Dreamcast Dumping - My Best Way.
Well here is a guide on how I dump my Dreamcast Games.
This is the best way I have found, nearly all Trial & Error, with a little help from other users.
I will try to describe in this guide exactly how I dump Dreamcast with 99% perfect results.
Firstly the things you need.
1 A DVD-Drive compatible with the CDRWin method and jamjam's DCdumper (0.42a)
2 One or more blank discs to use as a Trap Disc.
3 A dreamcast game, hopefully it will be in perfect condition, if not see my next guide on how to clean discs 
.
4 A fairly decent PC, not to old, and it doesn't have to be state of the art, somewhere in between, new and old is fine.
Firstly the drive I use is always this drive: TSSTcorp DVD-ROM SH-D162C TS04.
I also have the TSSTcorp DVD-ROM SH-D162D but I find it hopeless for Dreamcast, its ok for XBOX though, so I stick to that with that.
The method I use is the eject-pin-hole method, not with the dvd drives lid off, and I find it works really well, but care is needed to avoid scratching the GDRom.
I use both CDRWin and DCdumper, as one. In other words I use DCdumper to do the actuall dump, and CDRWin just helps me to align the laser, this in turn helps DCdumper do its job much better.
I use a custom method with DCdumper, which basically splits the job into three sections, a START, MIDDLE and END.
The start and end are about the same sort of time scale, and the middle is about the same as the stat and end added together.
Thats the basic jist of the method I use, here's exactly how I do it in much more detail.
First you need to download the trap disc, and burn it using CloneCD. Here's my own Tip, Number 1, for the blank disc to use.
From what I have found the best disc I thought of using, and am currently using at this moment in time, is a Verbatim CD-RW 1-4x 80min.
Why I use CD-RW is because the Trap disc tends to get a bit battered as most of your efforts tend to steer towards looking after the GDRom, but you should try to look after both.
Always eject it as carefully as you can, I use a precision screwdriver which is perfect in size and length.
Their is a method, which you will best find out exactly how by doing it. But I push the pin eject in slowly and not to far, then while its in wait a few seconds, you'll feel things happening, as soon as the thing you have pressed in starts to feel a bit slack gently remove the pin, and then straight after the tray should eject. It takes a little getting used to, but I manage to get it to work, no problem every time.
Try not to scratch your Trap Disc aswell, the reason behind the CD-RW is obvious they are a bit better at not getting scratched, as they are meant to be burnt on afetr being used several times. They are also quite scratch resistent when it comes to wiping finger prints of.
Firstly open CDRWin, with your Trap Disc in your drive.
Then set it up like you would if you were using it to do the dump, only I always change the Start-End sector to 50000-549150, everything else I leave the same. And you don't need to worry about CDRWin being registered, as un-registered sets the read speed to 1x, which is what we want anyway, so no worries.
So with CDRWin open, use start stop on your drive.
Create a bat file, if your going to be dumping more than one or two.
______________________
My bat file is like this:
startstop.exe x 1
(x) is my drive letter
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So once it says the drive has stopped spinning you need to carefully eject the trap disc, and insert the GDRom.
***IMPORTANT*** if you don't want the GDRom to get magically scratched on the edge do this.
Push the GDRom in the tray very carefully and gently, when its 99.9% in it wont seem to go any further, just press all parts of the tray hard, you might if your lucky here the magnet picking up the disc, but don't worry if you dont, as long as it has been pressed in really hard, nothing will happen to the GDRom, hopefully.
So now with the GDRom swapped, you are almost ready to begin to dump.
Go to CDRWin, and start the reading from 50000-549150, press start, and as it gets to 1% wait a few seconds longer then cancell the reading.
Now run a DCdumper batch file.
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My bat file is like:
DCdumper.exe x -df -ft
(x) is my drive letter
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I will try to post my log that contains the logs of quite a few dumps I made, if you look through it, it will explain what I might not be able to do so well.
You will either get something like this, which will be just fine.
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 1 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 1: 044990-055278 - read error.
