FINALY a fix to all and a work around the greyed out open new session!!!

[krash]

What you will need:
1. Cdirip, ISO LBA Fixer, ISO Header Extracter (all available at cdirip.freeyellow.com)
2. Any CD-Burning software that supports multisession and the ISO format (in this guide I use CdrWin-- this will work with multisession burners, even if the open new session box is normally grayed out)

Also note, because this method adds to the size of the cd, games that used to require 74 min discs may need an 80 min disc to burn on with this method.

What this method is for:
Any DC game with two tracks that gives you a buffer under-run (300 sector audio track in the first session and a data track in the second session)

This will even work on games with that pesky Sega of Europe protection (Metropolis Street Racer)

What this method is not for:
Any game with multiple audio tracks in the first session
Any game that is greater than roughly 77 minutes (this technique eats up 26 megs on the disc). Also, just because a game needs an 80 min disc does not mean it is more than 77 minutes in size.

Procedure:
1. Extract the CDI file from the rars
2. Use Cdirip on the CDI file to produce a TData02.iso file
3. Use the ISO LBA fixer on the TData02.iso (this will usually create a file called tmp.iso unless otherwise specified. when it asks for lba, use the one cdirip told you, usually 11700)
4. Use the ISO Header Extracter on the TData02.iso (this will usually create a file called header.iso unless otherwise specified.)
5. At this point the original TData02.iso is not needed, you may delete it if you wish.
6. Burn the iso that was produced by the ISO LBA fixer as a Mode 2 XA track in the first session. (CdrWin example: use "File and Backup Tools". Select "Record an ISO file". Choose the tmp.iso or whatever you named it. Select Cdrom-XA and Mode 2, check the box for Open New Session and Finalize/Close Session, and uncheck the Write Postgap Box)
7. Now burn the header.iso as the track in the second session (CdrWin: exact same procedure as the last track, except select header.iso)
8. Believe it or not, that's it. Go play your game.

Why/How Does this Work?
A typical DC game is a 2 session disc: the first contains one 300 sector audio track, and the second contains one Mode 2 XA data track. The boot sector is located in the beginning of the data track. If the first track is 300 sectors, all file and directory records will be set for a second session to begin at an LBA of 11700 on the disc.

Many burners, however, cannot burn the 300 sector track, thus screwing up the disc. In the past it was possible to use various methods to burn a second session successfully at 11702, but Metropolis Street Racer cannot be burned like this without some serious modifications. When you run the ISO LBA Fixer, it pads 11700 sectors in front of the iso. By doing this, the files will now begin at the proper location. However, the disc needs more to boot. The ISO Header Extracter copies the boot sector, pvd and svd into a new, otherwise blank iso file. The pvd and svd are still pointing to addresses based off a 11700 LBA.

Now, when the DC boots, it looks at the second session and finds the boot sector. When it reaches the pvd and svd, however, they are conveniently ointing towards the directory records that are in the first session, and all the files are sitting at the right sectors on the disc because they have pushed 11700 sectors ahead.

As it turns out, this is a tremendously useful method of burning that both solves most buffer under-run problems and works with the LBA protection found in the Sega of Europe games. The only catch is that you need 26 megs free on the disc.

also i found that it works best at 4x speed or slower First one i did was at 8x and it was a coaster. second one was fine at 4x speed ... see you guys later as i need to burn alot of shit takes a while to do this way but sure beats buying a new burner