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My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering drive

Posted: April 16th, 2013, 5:28 pm
by LameGuy64
Last year, I tried many attempts of getting Spyro 3 to work on a real console as it hates mod-chips, hacks, and disc-swapping to prevent people from pirating the game. What I needed to do is to try to burn a copy of the game that boots on a PlayStation without a mod-chip. However, I was never able to get a single disc to boot on a unmodded system but my attempts would probably expand the concept of being able to master discs that boot on a regular, unmodified PlayStation without the need of a super-rare mastering drive.

The only thing you need to do to get a disc to boot on a unmodded PlayStation is to make sectors 12 to 15 have an invalid, zeroised, EDC/ECC checksum. I've made a simple program that does this and Alcohol 120% is capable of reading and burning the invalid checksums to and from the disc. Despite this, the disc is unbootable. I think this only works on SCPH-5000 and earlier units as Sony attuned the CD drive to boot only from black or dark-blue tinted discs in SCPH-5001 and later units. I cannot confirm this because there are no black or dark-blue tinted CDs available anymore in my country which is stupid and the earliest PlayStation model I have is a SCPH-7000.

Can anyone confirm this? I still have the Alcohol 120% image of Spyro 3 with the invalid EDC/ECC checksums or I could write a simple tool that primes the sectors if anyone wants to try.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 16th, 2013, 9:56 pm
by t0rxe
You don't need a Sony mastering burner to master a PSX CD-ROM. I know how to master a PSX disc correctly, and if you need help, let me know because I have been meaning to make a detailed tutorial.

By sectors 12 to 15, I assume you mean the license screen data, in which is actually in the first 16 sectors. For the copy protection, that's a different story.

The blue tinted discs that licensed PlayStation 1 games use are no different from normal CD-ROM's. There is nothing special about them at all. Sony used this technique as a visual aid to detect pirated discs.

The correct way to enable Spyro to boot is to use a stealth modchip, or reverse the PS-EXE code and remove and or loop the code that detects the injection.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 16th, 2013, 11:17 pm
by LameGuy64
I know how to master discs myself actually but what I'm trying to say is that is it possible to burn a PSX ISO that actually boots on a unmodded system.

From what I've read in Wikipedia and some other websites, the invalid EDC/ECC checksums in sectors 12 to 15 is what makes the Playstation detect if the inserted disc is a legal or pirated as most CD drives cannot write the invalid checksums properly. I was able to write the invalid checksums properly but the disc still won't boot whatsoever. Maybe there's something to do with putting garbage to the data parts of the sector so it'll be a true invalid checksum.

Also, I have no idea what a stealth mod-chip is. The mod-chips that came with my PlayStations is just a PIC chip soldered to specific parts of the board. And by the way, hacking Spyro 3's PS-EXE code will cause the game to go limbo intentionally as you play. No one has successfully cracked it properly though.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 12:40 am
by t0rxe
I sincerely doubt you have managed to master a PlayStation 1 CD-ROM with the license string after or before the pre-groove. Don't rely on Wikipedia for learning this stuff.

A stealth chip turns itself off once it has injected the license data, thus making it invisible to find. Add one of those in, and Spyro 3 will boot. It is possible to hack the PS-EXE, but it is a seriously hard method, especially if they are using a CRC on the PS-EXE. Nothing is impossible though.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 12:40 pm
by Gradius
Blue CDs? To me they always were BLACK CDs.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 12:56 pm
by t0rxe
Hold one under a strong light, and you will see that they are blue/purple. They appear to be black because no night gets through and it is a deep coloured blue/purple. They are known in the scene as 'black labeled' though.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 1:22 pm
by inc^lightforce
Original PS1 Sectors are out of Range for End Users HOME-Burner and can't be copied.

did you ever heard about Libcrypt PROTECTION? You will never get your Copy up and running. There are many CRC Checks stored somewhere in the games EXE File and the Game would freeze sooner or later. Swapping a original Disc with a Copy worked in the very Beginning of PS1 Games Disc Copying.

That' s why we always deprotected Games from LibFuck in the Past.
~ Medievil
~ Soul Reaver Legacy of Kain
~ V Rally 2
~ Spyro
and many many more.

Read LibFAQ ! i can provide :D

cheers

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 1:26 pm
by inc^lightforce
Not really :D we managed this ages ago.
torxe wrote: but it is a seriously hard method, especially if they are using a CRC on the PS-EXE.
Me / we - made some Patches in 1999 - 2001 and also deprotected LC2 Games

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 1:34 pm
by t0rxe
Paradox did a few (you), and so did the B.A.D team.
Legends never die...