Fake read. Retry - read error.
Fake read. Retry - Initial dump.
Reading section 2: 055279-065567 - Initial dump.
Reading section 3: 065568-075856 - Initial dump.
If you get something like this,
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 1 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 1: 044990-055278 - read error.
Fake read. Retry - read error.
Fake read. Retry - read error.
Fake read. Retry - read error.
Reading section 2: 055279-065567Stop the programme after part of section 2 has read or it completely reads section 2, always remeber when you shut DCdumper by yourself it very often leaves a partial bin fie. You must always delete this file, before you re-run DCdumper.
So when you get DCDumper to start dumping, you must use this method for a perect dump.
We will split DCdumper's job into three parts. Basically what this means is PASS 1 we will stop at section 20, straight afetr section 19 does an initial dump. Like this,
DCdumper.exe DCdumper.exe x -df -ft
Handle acquired.
Load disc: Done.
Sector map created.
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 1 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 1: 044990-055278 - Initial dump.
Reading section 2: 055279-065567 - Initial dump.
Reading section 3: 065568-075856 - Initial dump.
Reading section 4: 075857-086145 - Initial dump.
Reading section 5: 086146-096434 - Initial dump.
Reading section 6: 096435-106723 - Initial dump.
Reading section 7: 106724-117012 - Initial dump.
Reading section 8: 117013-127301 - Initial dump.
Reading section 9: 127302-137590 - Initial dump.
Reading section 10: 137591-147879 - Initial dump.
Reading section 11: 147880-158168 - Initial dump.
Reading section 12: 158169-168457 - Initial dump.
Reading section 13: 168458-178746 - Initial dump.
Reading section 14: 178747-189035 - Initial dump.
Reading section 15: 189036-199324 - Initial dump.
Reading section 16: 199325-209613 - Initial dump.
Reading section 17: 209614-219902 - Initial dump.
Reading section 18: 219903-230191 - Initial dump.
Reading section 19: 230192-240480 - Initial dump.
Reading section 20: 240481-250769dont forget to stop as section 20 begins, then delete 240481-250769.bin
So CDRWin we use to kick start the drive, it avoids dumping with DCdumper and getting fake read errors all the time.
So once you stop it, you can re-run DCdumper, leave CDRwin alone for now. It should match the first 19 sections, perfectly first time. Then after the first 19 matches, leave it running up to section 38 - Initial dump. Stop it at section 39. And delete 435972-446260.bin.
Then with DCdumper still closed at section 39, go to CDRWin, and change the Start sector to 230192-549150 and begin reading, stop it at 2%. Leave CDRwin open all the time.
Then run DCdumper bat file again, and it should do this.
DCdumper.exe DCdumper.exe x -df -ft
Handle acquired.
Load disc: Done.
Sector map created.
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 1 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 20: 240481-250769 - MATCH: 6e4207510b72d64f2fdaf3a6e240b78e
Reading section 21: 250770-261058 - MATCH: 571d2edda501a781e5aac9d0c0a103da
Reading section 22: 261059-271347 - MATCH: e524a36ca2c1a9a1882e246caafb0106
Reading section 23: 271348-281636 - MATCH: 6dd29591019be9b77a4ea482ea3a3a4f
Reading section 24: 281637-291925 - MATCH: d72947d92a61f98ebcd8180c44a36e1b
Reading section 25: 291926-302214 - MATCH: cecc5174d242dcf7316203b2c8889f30
Reading section 26: 302215-312503 - MATCH: f1b3d9da4e6cadc9115d78eae4166e50
Reading section 27: 312504-322792 - MATCH: eb3e1326d4caf53f7a1ad95ddcf29bb1
Reading section 28: 322793-333081 - MATCH: 3baebdb7c7efc7df3771473335d08f58
Reading section 29: 333082-343370 - MATCH: dcb0ce8e933f0a6aac6596edb52d231c
Reading section 30: 343371-353659 - MATCH: 498d10ef9a163a1133a507f782f26924
Reading section 31: 353660-363948 - MATCH: 2e8551952fc2fc87a4d3bf14df734ec1
Reading section 32: 363949-374237 - MATCH: a422a968d40389aa90ee3cb74e07feed
Reading section 33: 374238-384526 - MATCH: dbad324d95b0327d836a178b22ad8052
Reading section 34: 384527-394815 - MATCH: f5b2adfc989f017418e7600aa3175f71
Reading section 35: 394816-405104 - MATCH: 0dba290bea3e4e27ecccc241815d634d
Reading section 36: 405105-415393 - MATCH: 1136db01634d836d9c879c5e13c586d3
Reading section 37: 415394-425682 - MATCH: aa51c5c9a86c66931318fa513ff398d1
Reading section 38: 425683-435971 - MATCH: c117f43f7eccd3e8ac5699a17b78811f
Reading section 39: 435972-446260We stop it again at the same point as last time. Section 38 read, stop it as it starts section 39, like the log above.
