How to Make Self-boot Gxxe into a Non-boot Gxxe (use with the Utopia Boot Disc)
by Dirtygirl, based on a guide by xeal
This guide is for anyone who is having major problems creating Selfboot gxxes from CDI images (and have tried absolutely everything)
Unfortunatly, there are some CDR drives that just refuse to burn the Self boot gxxes (no matter what you try).....
Namely my Mitsumi CR-4801TE
Here is a very quick run down of the "methods" used to create a selfboot gxxe....
1) Obviously the normal Discjuggler2 method
2) Convert the CDI file to Discjuggler3
3) Convert the CDI to an ISO and burn using CDRWIN
4) All of the above, but changing the data session LBA (up or down 2 sectors)
If you own a Mitsumi 4801, I can save you many hours of messing around (and two dozen coasters) by telling you that NONE of the above methods work.
I suspect that there are also other drives out there, that will not burn CDI selfboots. The only option left is to convert the files to the old NONE self boot method (i.e. using the Utopia boot disk)
So here is.......
THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE GUIDE TO CONVERTING SELFBOOTS TO NONE SELFBOOT
(this will work on any drive - including the 4801)
Before I start, I would firstly like to make it clear that this guide is a re-write of a guide created by XEAL. All I have done, is made it easy peasy to understand, so complete dip shits like me can even understand it. Full credit must go to Xeal for this process (what a guy!)
This method has been fully tested on Silent Scope.
However, This method does not cover (yet) gxxes that have multiple Audio tracks (cdda) - see note at the bottom
Follow the instuctions step, by step - it really quite easy...
(but read ALL of the step, before executing it)
Ok, before you start, you will need to download FOUR utilities....
1) "CDIrip"
2) "ISOfix"
3) "ISOBUSTER "
4) "Hex Workshop 3.11 "
Once you have downloaded, these four utilites - obviously unzip and/or install them, so they are ready to use.
Ok, here we go..
Step1) This is obvious, but you must have a complete CDI game file ready and waiting.
Step2) USE the CDIRIP utility to extract the ISO file.
The best way to do this is..
Copy the CDIRIP utility to the same directory as your CDI Game file
Then enter into a dos window
Change the dos directory to the same one as the CDI file (using "CD" command)
Then type "CDIRIP.EXE filename.CDI" (change the filename bit to the actual name of your CDI file)
WARNING - THIS WILL PRODUCE FILES THAT ARE ALMOST THE SAME SIZE AS THE CDI FILE - SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE DISK SPACE.
IMPORTANT - As the sessions are extracted, it will show the "LBA" number - YOU NEED to write down the LBA value for the second session (which is the data session) (usually 11700 or 11702)
This process can take 5 mins to do, so time to light-up maybe ????
Once the utility has completed....
IF THE GAME HAS PRODUCED MULTIPLE "WAV" FILES (i.e. more than one wav file) - YOU MAY HAVE PROBLEMS LATER ON SEE NOTE ABOUT AT BOTTOM ABOUT MULTIPLE "WAV" FILES (CDDA)
However, if only one "WAV" file was produced, please continue..
You can delete the CDI file to save disk space, you shouldn't need it again (but ONLY do this if you can create it again if things go wrong, i.e you still have the rar files to re-create it if neccessary??)
You should now have and "ISO" file (called "Tdata02.iso")
The "CUE" file can be deleted - you don't need it.
The "WAV" or "RAW" file can be deleted - you don't need this.
Step3) Use the ISOFIX utility to re-organise the ISO
The best way to do this is...
Copy the ISOFIX utility to the same directory as your ISO file
Then enter a dos window
Change the dos directory to the same one as the ISO file (using "CD" command)
Then type "ISOFIX.EXE TDATA02.ISO"
When the utility starts, it will ask you to enter the LBA (which you wrote down earlier) - usually 11700 or 11702
WARNING - THIS WILL PRODUCE ANOTHER FILE THAT IS THE SAME SIZE AS THE ISO FILE - SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE DISK SPACE.
This process can take 5 mins to do, so time to light-up again maybe ????
Once Completed...
You should have a file called "tmp.iso"
You should also have a file called "bootfile.bin"(you may need this later)
You can now delete the Tdata02.iso, to save disk space if needed.
DO NOT delete the "bin" file
Step4) You need to create a new folder in windows explorer
(best to do this in the same directory as the iso file)
Step5) Use the ISOBUSTER utility to extract the raw files from the ISO to your new folder
To do this...
Start ISOBUSTER (double click on isobuster.exe icon)
A window will appear
On the drop down menu in the top left (proberbly shows you CD drive at present) - select "[0,0] <file>"
Then click on the little folder icon to the right of the work "refresh"
A "open image file" window will now appear
IMPORTANT - at the bottom of the window, on the drop down menu "files of type", you must select "Creator Image(*.iso)"
Then on the top drop down menu called "look in", choose the directory where you have tmp.iso stored.
