Is there any freeware like IsoBuster and CDRoller?

[JohnnyBob]

I tried the IsoBuster trial version and it shows the files on some old damaged photo CDs from 1998 which are otherwise unreadable, but it won't do anything except extract to a .tao file. I can't figure out anything useful to do with the .tao file. I guess IsoBuster might work if I pay their $30 to activate the software completely, but I am reluctant til I know it will actually work to do what I want - which I can't find out from the trial version. As you can see this is a circular argument without a solution, except pay their $30 - which I won't do beforehand...etc.

So I'm wondering if there is any freeware that does the same thing as IsoBuster, or CDRoller which is also advertised to recover data from damaged CDs/DVDs? I've googled and tried a few things, but haven't found anything that works. Is there anything...either freeware, or shareware that actually works before you pay them any hard cash money?

[hech54]

I paid the ISOBuster fee for one CD-R of my son's first day of life.....it was well worth it.

[JohnnyBob]

I understand, and my CDs are of similar sentimentality - old family photos. If I knew beforehand IsoBuster would work, I would pay their $30 gladly. But I can't know beforehand via their trial version which is severely crippled. That's a Catch 22 (er... Catch $30), and I won't budge.

I have 5 CDs to recover. If it would work in uncrippled fashion with 1 CD (only), that would be enough proof, and I would pay their $30 quickly. But it won't, and I guess they're not going to change anything in their trial version.

[hech54]

It was also my understanding that ISOBuster would work with CD media without paying for a key....but I had no luck either until I paid.
Maybe you and I are not smart enough to use it without actually seeing .JGP somewhere on the disc.

[JohnnyBob]

I'm not smart enough.

I don't see any .jpg on the CDs, but extensions like .tif .tif.tif (.tif doubled) .txt .psd .eps, and possibly special database folders like "Desktop DB" and "Desktop DF". My hunch is the CDs were made with Adobe photoshop software, or some such, which comes on one of the CDs in the package. My son was working for a professional photography company in 1998 when he made the CDs, so was using their software, computers, and photoshop equipment. But I don't know, and of course I know nothing about the Adobe photoshop software - which would be another massive layer of ignorance to overcome with my wee brain.

[guns1inger]

You could try ISOPuzzle. I have used it for DVDs and it is persistent. Don't know if it works for CDs, but it's free, so you lose nothing by trying it out.

[dphirschler]

I was able to save CDs using ISObuster and I am just using the trial. Maybe you are just doing something wrong.


Darryl

[AlanHK]

You could try ISOPuzzle. I have used it for DVDs and it is persistent. Don't know if it works for CDs, but it's free, so you lose nothing by trying it out.

Isopuzzle works for data CDRs, (not VCDs or audio CDs).

[AlanHK]

I'm not smart enough.

I don't see any .jpg on the CDs, but extensions like .tif .tif.tif (.tif doubled) .txt .psd .eps, and possibly special database folders like "Desktop DB" and "Desktop DF". My hunch is the CDs were made with Adobe photoshop software, or some such, which comes on one of the CDs in the package. My son was working for a professional photography company in 1998 when he made the CDs, so was using their software, computers, and photoshop equipment. But I don't know, and of course I know nothing about the Adobe photoshop software - which would be another massive layer of ignorance to overcome with my wee brain.

Definitely Photoshop, probably Mac version.
So there may be a folder with some small (a few k) images: these are icons, same names as the "real" image files, which are much larger. So don't mix these up.

Note that Irfanview can display PSD files, and convert them to jpegs, etc if you want.

[JohnnyBob]

Thanks for your help fellas! I'm still not making progress but am learning a few things along the way.

You could try ISOPuzzle. I have used it for DVDs and it is persistent. Don't know if it works for CDs, but it's free, so you lose nothing by trying it out.

