Backing up ORIGINAL dvds renders them unplayable? HELP!

[emanpunk]

I originally posted this in the PC section at gametrailers.com and was referred to this site as a better source of help.

I have some original DVD movies that I wanted to back up on my computer to play them without using the disk or to play back on a portable device, i.e. iPod, PSP. I used a program called "Format Factory", v. 1.60. The back up went without any problems except the audio was a bit out of sync. I was backing up Saving Private Ryan. When I tried to back up my movie again, my drive wouldn't load it. Before my backing up of this DVD my PC would recognize it and begin playing it on Media Center and the info of the disk would show up under "My Computer". On subsequently inserting the disk after the back up, the drive sounds like (I hear the disk spinning) its reading (or trying to read) the disk, but it wont load up on my PC. I also hear a 2-beep tone repeatedly as its attempting to read it. It eventually stops trying to load.


This has happened with 2 movies i backed up in this manner, and other non-backed up DVDs read and load just fine, like the backed up ones used to just hours ago.


Can anyone shed any light on why this is occurring or have any advice or a fix? All help and info is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I have a Optiarc DVD RW AD-7203S drive if this helps.

[guns1inger]

Never heard of Format Factory, but the recommended tools for backing up DVDs are

DVDFab HD Decrypter (free) or AnyDVD (not free) for ripping

DVD Shrink (free), DVD Rebuilder (free) or Clone DVD (not free) for reducing the size to SL DVD size

Imgburn (free) for burning to quality media

[emanpunk]

any ideas as to why my original DVDs wont play anymore on my pc? they played just fine before the back up...

[guns1inger]

Nothing lasts forever

[Baldrick]

Try on another computer/dvd drive.

[jagabo]

reboot?

[emanpunk]

rebooting didnt help, the DVDs are in perfect condition and shouldnt just give out after being backed up, they play fine on stand alone players as well, and my computer is 3 months old or so...


It would seem to me that backing them up might have triggered some copy protection, but i cant understand how this would happen as data cannot be written on these commercial DVD movies which would make them unplayable or cause any effects that would affect loading. i dont know if the DVD drive might have some type of DRM recognition that might let it know that i backed it up and now its "punishing" me for doing so...

[hech54]

any ideas as to why my original DVDs wont play anymore on my pc? they played just fine before the back up...

Delete that moronic software called Format Factory...and ALL traces of it.
See if the DVDs play then.

[emanpunk]

any ideas as to why my original DVDs wont play anymore on my pc? they played just fine before the back up...

Delete that moronic software called Format Factory...and ALL traces of it.
See if the DVDs play then.

i uninstalled it and the problem persists, any ideas on how to remove the software completely (and all its traces) if uninstalling hasnt done so?

thanks for the help

[jagabo]

System Restore?

[emanpunk]

System Restore?

funny thing about that is that i was trying to do a system restore and i got the blue stop error screen and after a reboot i tried to system restore again and it told me there were no restore points saved..

actually not so funny...

[jagabo]

Root kit?

[emanpunk]

Root kit?

would you be so kind as to elaborate on that, im not too savvy when it comes to system files or whatever

thanks

[stantheman1976]

That software embedded one or more files in your PC somewhere. Probably the registry I would guess? Now when you try to play them on your PC they are being purposely blocked because of that. There is nothing wrong with your discs. It is impossible to ruin a CD or DVD by copying it to your PC. Your problems are totally software based. I've never experienced this before so I can't tell you exactly how to solve it unfortunately. Maybe try a registy cleaner and run a spyware/adware program. If that doens't work format your PC and reinstall Windows.

[jagabo]

A root kit is a trojan that install files deep within windows that are very hard for an antivirus or spyware program to find and remove.

If I was writing a root kit the first thing I'd do is make it delete all the System Restore files so the system couldn't be restored to a point before the root kit was installed.

[hech54]

Download CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) and run it. It also has
a registry cleaner.

[emanpunk]

its weird that it would have a rootkit or trojan as i downloaded it from CNET's download.com and all the stuff there is supposedly spyware free, but thanks a lot for the help guys, i will run CCleaner and if you guys know of any other software similar to CCleaner that can help, as long as its free and safe, let me know!

[jagabo]

its weird that it would have a rootkit or trojan as i downloaded it from CNET's download.com

I was just throwing out possibilities. The behavior of your system sounds suspicious but download.com should have been safe.

Some movie DVDs were produced with software that automatically disables the DVD drive when inserted into a Windows system (a crude copy protection mechanism). This uses Windows' Auto Insert Notification function which can be permanently disabled via the Registry, or temporarily bypassed by holding down a shift key when inserting a DVD.

[RabidDog]

RE-install of XP is the only answer my friend.. any other course is too unsafe. Sounds like you have a bad virus.
Or maybe your drive IS punishing you.. characters from the movie you ripped off will come to you in your dreams and start clawing the very flesh from your bones, that is far more likely isn't it?

[MJA]

its weird that it would have a rootkit or trojan as i downloaded it from CNET's download.com and all the stuff there is supposedly spyware free, but thanks a lot for the help guys, i will run CCleaner and if you guys know of any other software similar to CCleaner that can help, as long as its free and safe, let me know!

'

do you know the download.com link for Format Factory ?

[jagabo]

http://www.download.com/FormatFactory/3000-2194_4-10819418.html

[MJA]

http://www.download.com/FormatFactory/3000-2194_4-10819418.html

Thanx. I was searching Format Factory thats why nothing came up.

not a single review

[emanpunk]

its weird that theres no reiview for it because the sole reason why i downloaded it in the first place was because i read a review from CNET in which they gave it a 4/5 stars rating. but for the life of me, i cant seem to find that page or remember how i came about finding it. i do remember however, that the reviewed version was 1.42 i think, and that download link is for the latest version, 1.61

heres the link to the original site for the product:

http://format-factory.en.softonic.com/

[MJA]

just follow guns1inger recommendation you be fine.

[Ai Haibara]

Does your drive have any problems reading CDs/DVDs (the files on them) now?

[emanpunk]

Does your drive have any problems reading CDs/DVDs (the files on them) now?

yeah, sometimes it does read them (i just installed the orange box) and sometimes it wont (i cant install enemy territory: quake wars because it wont read, the disc is brand new and flawless) and it still beeps when i insert any disc....

[fritzi93]

So you're using Vista Home Premium? I confess I dunno much about Vista.

But in XP, your problem would likely point to two corrupted registry entries. (Entries buggered by FormatFactory perhaps?) :P As described here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/EN-US/

The method for manual removal is partway down the page. Re-install of burning software after reboot is necessary. Now, whether the above applies to Vista, maybe someone else can say. I'll do a little investigating to see if I can find anything.

Of course, maybe the drive itself is going. Or it's one of the possibilities suggested in earlier posts. Good luck.

[tmw]

You might try isobuster to see if the player can read the DVD in question. One possibility is that your player is going bad, but if isobuster can see the DVD in question, then I'd go with a system reinstall to remove whatever is preventing you from watching the disc.

Sounds like some crazy copy protection scheme--you get to back up the DVD, but then the software sets it so the DVD cannot be played again in the future on that computer, which is totally ineffective because you can play it on other computers or players. However, many people writing copy protection schemes are not totally rational either...

[fritzi93]

Assuming a registry problem, here's the procedure for Vista specifically:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929461

You'll notice that one listed cause of the problem is installation/uninstall of an application that has CD/DVD filter driver(s).

[pepegot1]

I hope you have a disc image backup. Then you can restore to prior functionality.