Then go to CDRWin and change the Start sector to 425683-549150 and begin reading all the way to 100%, dont cancell. I save my file as dense.bin, but you can call it something elese if you like.
When CDRwin reaches 100% it will create a dense.bin file keep that we may decide to use it, if DCdumper fails to read the third and final section, it does that occasionally.
So then run DCdumper the last time and you should get something like this,
DCdumper.exe DCdumper.exe x -df -ft
Handle acquired.
Load disc: Done.
Sector map created.
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 1 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 39: 435972-446260 - Initial dump.
Reading section 40: 446261-456549 - Initial dump.
Reading section 41: 456550-466838 - Initial dump.
Reading section 42: 466839-477127 - Initial dump.
Reading section 43: 477128-487416 - Initial dump.
Reading section 44: 487417-497705 - Initial dump.
Reading section 45: 497706-507994 - Initial dump.
Reading section 46: 507995-518283 - Initial dump.
Reading section 47: 518284-528572 - Initial dump.
Reading section 48: 528573-538861 - Initial dump.
Reading section 49: 538862-549150 - Initial dump.
..................:::::::::::::::: PASS 2 ::::::::::::::::..................
Reading section 39: 435972-446260 - read error.
Fake read. Retry - MATCH: 899e250f800b16efe4ccf92a75576dfd
Reading section 40: 446261-456549 - MATCH: 0df42aad13808f33a33628f8ecbf2b46
Reading section 41: 456550-466838 - MATCH: 13f55fa3c55d65d79dad23b8b096c401
Reading section 42: 466839-477127 - MATCH: 164fd4a642644bd93d30694e0913e519
Reading section 43: 477128-487416 - MATCH: 73101657245c32c04385ad0af7cbdeaf
Reading section 44: 487417-497705 - MATCH: 288dd6170d1fc7313029b9022c972137
Reading section 45: 497706-507994 - MATCH: 060a35de550280bbe873ae5a604cd308
Reading section 46: 507995-518283 - MATCH: f94ba83664c3b7f8bccd54b95d87efd1
Reading section 47: 518284-528572 - MATCH: 1ed6f4c5c9b59b80856b0c5aa3187cc5
Reading section 48: 528573-538861 - MATCH: e77240fc9debbacea49e4d756194ff77
Reading section 49: 538862-549150 - MATCH: 1589948dd455d557747e49880a0b47ab
Creating dense.bin: Done. Pass this to ice.exeOnce the dense.bin has been created, you can extract it with ice.exe. It will also overwrite the CDRwin dense.bin, not a problem we didn't actuially need it. We only create it, to fake read the end of the GDRom, to help DCDumper. And if DCdumper failed you could use the CDRwin dense.bin, with the DCdumper files, especially if its only a verification.
If reading the third section, CDRWin gives a read error, then so will DCdumper, and you must reset the trap disc, and start with the end section again, then it should work.
Its a bit trial and error, but it works very well for me, this method, it takes a little longer than with CDRwin, but its less prone to errors.
Sorry if my guide is poorly written, but read it a few times and it should make sense.
The SPICE must flow.
