ISOBuster - recovering unfinalized discs ?

[Bansaw]

I am thinking of spending the $30 and buying ISOBuster.

Someone sends me DVDs and they are not finalized properly (because of a fault with their DVD recorder),
and I try and recover them with ISOBuster.

The functionality that recovers unfinalized DVDs is not available in the free version.

Does anyone know how successful ISOBuster is at this kind of recovery ?

[usually_quiet]

ISOBuster's paid version is very good at recovering unfinalized recordings. If you need to work with unfinalized discs on a regular basis, ISOBuster's paid version is definitely worth buying.

I wrote instructions for recovering recordings using ISOBuster's free version. If you want to try them, I will find one of my old threads and supply the link. However, the method I found requires enough extra work that many people prefer to use the paid version of ISOBuster instead.

[Bansaw]

Is it this ?

Solution:

1. Use Nero to copy an image file to HDD (as it happens Nero will copy all of the data found on the surface of the disc in this image file, even if other software like ISO buster show a disc to be blank). When this is done, you will see that the image size approximates the amount of data you had on the disc. Now you know you're on the right track.

2. Now open the image you saved in ISO-Buster. Window should pop up saying "No file system and/or files found"
it will give you an option "Find missing files and folders" an buttons (MAKE IT SO) (HELP) (CANCEL)

After you click on the MAKE IT SO ISO-Buster finds the files (Scaning for lost data)

When the process is finished on the right side files that were found will show up.

Select all the files, right click and chose Extract objects.

Browse for destination and click OK.

Recovered files will be named: Recovered File 1, 2 and so on with a "VOB" extension (also IFO files will be recovered with names: Recovered File 1.VTS_xx_0, Recovered File 3.VTS_xx_0,Recovered File 4.VR_MANGR, in the flowing steps I don't use these IFO files) now you need to change the names of the VOB files to... VTS_01_1 2,3 and so on. (Be careful because ISO-Buster sometimes will recover files out of sequence, so check which file is first, second and so on, otherwise it will be jumbled )

3.Now we use IFO Edit - Start he program, in the bottom of the window there is a button Create IFOs. Click on it.

In the new window leave the default setting, except the Output stream, here you need to select the first VTS_01_1 file, and below chose the option Same as source, then click OK.

When the process is done in the selected folder files will be created:

VIDEO_TS
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VTS_01_0
VTS_01_0.BUP

4. Next we use FixVTS (this step is just in case). Click on Open, now find the first VTS file. Then clickFull DVD. This little program will create a new folder with all the files needed for the DVD to be functional. Basically it's the same files as in the last step, just "reworked".

After that, you can burn the content of the created folder on to a DVD, or rip it for further editing as I did, it's up to You.

It's possible that couple of frames on the connection between VTS files will be damaged, but if the order of VTS files is correct than it shouldn't happen.

Good luck!

PS. I THINK THE STEP NUMBER 4 WAS REDUNDANT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RISK HAVING A DVD THAT'S NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, SO I MADE SURE .

IF YOU WANT TRY IT WITHOUT THE LAST STEP AN POST WETHER IT WORKS OK.

If so, then I might just spend the $30. $30 isn't going to break the bank and it'll be a lot shorter than doing it this method. Thanks.

[usually_quiet]

Is it this ?

Solution:

1. Use Nero to copy an image file to HDD (as it happens Nero will copy all of the data found on the surface of the disc in this image file, even if other software like ISO buster show a disc to be blank). When this is done, you will see that the image size approximates the amount of data you had on the disc. Now you know you're on the right track.

2. Now open the image you saved in ISO-Buster. Window should pop up saying "No file system and/or files found"
it will give you an option "Find missing files and folders" an buttons (MAKE IT SO) (HELP) (CANCEL)

After you click on the MAKE IT SO ISO-Buster finds the files (Scaning for lost data)

When the process is finished on the right side files that were found will show up.

Select all the files, right click and chose Extract objects.

Browse for destination and click OK.

Recovered files will be named: Recovered File 1, 2 and so on with a "VOB" extension (also IFO files will be recovered with names: Recovered File 1.VTS_xx_0, Recovered File 3.VTS_xx_0,Recovered File 4.VR_MANGR, in the flowing steps I don't use these IFO files) now you need to change the names of the VOB files to... VTS_01_1 2,3 and so on. (Be careful because ISO-Buster sometimes will recover files out of sequence, so check which file is first, second and so on, otherwise it will be jumbled )

3.Now we use IFO Edit - Start he program, in the bottom of the window there is a button Create IFOs. Click on it.

In the new window leave the default setting, except the Output stream, here you need to select the first VTS_01_1 file, and below chose the option Same as source, then click OK.

When the process is done in the selected folder files will be created:

VIDEO_TS
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VTS_01_0
VTS_01_0.BUP

4. Next we use FixVTS (this step is just in case). Click on Open, now find the first VTS file. Then clickFull DVD. This little program will create a new folder with all the files needed for the DVD to be functional. Basically it's the same files as in the last step, just "reworked".

After that, you can burn the content of the created folder on to a DVD, or rip it for further editing as I did, it's up to You.

It's possible that couple of frames on the connection between VTS files will be damaged, but if the order of VTS files is correct than it shouldn't happen.

Good luck!

PS. I THINK THE STEP NUMBER 4 WAS REDUNDANT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RISK HAVING A DVD THAT'S NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, SO I MADE SURE .

IF YOU WANT TRY IT WITHOUT THE LAST STEP AN POST WETHER IT WORKS OK.

If so, then I might just spend the $30. $30 isn't going to break the bank and it'll be a lot shorter than doing it this method. Thanks.

The method above is for use with Nero, and the paid version of ISOBuster, not ISOBuster free. My method, using the free version of ISOBuster (plus VOBEdit and IFOEdit), requires more work. It is intended to help someone who only needs to work with unfinalized DVDs once in a while, or those for whom $30 is not affordable.