Copy protected - music CDs

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Morgenmuffel

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#208250 2-Feb-2017 21:41

Windows 10 PC

asus dvd drive - DRW-24B3ST

Ok, i am copying my music collection to the computer, and i have hit around a dozen or so copy protected cds, or at least I assume they are copy protected as the computer doesn't even recognise them, and i do know at least some of them played fine in my CD player but wouldn't play on my computer a few years ago when I last did a big copying exercise.

Most of the effected CDs are Warner ones and around the early 2000s

From memory I could play some on an elderly mac powerbook

Any ideas, as i have read dozens of rather contradictory spiels about it online, but not really any useful measured info on how to actually copy them, and have them actually rip correctly

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

richms

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#1714719 2-Feb-2017 21:49

If you can see a second session on the discs written area, then a sharpie over that will stop it from finding and reading the second session. Other than that there is plenty that they can do to screw it up but they seemed to stop after a short time when it was affecting people with some DVD players and stuff.

I got my first one on massive attacks 100th window so stopped buying music then. Funnily enough when I dug the old cd player out from the shed when cleaning up, it was the disc in the player. Moved onto getting stuff online in open formats exclusively after that hassle.

Richard rich.ms

andrewNZ

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#1714721 2-Feb-2017 21:52

It could be the famous copy protection that was just a buggered data track at the beginning of the disc (cost millions in R&D, and was defeated with a $1 black marker in about 30 seconds).

I seem to remember having pretty good results using the program "cdex" back in the way back when's.

Whatever it is, I wouldn't bother trying to rip it unless I couldn't find it to download.

tchart

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#1714731 2-Feb-2017 22:20

I use this http://www.exactaudiocopy.de

Hasn't had problems ripping the copy protected cds I have eg Push The Button by Chemical Brothers (I had issues with this disc when it came out).

ANglEAUT

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#1714779 3-Feb-2017 02:39

Morgenmuffel:

Windows 10 PC

Please tell me none of these discs where from Sony? You might want to make sure you are not infected thanks to their root kit. That was their way of trying to stop you doing exactly what you are doing now.

In what format do you want the music? You could try to create an ISO if you just want to save the disc. Or you can purchase them cheaply at sites like this: http://mp3sale.ru/

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Item

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#1714798 3-Feb-2017 07:57

IcI:

Morgenmuffel:

Windows 10 PC

Please tell me none of these discs where from Sony? You might want to make sure you are not infected thanks to their root kit. That was their way of trying to stop you doing exactly what you are doing now.

In what format do you want the music? You could try to create an ISO if you just want to save the disc. Or you can purchase them cheaply at sites like this: http://mp3sale.ru/

Might be an unreasonable prejudice, but I wouldn't ever provide a payment method to any site with a .ru domain!

I haven't looked, but I am willing to bet your link is not a legit site - i.e none of that money is going to the artist - you may as well just pirate them for free instead.

For legit sites selling CD quality FLACs/WAVs/ALACs you can try 7Digital, Boomkat or HDTracks - challenge is that not all of their lossless content is available in NZ due to the usual archaic and anti-consumer licensing laws, so you have to shop around a bit.

rb99

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#1714831 3-Feb-2017 09:53

Only ever had one CD that didn't want to copy on the desktop PC. Tried the laptop, worked fine.

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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robjg63

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#1714840 3-Feb-2017 10:04

I seem to recall that this free software does the job:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/xtractor/

Hasnt been changed for quite a while - but I guess it doesnt matter.

I seem to recall the only CD I had with that annoying 'protection' was the Finn Brothers album from 2004 called Everyone is here.

Would be reluctant to attack my CD with a felt pen!

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

richms

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#1714882 3-Feb-2017 10:58

robjg63:

Would be reluctant to attack my CD with a felt pen!

Use a whiteboard one and it will just wipe off when you are done. It really does work since the first session on those discs is largly fine, its the second one that just has data on it with some app to play crappy compressed versions of the tracks and some silly file size spoofing crap to make the files so large that you cant copy them off since they refer to unwritten parts of the disc and other bastardary.

Richard rich.ms

ANglEAUT

altered-ego
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#1715034 3-Feb-2017 16:04

Item: Might be an unreasonable prejudice, but I wouldn't ever provide a payment method to any site with a .ru domain!

Fully understand.

There are many others, like www.melodysale.com, www.mp3million.com, www.mp3va.com. No .ru but a .com instead. Admittedly, I only have a sample size of two, but never had issues with using melodysale.com.

W.r.t. the royalties for artists, these sites do claim that they pay their local government / regulatory body fees & royalties. I get to feel good that the artist does get his / her royalties and I get to feel doubly good that I get the music at a bargain price. Maybe / most likely the artist does get a smaller royalty than if I had bought it in the west, but then again, so does the MPAA / RIAA and the recording studios and distributors that RIP the artists off more than I ever could. I feel even better by supporting the artists more directly by buying their merch and attending their concerts.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.