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How to make a backup copy of your Dreamcast game [BBA method]

Dreamcast's profile picture
Published in 
Dreamcast
 · 3 years ago

Introduction:


This tutorial will explain how to make your copies of official original games, on GD-Rom therefore, with a Broadband Adapter.
This method is relatively expensive because BBAs are generally sold for around 100/150 euros, so it is rather reserved for people who already have the small hardware.
Another technique, much less expensive, with SD-Reader will soon be posted on this forum.
The tutorial does not explain how to reduce the total size of a game, for games larger than 900MB.

Tips and various notes:

I strongly recommend not to go through a box (Livebox, Freebox ...) or other router for the PC <-> DC connection, in fact the data transfer being very low (1 to 1.5 MB / s), it is very frequently cut by this type of connection.
The very first copy can take a long time, between installations and various settings, allow more than two hours. The following copies will be faster from 15 min to 1 hour depending on your installation, its power and the game to be copied.
Paragraphs A and B are only to be done for the first copy, for the following ones go directly to C.

What you will need in software:

  • decompression software like Winrar:
  • Dreamcast emulator for Windows:
  • the .cdi creation software:
  • the .cdi burning software:
  • the file: httpd-ack-20080711.zip
  • the exe file: nullDC_Win32_Release-NoTrace.exe
  • the exe file: dummy.exe
  • the exe file: isofix.exe
  • the exe file: binhack32.exe


What you will need in hardware:

  • a Dreamcast from before 2001 connected to a TV
  • a Broadband Adapter (BBA)
  • a Broadband Passport boot CD
  • a crossover Ethernet cable (a straight one should also work, but not tested)
  • two blank CDs
  • a Windows PC, I use a Windows Seven 64 Home PC
  • an original game


A- PC <-> Dreamcast connection settings:

For the three IPs below you will need to enter the values ​​according to your personal network.

  • Connect the Ethernet cable to the console and to the PC.
  • Insert the Broadband Passport into the Dreamcast and turn it on.
  • Go to the internet settings menu.
  • Enter an IP for your BBA, for the demonstration I am using 192.168.1.45.
  • Enter the IP of the gateway, for the demonstration I am using 192.168.1.1.
  • Enter the mask IP, for the demonstration I am using 255.255.0.0.
  • Validate until registration on the VMS.
  • Make a bridge between the two connections to allow recognition of the BBA by Windows.

Your connection is configured.

B- Burning the httpd-ack CD:

  • Unzip the httpd-ack-20080711.zip archive wherever you want. A .cdi file comes out, delete the other file (s).
  • Launch Discjuggler and open the cdi file extracted previously.
  • Start burning, leaving all settings as they are.

Your httpd-ack CD is created.

C-Dump of game tracks:

  • Connect the Ethernet cable to the console and to the PC.
  • Insert the httpd-ack CD into the console, turn it on, and wait for the full load. A line with the IP should appear 192.168.1.45.
  • Replace the httpd-ack 1.0.4 CD with the dump set.
  • Type (????) in your Windows Internet browser (firefox, Internet Explorer ...). The various data and tracks of the game then appear.
  • Click on all the tracks (trackX.bin or trackX.raw) to save them one by one in a folder that you will name Dump. Do the same for the .gdi file.
  • Run nullDC_Win32_Release-NoTrace.exe , select the gdi file and verify that the game is launching from the emulator. If not, start the paragraph over from the beginning.


D- File mergers:

Two cases are possible, the case that I will name Simple where there is no .raw file in your Dump folder and the other that I will name Hard where there is one or more .raw files.
Depending on the case you have, head to a method below.

  • Simple Case:
    • Open the file settings track3.bin the cleans and note the size of the file. It must imperatively be 1185760800. If this is not the case you made a mistake somewhere, start again from the beginning.

  • Hard case:
    • Open the file settings track3.bin the cleanings and note the size of the file, I call it: A .
    • For my set A = 724519488
    • Do the same on the last file, track15.bin in my case I call it: B .
    • For my set B = 74012736

    • Calculate the sum 1185760800 - ( A (+) B ). I call the result: C .
    • For my game: C = 1185760800 - (724519488 + 74012736) = 387228576
    • Go to the folder containing the dummy.exe executive via a command prompt (Windows, search CMD ...) and create a white file of size C named dummy.bat:
      • dummy dummy.bin C (replace C with its value, for my set 387228576)

    • Once you have your dummy.bin file, copy it to the Dump folder.
    • Head into the Dump folder via a command prompt and create a tracktotal.bin file like this:
      • copy / b track03.bin + dummy.bin + trackXX.bin tracktotal.bin (put the real name of trackXX.bin, for my game track15.bin)

    • Check the size of tracktotal.bin, it must be 1185760800, if this is not the case you made a mistake somewhere, start over from the beginning of the Case Hard.


E- Modification of the binary:

  • Paste isofix.exe in the Dump folder and run it.
  • Indicate tracktotal.bin then the value 45000 then let the utility finish.
  • Rename the bootfile.bin file to ip.bin and extract with Winrar the fixed.iso file in a folder named Extract .
  • Move binhack32.exe to the Extract folder and launch it. Indicate 1st_read.bin then ip.bin and finally the value 11702. The utility will patch the two binaries.


F- Creation of the cdi:

  • In the Extract folder, remove binhack32.exe.
  • Check the size of the Extract folder. If it's not at least 500MB, create a dummy.bat file the same way as before. A large size facilitates the launch of the game by the console.
  • Place the ip.bin in the Bootmake Tool folder then run the utility. Fill in, if necessary, the indications like this:
    • Volume name: put the name you want
    • Source directory: find your Extract folder
    • IP.BIN: leave as is
    • ISO temp: leave as is
    • Destination file: indicate the location and the name of the .cdi file

  • Click on Make, your .cdi file will be created automatically.
  • Launch nullDC_Win32_Release-NoTrace.exe , select the .cdi file and verify that the game is launching from the emulator.

Warning: Bootmake does not support spaces and special characters like é, &, è,! ...

G- Burning of the game:

  • Launch Discjuggler and open the cdi file created in the previous paragraph.
  • Start burning, leaving all settings as they are.

Once burned, the game is ready to be launched from your Dreamcast console.

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