner which may not help!



Which probably means the entire thing is very hit and miss. From what I've read, you're doing everything right. If the games work in an emulator, then they're probably good.

Also keep in mind that non self-booting games might've been burned correctly but will need the Utopia CD first before working. Emulators don't need that


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## KiiWii (Jan 4, 2017)

I bought dreamshell SD and never looked back. 

Burning is too hit and miss.


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## retrofan_k (Jan 4, 2017)

Get a ODE and never burn again.  Proud owner of USB-GDROM and a GDEMU and never looked back.


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## FreeCats (Jan 4, 2017)

Thank you all for your answers. 


raulpica said:


> I found this on Reddit
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I know that about Utopia! And I found that on reddit before I posted here xD. Yes, I also have Verbatim CD's.




KiiWii said:


> I bought dreamshell SD and never looked back.
> 
> Burning is too hit and miss.





retrofan_k said:


> Get a ODE and never burn again.  Proud owner of USB-GDROM and a GDEMU and never looked back.



Thank you as well for your recommendations, but I really won't be able to use anything apart from burning CD's. My only alternative is to use emulators (and I didn't like them that much, that's why I'm trying this).

Anyway I had a bit of luck! A while ago I searched for other sites to download roms. Downloaded a PAL Sonic Shuffle, with autoboot (I didn't need it but hey I'm not complaining either), burned it exactly as before, with 16x speed. And it worked perfectly! I think I can't load it from the Dreamcast menu, though, but that's not a problem, I can always restart.

So it looks like it really was my .cdi. But I don't know why my "favorite" site has .cdi's that don't work :__ Finding new ones that work and burning them may be a lottery but I guess I'll try and buy some CD's in the future. 

And now that I know it works, I can paint a Yuyuko on my Dreamcast.


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## Futurdreamz (Jan 8, 2017)

I don't have a Dreamcast, but when i get one I'm just going to rip out the disk drive and install the SD card reader. Dreamcast disks are a little funky so i'll just avoid them altogether.


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## ChiefReginod (Feb 3, 2017)

I had trouble burning Sonic Shuffle, too. You'll find that some Dreamcast games are just way more picky than others. Chances are, the default settings in IMGBurn will work just fine for most other games.

These are the recommended settings for burning _most_ DC games in DiscJuggler:

Mode: Mode 2
Block: 2352
TOC: CD-ROM/DVD
Offset: 0
RAW write: enabled
Overburn disc: enabled
(Leave everything else under Misc options unchecked.)

Burn at low speeds and verify as usual.
Also note that the settings for Bleemcast discs are a little different (Mode: Audio, TOC: CD-DA).

You'll have to find the equivalent settings in IMGBurn but I can confirm that it does work the same when you use those settings. However, in most cases the only thing you really need to change is RAW Write Mode, which as far as I know should _always_ be enabled for DC discs.


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## retrofan_k (Feb 3, 2017)

There is no DC game that is picky, as it's down to user error/burner/app/disc/source of image or machine used combinations.

Older rips used audio/data and now the newest re-releases like ReviveDC use Data/Data which I hear some revisions of DC's have trouble with.

Plus overburn is not needed, only for 99min images and even then, you need a compatible burner and verfied 99min discs but they are all trash now. (Banana 99min are all bad batches)

I own 7 DC's of all models and have been burning DC discs since the start of the Non-SB Utopia/Echelon days when DJ 2 was the norm, yet everyone seems to over complicate it now.

Imgburn will suffice for all DC burning now with the correct additional DC "DLL's" (no settings needed) and DJ 4,5,6 can be used as a secondary option.


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## FreeCats (Feb 13, 2017)

I... don't really understand those previous posts, sorry... If I have problems again with a particular game I'll try to find a new .cdi since that's what caused my problem with Sonic Shuffle (?). I'm okay with imgburn. 
Don't know if it's a matter of old or new rips, but anyway I found out which website I shouldn't use anymore for .cdi's lmao

Well I guess you guys were just commenting your experiences that's fine (?).

I guess no one cares about this but I came here just to show my painted Dreamcast because why not. Now my Dreamcast works AND it's cute AND has a stupid fandom reference. I'm really happy about it.


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## Futurdreamz (Feb 13, 2017)

That's not Dreamcast-chan iirc...


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## FreeCats (Feb 13, 2017)

Futurdreamz said:


> That's not Dreamcast-chan iirc...



Nope, she's Yuyuko 








FreeCats said:


>


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