Thanks
I tried IsoPuzzle. It worked OK, although I had to use both of my optical drives to complete the ISO. It wouldn't finish on the Lite-On, but completed on the LG. Then I burned the ISO to a blank CD-R with Nero, which verified OK. But that puts me back to the starting block again, because all I've done is create a copy of the original CD. I looked at the CD copy with trial version IsoBuster and it shows the same files & folders as the original. It is not readable with Windows Explorer on Windows XP Home SP2.

I was able to save CDs using ISObuster and I am just using the trial. Maybe you are just doing something wrong.
Darryl

Yes, I admit my ignorance. If I knew how, I would do it.

You could try ISOPuzzle. I have used it for DVDs and it is persistent. Don't know if it works for CDs, but it's free, so you lose nothing by trying it out.

Isopuzzle works for data CDRs, (not VCDs or audio CDs).

It worked for the CD I tried...

Definitely Photoshop, probably Mac version.
So there may be a folder with some small (a few k) images: these are icons, same names as the "real" image files, which are much larger. So don't mix these up.

Note that Irfanview can display PSD files, and convert them to jpegs, etc if you want.

Thanks for the info and insight. I was also suspecting an Apple/Mac computer was used. Apparently that's the problem. I'm familiar with Irfanview, but I can't do anything until I can somehow convert the disk into a format which Windows can read. As it stands right now, the CD appears to be totally blank, as far as Windows is concerned.

[aedipuss]

i think what you want is to copy the picture files from the cd not duplicate it, correct? if so use isobuster, highlight the files, right click on them and choose extract. save them somewhere on your hard drive and then you should be able to use them.

[JohnnyBob]

i think what you want is to copy the picture files from the cd not duplicate it, correct? if so use isobuster, highlight the files, right click on them and choose extract. save them somewhere on your hard drive and then you should be able to use them.

That doesn't work. It pops up a little box saying that I must register, and I'm not going to pay them $30 until/unless I know it will actually do the job.

Also the files on the CD are generally large ones, not individual picture files. The photos are probably contained in the proprietary Adobe Photoshop database format which was used on an Apple/Mac computer in 1998 - whatever that might be.

I looked at the CD in the package which apparently contains a copy of Adobe Photoshop software, but I can't use it. It's from 1998 and probably incompatible with my Windows XP. I can't even read the readme files thereon, because they require Word 6.0. I don't have any Word, except Wordpad.

[AlanHK]

Thanks for the info and insight. I was also suspecting an Apple/Mac computer was used. Apparently that's the problem. I'm familiar with Irfanview, but I can't do anything until I can somehow convert the disk into a format which Windows can read. As it stands right now, the CD appears to be totally blank, as far as Windows is concerned.

Probably in HFS format.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_File_System

Try Macdrive http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive/freetrial/default.asp
It has a demo version, not sure if it has any limits as to what you can do. But if it works, you'll know for sure you have an HFS format CD.

Also freeware HFV explorer http://www.drunkenblog.com/mxs/cherryos/app/1/hfv/, though I haven't used this.

Simplest of course is to find a real Mac. You may need Mac Photoshop, etc anyway to do much with the files.

[JohnnyBob]

Probably in HFS format.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_File_System

Try Macdrive http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive/freetrial/default.asp
It has a demo version, not sure if it has any limits as to what you can do. But if it works, you'll know for sure you have an HFS format CD.

Also freeware HFV explorer http://www.drunkenblog.com/mxs/cherryos/app/1/hfv/, though I haven't used this.

Simplest of course is to find a real Mac. You may need Mac Photoshop, etc anyway to do much with the files.

Yes, MacDrive worked, so the CDs are in Apple's HFS format. I copied them to my hard drive and the .tif files are viewable as photos simply by doubleclicking them. The other extensions such as .psd don't work, and Irfanview will not convert them to .jpg -- a message says that Adobe Photoshop 3.0 is required to view them.

So I'm making good progress now, and I have a fair idea what the CDs contain. Thanks to you and everyone for your help!