cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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I just bought a new CD (Coldplay, in case you were wondering...), and I wanted to put it onto my iPod. But my computer won't read the CD. I put it in, and it just sits there rumbling for a while, but nothing happens. So I put it on a CD player, and it works fine. I then put it in an older computer, and it read the CD, so I copied the files onto a flash drive. I brought them back to my computer, and tried to play the files, but it won't play them. It comes up with an error message saying, "A license cannot be found for this media file. Use License Management to transfer a license for this file from the original computer, or acquire a new license." So I have been sitting here for the past week trying to get the CD to play. I JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO THE CD. I haven't even once, yet. Does anyone know how I can get the CD to play on my computer? Because I am frustrated beyond belief. ._.

AlefBet
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Have a mod point for your grief.

As an aside, my brother has a copy protected CD and he couldn't get it to read under WIndows (disabled autorun), but his dual boot into Gentoo Linux allowed him to rip MP3s just fine. So if you've got any pals that run Linux, you might ask them to do it for you onto your flash drive.

____________________________
I was charged with conspiracy to commit jay-walking, and accessory to changing lanes without signaling after the fact .

++Adam H. Peterson

Mattcrampy
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I've always thought it would be fun to invent a copy-protection scheme that sounds corrupted when you rip it to MP3 and only MP3.

But, um, I'm not sure I'm allowed to help you. DCMA and all that, despite the fact that because now that it's legislated that it's a crime to get around copy protection the companies don't have to worry about legitimate consumer backlash from being too invasive. Unless you're not American, in which case discussions off-site might be profitable.

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

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[Last edited by Mattcrampy at 12-03-2005 08:05 AM]

b0rsuk
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related ?
Heh, there's a funny/scary article on Slashdot: french government is considering a legislation which would ______ publishing free software. Primarily software used to bypass copy protection, but still.

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http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051128/adams_01.shtml

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[Last edited by mrimer at 12-03-2005 03:42 PM]

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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Well, I do know someone who has a linux system, but I won't see him until Monday, so I will go eight days without once listening to my CD. :/ If all else fails, I think I am probably just going to return the CD back to the store, and just download it from iTunes. It's 8 bucks cheaper, anyways.

Tim
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I rarely buy CD's nowadays, because they are too expensive for what you get, and usually I don't like all 10 songs of it, and I can't use them except on my CD player (I've only got one CD player, and it's on my computer, and that player makes too much noise when playing CD's.) Besides, I like to listen to internet radio, they gives me more variety in music, and I can listen to news when doing other stuff (and is free, for now).

Besides, for the same price I can buy a DVD and 2 really good (old) games that has music as well. For example, I've got games like Beyond Good and Evil, Diablo 2, and Commandos 3 (unplayed) lying here, and they cost together the same as a new CD here. Given these choices, I know what I'd rather spend my money on.

Besides, why would you buy a CD anyway? Didn't you got it for your birthday? (Oh, and belated congratulations for you )

-- Tim

PS. Or save the money to spend it later to buy TCB.

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

cheese obsessive
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Tim wrote:
I rarely buy CD's nowadays, because they are too expensive for what you get, and usually I don't like all 10 songs of it, and I can't use them except on my CD player (I've only got one CD player, and it's on my computer, and that player makes too much noise when playing CD's.) Besides, I like to listen to internet radio, they gives me more variety in music, and I can listen to news when doing other stuff (and is free, for now).

Besides, for the same price I can buy a DVD and 2 really good (old) games that has music as well. For example, I've got games like Beyond Good and Evil, Diablo 2, and Commandos 3 (unplayed) lying here, and they cost together the same as a new CD here. Given these choices, I know what I'd rather spend my money on.

Besides, why would you buy a CD anyway? Didn't you got it for your birthday? (Oh, and belated congratulations for you )

-- Tim

PS. Or save the money to spend it later to buy TCB.

Yeah, but I am anal, and like to look at the album art and read the liner notes, which you can't get through download. But I already did that like seven times, so I can just return it, ane still be good.

Yes, it was my birthday, no I didn't ask for it, so I went out and bought it.

