Can you copy an interactive DVD?

[Cindee]

I was wondering if and how, you can make copies/back-ups of an interactive DVD? Can anyone help me out with this?

[ROF]

DVD Fab Decypter and Nero Burning Suite will do it for you.

[Cobra]

What do you mean by "interactive DVD"? If you're talking about something like Madagascar, where the DVD launches something on your PC when you put it in the drive, here's how (in a nutshell):

- Rip the DVD using DVD Fab Decrypter or similar DVD ripper
- Go to My Computer and right-click on the DVD, then select "Explore"
- Copy out all the files aside from VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS to a folder on your desktop, then right-click on the folder and select "Properties" - note the size down
- In DVD Shrink (or your preferred application), make sure you leave enough space free to put the files in again - do this by setting the output file size/media size
- Encode the DVD, but make sure it outputs as files (VOB, IFO etc.) and not an ISO
- Launch your DVD burner, Nero for example, and drag-and-drop the files produced into the VIDEO_TS folder
- Place the files you put in the folder on your desktop back where you found them, most likely in the root of the DVD (where AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS live)
- Burn, and it should work fine

That's how I did it, but there are probably more elegant solutions out there!

[mats.hogberg]

If you mean Video DVD based "games", then yes, as long as you don't reauthor. Backed up "Who wants to be a millionaire?" successfully with DVDShrink only. No reauthor, just full disc shrunk to DVD5
(One helluva piece of authoring on that disc!)

/Mats

[Cindee]

When I open DVD Fab and put in the source folder, I get an error message telling me the folder is not a DVD folder. What am I doing wrong?

[Supreme2k]

I've done a few games (Dragon's Lair, Space Ace) as full backups, and they came out great (rip to iso, burn from iso).

[Cindee]

Could you please give me more details on this? Maybe a step by step thing???

[mats.hogberg]

When I open DVD Fab and put in the source folder, I get an error message telling me the folder is not a DVD folder.

What is in the source folder?

/Mats

[Cindee]

I'm clicking on the DVD burner in my F: drive as my source folder. Also tried to copy everthing to a folder on my desk top and put that as the source folder, but that didn't work either. I'm at a loss. I don't know what else to do???

[lordsmurf]

Read ISO, Write ISO.
Use either SL or DL discs as needed.

The end.

[Cindee]

What do you mean by "Read ISO, Write ISO." Is that a file here in this forum that I can read? How do I do that?

[mats.hogberg]

I'm clicking on the DVD burner in my F: drive as my source folder.

Ah. Source drive.
Well, if DVDFab Decrypter says it's not a Video DVD, it's probably a data DVD, just intended for computer use, so no Video DVD backup methods/tools apply.
The best you can do is do as LS says, DVDDecrypter ISO read, ISO write. That's 2 things you do with DVDDecrypter. First, you tell it to read the original to ISO file, then you take out the original, insert a blank disc, and set DVDDecrypter to "ISO Write".

But if it's a commercial game, be aware that it probably will contain anti backup mechanisms, so the copy will most likely be useless anyway.

/Mats

[Cindee]

Oh!!! Thank you! Thank you! That makes so much more sense. I will try this and let you know how it works.

[Cindee]

Ok.....ran into problems once again. Of course. I did just what you said. But now DVD Decrypter is saying "Disk is not a DVD" So I guess it is just a disk for your computer. Not the DVD. My BIG mistake!! So what can I do now to make a copie of this?

[mats.hogberg]

Most burn apps have a disc backup option.
But doesn't DVDDecrypter backup data discs to ISO?
I use DVDDecrypter to backup PS2 DVD - Can't be much different to a regular data DVD?

/Mats