burning a disk to protect it?

29 March 2007, 03:32

Apparently there was a protection scheme which used a laser to burn part of the disk, the idea being to create a media defect - an area which could not be successfully written to.

Has anyone encountered this protection on the Amiga? I imagine it would present problems for SPS - for one thing, it would require the disk to be write-enabled so it could check the protection and I know how SPS hates that

Also, there's no way that the imaging software could detect a media defect by only reading! Overwriting the whole disk to see if/where it was burnt obviously doesn't make sense so I guess it'd just have to ask the user if this program required the disk to be write-enabled and if so to eyeball the disk for damage...?

Does the IPF format support media defects or indeed writing at all?

musashi5150 · 29 March 2007, 08:56

Yes, laser holes were a protection that was definately used on the PC. Even that could be got around though with the Central Point Enhanced Option Board that could emulate the holes in a disk image

Never seen it on an Amiga disk though myself.

EDIT: Ah, you didn't mean holes... I think the protection you mention might be more like 'weak/flaky bits' - if so then yes, SPS can support that.

29 March 2007, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by musashi5150

Ah, you didn't mean holes... I think the protection you mention might be more like 'weak/flaky bits' - if so then yes, SPS can support that.

I'm not actually sure of the details because I've never seen it myself, and until I did some googling I thought it might even be an urban myth

But I didn't mean flaky bits or anything which only needs to be read from.

musashi5150 · 29 March 2007, 10:25

Ahh, so you meant a track that is damaged - the game writes to it and then tries to read back. If the data is crap then it knows the game is original ?

29 March 2007, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by musashi5150

...the game writes to it and then tries to read back. If the data is crap then it knows the game is original ?

Yes exactly.

musashi5150 · 29 March 2007, 10:30

I've never seen that

IFW · 29 March 2007, 13:32

...but it is technically supportable.
Not seen that on even the earliest titles though.

dlfrsilver · 29 March 2007, 14:11

It's a protection present on apple II games on 5 1/4" 5,25" disks.

29 March 2007, 03:32	#1
pterry Posts: n/a	burning a disk to protect it? Apparently there was a protection scheme which used a laser to burn part of the disk, the idea being to create a media defect - an area which could not be successfully written to. Has anyone encountered this protection on the Amiga? I imagine it would present problems for SPS - for one thing, it would require the disk to be write-enabled so it could check the protection and I know how SPS hates that Also, there's no way that the imaging software could detect a media defect by only reading! Overwriting the whole disk to see if/where it was burnt obviously doesn't make sense so I guess it'd just have to ask the user if this program required the disk to be write-enabled and if so to eyeball the disk for damage...? Does the IPF format support media defects or indeed writing at all?

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29 March 2007, 08:56	#2
musashi5150 move.w #$4489,$dff07e Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolk, UK Age: 42 Posts: 2,351	Yes, laser holes were a protection that was definately used on the PC. Even that could be got around though with the Central Point Enhanced Option Board that could emulate the holes in a disk image Never seen it on an Amiga disk though myself. EDIT: Ah, you didn't mean holes... I think the protection you mention might be more like 'weak/flaky bits' - if so then yes, SPS can support that.

29 March 2007, 10:25	#4
musashi5150 move.w #$4489,$dff07e Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolk, UK Age: 42 Posts: 2,351	Ahh, so you meant a track that is damaged - the game writes to it and then tries to read back. If the data is crap then it knows the game is original ?

29 March 2007, 10:30	#6
musashi5150 move.w #$4489,$dff07e Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolk, UK Age: 42 Posts: 2,351	I've never seen that

29 March 2007, 13:32	#7
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	...but it is technically supportable. Not seen that on even the earliest titles though.

29 March 2007, 14:11	#8
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	It's a protection present on apple II games on 5 1/4" 5,25" disks.

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