And about the money I am saving up...I want to buy an iPod video, because my 4-gig mini is down to less than half a gig left, and will run out of room when I get all of the CDs I asked for for Christmas. I got 100$-ish for my birthday, my grandma gave me a 50$ check, I have 100$ I still haven't spent from my last birthday, and I have at least 80$ in coin rolls. Oh. And a friend owes me 125$, (which I don't know if he will pay back, because he doesn't pay me back, even though he just made 600$ writing marching band drum parts.) So I am already there, I think. O_o With at least 100$ to spare, now that I look at it. My mom will probably confiscate that and tell me I need to save it for college. And then spend it on groceries instead.

jamie
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It sounds like a dual-session CD..

The first session contains the DRM encoded files, whilst the second session contains the normal cd audio.

When you put it into the other computer, you could just 'see' the data files that were DRM encoded mp3's (or whatever format it was)

You need to actually skip the first session (this is what an audio cd player does - it skips the non-audio session), then rip the 'real cd audio data'

Try ripping it with something other than the standard software.

Try EAC - http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

That should sift out the crap, and give you the 'pure' audio.

IF it asks about sessions, you probably want to skip the first session, though if there are more than 2 sessions, you may have to skip 3 etc.. have a fiddle.

PS Isn't it dumb how they make things so hard for the people who actually BUY the stuff ?

Anyone who is determined to rip stuff can do it; anyone who wants to get it for free can download it; the only person who suffers is the legitimate CD buyer!

____________________________
#f3i2g# Disclaimer: I'm Welsh, left-handed, and stupid. #f3i2g#

Mattcrampy
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There are programs out there that will let you look at the format of CDs, turn them into ISOs, extract individual files from ISOs, that sort of thing. Really handy.

I used a program like this to extract WAVs of the most recent Gorillaz CD, turned them into OGGs and inserted them into my playlist, just to get back the functionality that regular CDs have (namely, pop them in and play them on Winamp.)

I really hate when I have to get a no-CD crack for a game I've bought because it thinks the retail CD has been pirated and won't let me use it. It's just encouraging the pirates because their work becomes necessary for people to play.

____________________________
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cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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But will these programs work if my computer doesn't even let me know that there is a CD in the drive? O_o

Mattcrampy
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So long as it can read the CD, should be fine.

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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Mattcrampy wrote:
So long as it can read the CD, should be fine.

My computer does this weird thing. The CD goes in, the light blinks foe a while, and then a little CD appears on my mouse cursor. Then it does nothing. I go to "My computer" And click the D drive, and it says nothing is in there. So would one of those programs make it tell me that something is in there? O_o

jamie
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Mattcrampy wrote:
There are programs out there that will let you look at the format of CDs, turn them into ISOs, extract individual files from ISOs, that sort of thing. Really handy.

FreeBSD does that natively

I.e. (using windows terminology): if you put an audio CD into your cd drive, then look at your 'dev' folder you will see acd0t01, acd0t02, acd0t03, acd0t04 etc.. which you can simply copy/drag over just as if it's a data file or 'real' wave file.

A level higher, and the filemanager program Konqueror on KDE (Linux/FreeBSD) displays your CD as a series of folders: WAV, OGG, MP3 etc... Inside those folders are the track names (automatically retrieved from CDDB if possible).. Drag the relevent file or folder, and the transcoding is done on the fly.

I used a program like this to extract WAVs of the most recent Gorillaz CD, turned them into OGGs and inserted them into my playlist, just to get back the functionality that regular CDs have (namely, pop them in and play them on Winamp.)

YES! The record companies are REALLY REALLY kicking themselves here, and they don't seem to know it... I don't mean you, but what the record companies are doing is teaching people "who just want to listen to a cd on their computer" how to rip cd's and transcode them into other formats.

Soon, someone who only knew (or cared) how to look at websites and email, is now also expert at ripping and coding cd tracks, -- half way to be the sort of person the record companies actually dislike!

From there, for some, it's just a small step away from downloading stuff - I mean "if i've got to convert and stick these on my hard disk ANYWAY, and now I know what to do...."



____________________________
#f3i2g# Disclaimer: I'm Welsh, left-handed, and stupid. #f3i2g#

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[Last edited by jamie at 12-05-2005 12:04 AM]

jamie
Level: Smiter
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cheese obsessive wrote:
But will these programs work if my computer doesn't even let me know that there is a CD in the drive? O_o

Well, EAC doesn't mount the drive as a file system, OR read it as a normal audio CD, which is why I mentioned it in the first place !

