Dvd Drive On The Way Out? Games.

[Jockstar]

I bought STALKER off Ebay and tried to install onto my PC. But get this message.

C:\Program Files\THQ\S.T.A.L.K.E.R....\gamedata.db0

An error occured while trying to copy a file:

The source file is corrupted

I then tried it on my mates PC and it installs no problem. So since there is nothing wrong with the disc. Could it be my DVD writer thats on it way out? I had another game i bought a while back doing a similar thing. But took the game back and got another game instead.

BTW running XP

AMD 3000+

Geforce FX5900 card

1g ram

Anything else? Cheers in advance.

[Guest Reimar]

I bought STALKER off Ebay and tried to install onto my PC. But get this message.

C:\Program Files\THQ\S.T.A.L.K.E.R....\gamedata.db0

An error occured while trying to copy a file:

The source file is corrupted

I then tried it on my mates PC and it installs no problem. So since there is nothing wrong with the disc. Could it be my DVD writer thats on it way out? I had another game i bought a while back doing a similar thing. But took the game back and got another game instead.

BTW running XP

AMD 3000+

Geforce FX5900 card

1g ram

Anything else? Cheers in advance.

It could be the DVD drive but it can be the memory as well.

If I'm you I would try to do one after one of the following steps:

1. start to install again until the error messages omme up

2. just open the DVD drive, turn and move the DVD a little and close the drive and carry on to try installing

3. is that didn't work, switch of the comp and remove 1 of the memory banks if you have 2 or more, install again

4. if that not works remove the ext one and take back the first one, install again

do same with all memory banks. If you lucky you can install the game, if you unlucky try tpo change to first the Datacable from the DVD drive and if that don't works, change the drive. But before you buy a new one, just borrow one to testing!

[Firefoxx]

Some drives just don't like the copy protection used in some discs. This happens with CD drives too. Only solution then would be to try a new firmware or use a different drive.

[Guest Reimar]

Some drives just don't like the copy protection used in some discs. This happens with CD drives too. Only solution then would be to try a new firmware or use a different drive.

You're right for old CD-Drives but the DVD drives didn't have that problem because all of them are able to read even "overburned" medias. Many of the copy protections located "outside" of the "normal" area and the information about the location of the protection is written in the TOC. The protection can have different styles, some are "damaged" Data, some Laser Holes (even on DVD's), some on outer area and so on.

There's software available for to produce ISO Images from even protected CD's/DVD's incl. the protection and you can mount them to run like in the CD/DVD Drive. With this software you can test the CD is damaged or not.

Many times it is a slightly "out of center" of the media which cause some problems. Once I bought a MS Server 2003 Data Center and the CD was out of center. The installation every time hangs on the same area. Measuring the diameters of the media and find the difference was 2/100 mm! Placing a small stripe of tape in the inner hole here the difference occurs and after 2 times starting the installation it was done!

But anyway there may a lot other possibilities which prevent the Game from installing. What I wrote is just a result from my own experiences of 20 years or working with CD's!

[Jockstar]

Just an update. My drive is about to quit. I bought a new one and no problems. It works fine. Cheers for the help anyway.