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 1:35 pm
by inc^lightforce
i can't agree. we managed PAL and US version of SPYRO THE DRAGON 3.
If you need the LC Patch i can store it somewhere for ya. But it only work with a MOD Chipe'd PSX.
LameGuy64 wrote:... hacking Spyro 3's PS-EXE code will cause the game to go limbo intentionally as you play. No one has successfully cracked it properly though.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 17th, 2013, 9:58 pm
by LameGuy64
inc^lightforce wrote:i can't agree more. we managed PAL and US version of SPYRO THE DRAGON 3.
If you need the LC Patch i can store it somewhere for ya. But it only work with a MOD Chipe'd PSX.
Did you actually managed to hack Spyro 3's PS-EXE without making the game go limbo? It goes limbo when you gathered enough friends to be able to ride a balloon but you can't ride it as the game tells you that you don't have enough friends gathered up but you've actually gathered enough. However, this never happens when the game is legit.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 18th, 2013, 1:37 am
by inc^lightforce
i never played the whole game "SPYRO 1/2 or 3". No time for it. But it's so indifferent which Game.
We removed the LC Protection and made some "Gameplay tests" of its stabile running. When there was caused an Error, we fixed it. The Gaming Community gave the feedback very quick.

For instance: Soul Reaver Legacy of Kain. We deprotected the Game. Removed the LC Fuck but we not tested the game long enough. After 15 Minutes of playing the Game, the player reached a Door that never opens. LC flapped back again. This is what i meant in my other Post. LC checks over the whole Game that you have the Original Gamedisc inserted.

can you tell me which PPF you have tested? Maybe it was a false region Patch. Remember: Without Modchip you can't play Copies !

Patch it with the correct "SPYRO 3 LC-Remove PPF" and try it.

When you encounter the limbo again, then give me the ORIGINAL SPYRO 3 GAME EXE, the path to your Region-ISO a Save Gamepoint of your mishmash and i remove the LC Shit for ya. :dance

cheers

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 18th, 2013, 10:28 am
by LameGuy64
The one that had the limbo issue is this cracked version from Paradox (don't mind much about this):

http://www.emuparadise.me/Sony_Playstat ... he_Dragon_[NTSC-U]/37595

Where can I find the proper PPF patch to get rid of the stupid LC crap for the NTSC-U version? I know you can't play burned copies without a modchip. I have 5 PlayStations with modchips (one Japan unit only boots Japan region discs).

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 18th, 2013, 11:14 am
by inc^lightforce
unfortunately the link is down ? can you tell me please the filesize of your used LC patch. i don't want give you the same crap you already have. i made 2 more Patches in the past.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 18th, 2013, 2:27 pm
by t0rxe
He cut the URL accidentally... A simple Google search brings up this:

http://www.emuparadise.me/Sony_Playstat ... 5-download

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 20th, 2013, 3:56 am
by inc^lightforce
thank you. now leeching. i'll check this version. feedback later.

so long...

Here comes a short "PC INTRO" which I have programmed during my help & teaching with a guy from the forum in programming demos and intros on the PS1. :dance

have Fun. Please ignore False Antivir Report.
The EXE is UPX Packed

Image

Download here:
PS1 Qubes // inc 2013

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 20th, 2013, 2:29 pm
by t0rxe
Amazing demo. Smooth, clean and neat. Not like any demo I've seen before.
I didn't get any virus warnings so I assume it is clean.

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 21st, 2013, 3:26 am
by inc^lightforce
thats nice. so i think, UPX is no longer blacklisted.

btw: the Demo includes 216 CUBES :o

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 21st, 2013, 4:32 pm
by LameGuy64
inc^lightforce wrote:thats nice. so i think, UPX is no longer blacklisted.

btw: the Demo includes 216 CUBES :o
The demo crashes in my PC... :(

Re: My attempt of mastering PS1 discs without a mastering dr

Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 1:33 am
by inc^lightforce
which OS you have installed?
It runs on:
WIN XP / VISTA/ 7/ 32 & 64 BIT.
Not tested with Windows 8
Does not work on Linux.
DX 9 required. Get the latest DX 9 Version

It's not a PS1 Executable

My Settings and programmed with:
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 BIT
RAM: 24 GB
GFX: Nvidia GeForce GTX 470
DX9

VIRUS TOTAL SCAN: Info Scan here

cheers