Broken CD! help!

[Flying Dutchman]

Hello guys!

I am declaring a serious distresscall now...
I removed the SH3 DVD from my computer and I noticed a small glitch.
I looked closer and was horrified to find out that there is a perfect straight crack in it.

Running from the inner part halfway to the outer side of my CD...

Holy #@#$^&%$ !!!!!
The crack is so straight that it must be because of a weak CD-material or so...
... and I am always so carefull with my cds...

Does anywone of you has seen this problem before, or heard about weak SH3-cd's?

Of course I cannot play the game any more...

<Moderator Edit: Sorry, but rules are rules. JCC>

Christiaan

[tbarak]

First off mounting a virtual disk I don't think is illegal. Lots of people do it to save wear and tear on their drive. Having to replace drives every year or so gets annoying so I can see the benefit. This won't help you at this point but maybe for future reference. Also your user agreement allows you to make one copy as a back-up and it's never a bad idea just in case.

Also I know some publishers support customers who encounter broken or damaged disks. No idea how reliable Ubi is but if all else fails may be worth a shot to contact them for a replacement. Can't see why they wouldn't if you can prove your purchase. A disk costs pennies to make - minus the data of course which you've paid for already.

[Heibges]

Ubi will send you a replacement for $5.

[HunterICX]

Download :

Daemon Tools to make CD/DVD images so you do not need the Cd/dvd in the Driver to run the game, and its perfectly legal because you got the original copy of the game but you just dont want something bad to happen to it

I prefer CD/DVD images so i just can double click the game's icon and start straight away, then looking 45º to the right to pick my Box and start looking for the CD...yah...i know i,m an lazy bastard sometimes :smug:

[John Channing]

I really do appreciate your problem but a quick glance at the Subsim FAQ and you will see that asking for this type of information is not allowed here.

Contact UbiSoft. They will help you out.

JCC

[Flying Dutchman]

ok, sorry, I'll remember it for the next time.

But actually I posted it because I was wondering if someone else would have the same problem with the broken cd.

Because the crack in the cd looks like it came from thermalstress or so and well... if the cd's are just bad quality maybe there would be more people here who'd know that.

But my questions are answered anyway so thank you very much people!

best regards,

Christiaan


BTW my game is fully legal and paid for

[Siegeswimpel]

My cd has a crack in it also! It's about 13 mm long & starts from the center hole. I reckon clicking it, in & out of it's box has done the damage. Fortunately it still plays ok. These days i just lay it flat in its case. :-?

[slow_n_ez]

SH3 doen't have any cracks in mine ... yet ... but I use to leave my Theif 2 cd in the drive all the time.. after a while it developed a crack all the way from center to outside edge and was unplayable of course... got a replacement cd for 2 usa dollars after I contacted Edios .....

[robj250]

I am starting to have problems with my SH3 DVD. It beginning to take a very, very long time to verify it's "protection" and then sometimes the game will load and sometimes it does not. I tried when I first got the DVD in the beginning of this year to make a backup but no luck. I do not want to loose all my patrols if I have to buy a new DVD. I have always left my DVD in the CD ROM but I see from some of your comments, I better stop doing that. How can I get a replacement DVD before this one "craps" out on me.

[kiwi_2005]

Forget about the fix, your get "exe" crashs using it at times. My suggestion is to buy SH3 again, SH3 is pretty cheap these days, i own two sh3's incase of emergency :D

[robj250]

Forget about the fix, your get "exe" crashs using it at times. My suggestion is to buy SH3 again, SH3 is pretty cheap these days, i own two sh3's incase of emergency :D

Doesn't using more than 1 game DVD cause problems with your missions because of different serial numbers?

[robj250]

Ubi will send you a replacement for $5.

How do I get a replacement for mine, even though it hasn't completely crapped out, I am having problems loading the game just more than half the time.

[CWorth]

Ubi will send you a replacement for $5.

How do I get a replacement for mine, even though it hasn't completely crapped out, I am having problems loading the game just more than half the time.

First make sure the problem is the disc and not your computer itself..what you described sounds like a system/disc drive problem possibly and not a DVD problem.

Just to be safe though check for any larger/deep scratches on the disc..if there are any that could explain the problem and they do have disc repair kits you can buy that repair and remove the scratches on CD's/DVD's.They have saved my discs numerous times.

[gabeeg]

I too have noticed that my DVD started taking longer to verify and then it started happening that half the time Starforce would report it could not find the DVD....it has finally gotten so bad that my DVD is only recognized in windows about 1 out of 20 insertions. I got the no-cd crack now and don't worry about it...starforce is the devil!

I tried copying the contents of the DVD to my hard drive recently and I get crc errors...looks like if I ever have to reinstall I will have to purchase a new copy from UBIsoft or the bargain bin...

I too left my SHIII DVD in the drive all the time...for about a month.

I cannot see any cracks.

[robj250]

I too have noticed that my DVD started taking longer to verify and then it started happening that half the time Starforce would report it could not find the DVD....it has finally gotten so bad that my DVD is only recognized in windows about 1 out of 20 insertions. I got the no-cd crack now and don't worry about it...starforce is the devil!

I tried copying the contents of the DVD to my hard drive recently and I get crc errors...looks like if I ever have to reinstall I will have to purchase a new copy from UBIsoft or the bargain bin...

I too left my SHIII DVD in the drive all the time...for about a month.

I cannot see any cracks.

I called Ubisoft about the problem and first they had me run Dxdiag to check a couple things and then had me run msconfg and change from normal startup to selective and uncheck the box "load startup items" and then try it. The problem was solved.

[kiwi_2005]

Doesn't using more than 1 game DVD cause problems with your missions because of different serial numbers?

Couldn't tell you as ive never had to use the 2nd sh3 game, but i think if you uninstall it properly with the registry of sh3 deleted as well you shouldn't have any trouble.... Ok you probably dont want to delete your game just carry on from the install you already have? if you buy another sh3 you would have to uninstall it to use the new one. But you could save your SH3 "saves" folder, found in my document/SH3/

[Der Eisen-Wal]

I am starting to have problems with my SH3 DVD. It beginning to take a very, very long time to verify it's "protection" and then sometimes the game will load and sometimes it does not. I tried when I first got the DVD in the beginning of this year to make a backup but no luck. I do not want to loose all my patrols if I have to buy a new DVD. I have always left my DVD in the CD ROM but I see from some of your comments, I better stop doing that. How can I get a replacement DVD before this one "craps" out on me.

I'm pretty sure you won't lose your patrols if your DVD breaks. I believe that data is saved on your Harddrive, and not your DVD.

[kiwi_2005]

I called Ubisoft about the problem and first they had me run Dxdiag to check a couple things and then had me run msconfg and change from normal startup to selective and uncheck the box "load startup items" and then try it. The problem was solved.

Didn't read your reply til now. Thats good to know what ubisoft have told you.