But, only you can know for sure, by trying it! It will take you 5 minutes to download and try it!

And I thought you didn't want to wait until monday! #2

*give up and goes sulk in his corner*

____________________________
#f3i2g# Disclaimer: I'm Welsh, left-handed, and stupid. #f3i2g#

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[Last edited by jamie at 12-05-2005 12:10 AM]

Yellow_Mage
Level: Master Delver
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My friend bought F.E.A.R. when it came out, and had trouble with it since then. Only last week he found out it's because the incredibly anal copy protection. Basically from what I understood, he would have to uninstall all emulation software from his PC. Yes, everything( which includes useful emulation softare), plus Alcohol. There is some aparent software that prevents some of it from being dectected. There were other problems as well he had (for anyone that has the game/been to the game's support forum), he had every problem on the list), and he wished he downloaded it.

I think CP has been very poopy lately. Bah.

____________________________
"Sit and daydream, and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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jamie wrote:

cheese obsessive wrote:
But will these programs work if my computer doesn't even let me know that there is a CD in the drive? O_o

Well, EAC doesn't mount the drive as a file system, OR read it as a normal audio CD, which is why I mentioned it in the first place !

But, only you can know for sure, by trying it! It will take you 5 minutes to download and try it!

And I thought you didn't want to wait until monday! #2

*give up and goes sulk in his corner*

I try to run the configuration wizard in the program, and it says that a CD can't be found in the drive. Please insert a CD containing audio files. GRR.

bradwall
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My problem is that I like to make backups of my games and play off the backup (leaving my original in good condition). I have already had my kids break my Sims game and others as well. But, I have the pirate protected disks and can't do that. I understand why. The frustrating thing is that people have to do that.
I used to not care about piracy. If someone did it, I just said "ah, whatever... their choice". But, about 6 years ago, I started programming on my own. It takes a lot of time to create something... especially something worth while. If someone copies it, that is totally frustrating.
Anyway, I don't pirate and I get pretty bugged with people who do... however, I really wish that I could make backups of some of my games/programs. In many cases, I have to re-purchase the game because my original has a scratch or problem with it.
blah, blah, blah... I'm a whiner.

jamie
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cheese obsessive wrote:
I try to run the configuration wizard in the program, and it says that a CD can't be found in the drive. Please insert a CD containing audio files. GRR.

Aw www. Sorry! Still, you'll know for next time ;-)

____________________________
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jamie
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bradwall wrote:In many cases, I have to re-purchase the game because my original has a scratch or problem with it.
blah, blah, blah... I'm a whiner.

From my understanding, your 'license' for the game is not lost if the disk is scratched, so the company have to sell you the replacement for media and reasonable costs only..

____________________________
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Oneiromancer
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jamie wrote:

bradwall wrote:In many cases, I have to re-purchase the game because my original has a scratch or problem with it.
blah, blah, blah... I'm a whiner.

From my understanding, your 'license' for the game is not lost if the disk is scratched, so the company have to sell you the replacement for media and reasonable costs only..

Yes, most companies have a reasonable disk replacement service (sometimes only 1 time though). For example, when I bought the Bloodmoon expansion for Morrowind, I didn't open it right away because, well, it was kind of a birthday gift to myself that my ex and I bought so I wasn't "allowed" to open it until my birthday, and then we had a vacation so it delayed, blah blah blah. So it was a few weeks later that I opened it, noting absently that the seal was already broken, to find that there was no CD inside. It was too late to return it to the store (since obviously someone had yanked the CD out in the store) and so I posted my tale of woe on the Bethesda forums. I didn't know what I expected, but imagine my surprise when I got a PM from one of the developers, who informed me that if I still had my original receipt, I could send in the UPC code from the box and the receipt and get a replacement CD in return! And since he believed me, I didn't even have to pay for shipping and handling; he worked some internal magic on my behalf. So I sent the stuff in, and the story ended happily, with me not having to buy the whole product over again after someone stole it out from under me.

Moral of the story: check to see if the seal is broken before you buy a game, and keep your receipts and UPC codes.

