New Dreamcast (12/00 Manuf) Utopia Disc

[Zogg]

I snagged up one of those new Dreamcasts (Manufactered December of 2000, Doh!) and I've been reading message boards and burning discs ever since to no avail. I'm trying to get a Utopia boot cd working, and I haven't had any luck with any of the following methods:
-The poorly written one in the FAQ on dccopyworld. (It also has a link to a "patched" cdi, but the link is dead.)
-CptTarpals method, ####://www.fileforums.com/UB/Public/HTML/B3/14989-1.topic.shtml
-Wayne's addition to Tarpals method, ####://www.fileforums.com/UB/Public/HTML/B3/15247-1.topic.shtml
Basically, I've extracted the files from the cdi, copied the ip.bin isofix generated into the data directory, used "mkisofs -C 0,0 -V UTOPIA -l -o data.iso data" then ran "bin2boot data.iso" and burned the cdi to disc. (No go.)

I've also tried:
-Adding the /nohack flag to bin2boot;
-Using binhack on the ip.bin and utopia1.txt files;
-Leaving out ip.bin and letting bin2boot make its own;
-Leaving out ip.bin and using ipins to manually insert it into the iso then running bin2boot (it made its own ip.bin anyway);
-Leaving in ip.bin, manually inserting it with ipins just for fun. (I have a feeling this was redundant and a waste of a good CDR)
-A straight burn of the original utopia image in DiscJuggler, Nero, and CloneCD formats. (The CloneCD disc spins a really long time before failing, but still fails none the less.)

None of the methods I've tried have worked, everything ends up at the CD Player screen pointing at track 2 of the disc. I'm hoping I didn't miss any obvious threads when I was sifting through the search stuff, but does anyone have any ideas on getting this thing to boot?

Thanks
Zogg

(Info about what I'm using: Ricoh 7080a burner, DJ3.5 - Left all settings to be default, Nero5.5, CloneCD3)

[Wayne]

Where did you download BIN2BOOT? Maybe it's an earlier version. If you didn't get your copy of BIN2BOOT from the following link, download it now: ####://dcxeal.virtualave.net/b2b-cdda-b1.zip

[Zogg]

That's the copy I'm using. (I grabbed it from one of your previous posts.)

[Wayne]

Try looking at one of the discs you have burned, using your CDROM drive. If you can't see files on the disc, it's a bad burn. Many times bad burns are caused by incompatible drives, although I don't know if yours is compatible or not.

If the disc looks blank from Windows, and it shows up as 648MB of free space, it's definately a bad burn.

[Zogg]

After much grunting and groaning, I have come to some conclusions.
1. My Dec2000 dreamcast will not run backups of any kind, including bin2boot. (The bin2boot, data/data cds that I create work great on an older dreamcast (Sept99), but horribly on a new one.)
2. As such, I took my DC to my local ToysRUs and swapped it out with a June2000 model. (I told them exactly what I wanted to do: Run linux. They were very friendly and even took the time to check all the display models to see if they would work. In the end, I just swapped it out with a boxed June2000 one.)
3. The June2000 runs great.

Here's my theory:
1. Everyone I saw in past threads with a "new" dreamcast that worked with the b2b method had an October or November 2000 model. My theory is that those aren't actually protected dreamcasts, and the true problem lies in their burners. (Maybe the 300 sector problem I read so much about?)

I was thinking we could try and settle the magic month thing here and now, instead of having to mess with constant questioning and assumptions regarding the protected dreamcasts. So....

Anyone have a December2000 model that runs backups? (Since this is a confirmed protected month for at least 1 DC, and the others seem to be "up in the air" depending on which site you check.) If you have an earlier dreamcast (Nov/Oct) that runs the b2b method but not a known good (ie, you've seen that cd boot in another DC) disc, mention that as well.

It would be nice to try and figure this out now, as with the price decrease that just happened I can see questions like mine popping up more and more, and it would nice to have a definate answer.

[hysterik]

Count me in as one of the unlucky few with a December 2000 unit. I have 3 dreamcasts, 2 are June 2000, the other is December 2000, and it came in the sports bundle pack from kbtoys.com (which I plan on returning, everything's pretty much unopened). I tried a backup that works perfectly on the other units, but not on the December 2000. I have verified that this back up first has the data track, and secondly the audio. On a more positive note, I have heard someplace that these newer dreamcasts have 2 red wires that are not present on the older dreamcast. It has been suggested that disconnecting these wires could get these dreamcasts reading CDR media again.

But until someone verifies that this trick will work, stay far, far away from any December 2000 dreamcast or newer. I hope to return the one I have, then pick up an older model.

To digress, I just noticed the expansion slot where the modem connector is on the DC, I assume this is where one might put the BBA if they had one. Is there anything else that can go there? Anyone hacked it for something else?