You should be able to highlight tmp.iso, and then click open.
It will now take you back to the main menu, but it should now show all the files contained in that iso (on the right of the creen)
On the far left, you should see a little "ISO" red box with the name of the ISO to the right of this (in my example - "Silent_scope_ECH")
RIGHT click on this name and choose "extract directory" from the popup menu
Choose the destination folder (the one you created in step 4) and click "ok"
The files will now be extracted to your new directory.
Guess what? This process can take 5 mins to do, so time to light-up again maybe ????
WARNING - THIS WILL PRODUCE A FEW FILES THAT EQUAL THE SAME SIZE AS THE ISO FILE - SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE DISK SPACE.
Once completed....
You can delete the "TMP.ISO" file to save disk space
STEP5.5) Go into your New folder
Does it have a file called "0winceos.bin"?
If it does, then this game is a WINCE Game Which unfortunatly means that it will not work with this method (sorry you cannot continue)
STEP6) Go into your New folder
Does it have a file called "Ip.bin"?
If not, you need to copy the "bootfile.bin" (created by ISOFIX) into the new folder and then rename the file so it is called "Ip.bin"
(obviously, if you have got an IP.bin already then just delete the bootfile one)
STEP7) Final Stage, a bit of hex editing (not as hard as it sounds)
Start Hexworkshop (icon should be in your "programs" menu)
Top left corner - click on "file" and then "open"
Change the "look in" drop down menu to your new menu (where all the extracted files are from step 5)
Highlight file "1ST_READ.BIN" and click "open".
Then top left corner again - click on "edit" and then "find.." (3/4 down the menu)
A new menu will then be shown
On the dropdown menu "type", choose "Text String"
In the "value" box, type in "cd001" (without the quotes)
Click "OK"
A new window will appear with Hex code on the left and text on the right.
You should find that "cd001" is highlighted on the right.
Ok - you now need that LBA number from earlier (usually 11700 or 11702)
And you need to do a hex conversion (oh dear)
There is a quick way and a long way...
Quick way, If your LBA is 11700 you now need to remember 5A2E
If your LBA is 11702 you now need to remember 5C2E
Long way, If your LBA is anything else, check the bottom of this guide to do you own conversion!
Ok what you have to do now, is look on the Hex code (left) side of the screen for your new 4 digit code.
On Silient Scope it is found on the line above the "CD001", so you need to scroll down one line to see it (second group of 4 digits in from the right). Silent scope is a 11700 LBA, so we are looking for 5A2E.
Once found, click on the 4 digit code and overtype it and change it to "A600" (without quotes)
Finally, click on "file" (top left corner) and choose "save"
It will now ask you if you want to make a backup - choose "no"
*** NOTE - YOU ONLY NEED TO CHANGE THE HEX CODE IF IT IS NEAR "CD001" - IGNORE ANY OTHER OCCURANCES OF THE HEX CODE IN THE SAME FILE.
WARNING....
SOMETIMES, when you save the file, it looks as if the file has saved ok, but actually it hasn't!!!
(the file is still the same as it was before you edited it???).
I do not know why this happens (but it has been noted particually in DOA2LE).
SO, AFTER SAVING A FILE ALWAYS CHECK THAT THE FILE HAS BEEN CHANGED.
**************************************************************** ****
To be completely sure....
Close the hex editor
Restart it
Re-load the file you changed
Do the search again for "CD001"
make sure the code you changed stil reads "A600"
If you are having problems saving the file...
Save it to a different directory
Then delete the orginal file from the game directory and copy the new one into your game directory.
Next you are supposed to open all the "bin" files in the directory (one by one) and do the same search for "cd001" and change the 4 digit code where ever needed. However, in the case of silent scope, all the other bin files do not have a "cd001" in them - so no worries there!
Note, if this step is not done (or is done wrong), the game will load up until about 96% and then it will reset back to the main dreamcast menu.
Step8) You are now ready to burn!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I use "nero" (but you can use many burners)
Just make sure you burn....
all the files in your new directory (don't burn the actual directory)
single session
mode 1
iso9660 level 2
and close disc
You should now have a game that works with the Utopia boot disk!!!!!!! (yeah!!!!)
It even works with my 4801!
LBA TO HEX CONVERSION (maybe needed in step 7)
If your LBA is not 11700 or 11702, you need to do the following conversion for step 7
Start the calculator in windows
click on "view" and click on "scientific"
enter your lba into the calculator, eg 11698
click on the "hex" (far left - topish) this converts it to hex e.g."2DB2"
press the "+" button
enter "A6"
press the "="
it will give you the result e.g. "2E58"
finally, swap the first two digits with the last two
e.g. "2E58" becomes "582E"
Thats it 582E is code you have to look for!
I love newbies, so let me know if you have any problems, (or if you do't understand any of this guide)
However, please post names of games that work with this method
(with their LBA/Hex code values)
Games that have worked with this method
