Bizarre Error When Copying Just CDI Files

[rolla]

So I'm trying to back up my old Dreamcast and Saturn games and use CD-Rs so keep my actual discs put away and I successfully got my Saturn Library completed and then went online and put the files from PFCTOC into my System Folder for IMGBURN to make it recognize CDI files but whenever I try to burn (I've ruined 15 discs trying different things) I get the error that's in the log attached. I've uninstalled and reinstalled everything as well any help would be incredible.

 

ImgBurn.log

[dbminter]

Here's your most likely culprit:

I 17:43:51 Destination Media Type: CD-R (Disc ID: 97m26s66f, CMC Magnetics Corp.)

 

Have you tried burning CDI files before to CD-R or is this your first time?  Is this the first time you've tried using these CD-R's you used above?  CMC Magnetics is the worst manufacturer of optical media out there.  More than 50% of the errors we see on this board can be attributed to using CMC media.  Most problems magically disappear when CMC is removed from the equation.  Before I even opened the log, I put the blame, most likely, on CMC media.

 

If you haven't tried any other CD-R, try finding AZO/DataLife Plus Verbatim CD-R which you'll only find in online stores.  NOT the Life Series you find in brick and mortar stores because those ARE CMC.

 

Unfortunately, CMC bought up Verbatim, so there's no guarantee the good stuff is still any good anymore. 

[rolla]

I used these to make a copy of Sonic adventure on a different computer to test and that worked but on this one it won’t.

On the computer from the OP I tried burning another copy of Burning Rangers for the Saturn with these and it worked but that’s an .iso

I also copied a random music CD with these CD-Rs to test and that worked.

Edited January 18, 2020 by rolla

[dbminter]

I would test to make sure those CD-R's you made on a different computer that worked actually boot on a machine.

 

Did you try making a CDI of Sonic Adventures on your own computer and got a failure where it worked on another?  Also, I'm not entirely sure what a CDI is.  Why you'd get a CDI on one kind of disc and an ISO on another.  Could be how the disc is authored.

 

IF you have a case where it works on one computer but not another, it's a combination of media/file contents/drive you're using.  If it works on another computer but not on yours, not much you can do other than replace your burner with something else that won't conflict.

 

Plus, it may be a simple case of those discs can't be copied with ImgBurn.  For instance, certain PS1 games cannot be copied with ImgBurn even though they can be with Alcohol.  Although that's a read issue, not a burn one.

 

And it may be the CDI versus ISO thing.  For whatever reason, when read to CDI, they're not read properly.  Try copying Sonic Adventures on your own PC and see if you get an ISO.  Then try burning that ISO on your own computer.  See if ISO works but the CDI is not being read properly.  Again, I can't see why one disc reads to CDI while another reads to ISO.  ISO is generally not a CD file format that I know of.