Game on,

____________________________
"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

bradwall
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jamie wrote:

bradwall wrote:In many cases, I have to re-purchase the game because my original has a scratch or problem with it.
blah, blah, blah... I'm a whiner.

From my understanding, your 'license' for the game is not lost if the disk is scratched, so the company have to sell you the replacement for media and reasonable costs only..

Yeah, I don't mind paying shipping costs for messing up the disk.
I did have one time where I bought Riven (5 CD's) and disk 4 would not read. I contacted the company and they would not replace it. I had just opened it and it didn't work. Luckily, I was able to burn it at a very slow rate and it actually worked. Immediately, I burned all of the disks and used them because I didn't want to go through that again with the company.

gamer_extreme_101
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Hey cheese, is the CD you're unable to copy X&Y?? I bought that one about a month ago, and I had no problem ripping it directly using dbPowerAmp. Weird...very weird.

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--That guy with a million different aliases since he doesn't like this name anymore.

cheese obsessive
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gamer_extreme_101 wrote:
Hey cheese, is the CD you're unable to copy X&Y?? I bought that one about a month ago, and I had no problem ripping it directly using dbPowerAmp. Weird...very weird.

Actually, it was "A Rush of Blood to the Head."

Do you think my problem is that I have a CD/DVD RW Drive made by Sony? Maybe the protection thing thinks I am trying to copy something, and blocking it out, or maybe Sony hid some protection thing in their CD drives also, or maybe I just have a faulty CD. O_o I sure hope it is number three, because no matter what I do, I can't get my computer to think there is a disc in my D: drive.

gamer_extreme_101
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Might be. Mine's just a cheapy 52x LG one.

____________________________
--That guy with a million different aliases since he doesn't like this name anymore.

jamie
Level: Smiter
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You know, all you need is to download a FreeBSD boot disk, and boot off it, and it will tell you what media it can see in the drive on bootup...

I'm sure Linux does the same..

I don't even mean an "install cd" or a "live cd" -- just the initial boot-floppies will do!

And, if it works ok... Then you can just download a 'live cd' version to burn it!

____________________________
#f3i2g# Disclaimer: I'm Welsh, left-handed, and stupid. #f3i2g#

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[Last edited by jamie at 12-06-2005 03:26 AM]

Chris
Level: Master Delver
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Some CDs have programs on them which automatically run when you insert them into a Windows machine.

There's a key you can press to stop the programs running. I think it's 'shift', but I can't remember now.

So try holding the shift key and keeping it held while inserting the CD. That might help if it's some dodgy software on the CD which is messing playback up for you.

Alternatively, using any non-Windows OS should help. I've never found any CD which I can't play in Linux. Although I've not tried it with anything by Coldplay.

cheese obsessive
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HAH. I just went out and replaced the CD, and the new CD worked just fine, for some reason. O_o I think I just had an anal CD or something.

AlefBet
Level: Smitemaster
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cheese obsessive wrote:
HAH. I just went out and replaced the CD, and the new CD worked just fine, for some reason. O_o I think I just had an anal CD or something.

Well, if the CD is by BMG, they recently had a recall of all CDs using one of their copy protection technologies. So you may now have a standard Red-Book CD in the clear.

____________________________
I was charged with conspiracy to commit jay-walking, and accessory to changing lanes without signaling after the fact .

++Adam H. Peterson

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

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AlefBet wrote:

cheese obsessive wrote:
HAH. I just went out and replaced the CD, and the new CD worked just fine, for some reason. O_o I think I just had an anal CD or something.

Well, if the CD is by BMG, they recently had a recall of all CDs using one of their copy protection technologies. So you may now have a standard Red-Book CD in the clear.

Capitol records? O_o

AlefBet
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 979
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cheese obsessive wrote:

AlefBet wrote:
Well, if the CD is by BMG....

Capitol records?

Hmm. I guess not, then. Capitol records is part of EMI, according to Wikipedia. Maybe it was just a bum CD.

____________________________
I was charged with conspiracy to commit jay-walking, and accessory to changing lanes without signaling after the fact .

++Adam H. Peterson

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[Last edited by AlefBet at 12-12-2005 06:51 AM]