GD-ROM Dumping Guide

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This is a step-by-step guide designed to be easy to follow so that you can make reproducible, good dumps of your GD-ROMs to the Redump standard. We have been unsuccessful getting GD-R's to dump with the redump method, further testing may be required.
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'''GD-Rom''' (pressed) and '''GD-R''' (recordable) dumping guide.
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Note: Some GD-Roms will NOT dump with this method, and require a TOSEC-style SD Card dump for the HD area which then has to be "fixed" to meet redump spec. If the game is a single track in the HD area, then the TOSEC-style dump will be equal a redump dump for HD area, LD area still needs Plextor dumping. See [[GD-Rom SD Card Dumping Guide]].
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GD discs were used by the Sega Dreamcast, Sega NAOMI, Sega NAOMI 2, Sega Chihiro, and Triforce arcade systems.
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'''NOTE: A work in progress video dumping tutorial guide is available [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQB0cW1F4d0umPPY-vU1BHhjH1iyry2Yd here].'''
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The discs contain two distinct areas, a Low Density Area ("LD Area") and a High Density Area ("HD Area"), physically separated by a ring. You'll need to dump both areas of the disc, which requires different drives and different methods.
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==What are GDs?==
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Note: Some GD-ROMs may NOT dump with these methods, and require a TOSEC-style SD Card dump for the HD Area which then has to be "fixed" to meet redump spec. If the game is a single track in the HD Area, the TOSEC-style dump will be equal to a redump dump for HD Area, but the LD Area will still need dumping. See [[GD-ROM SD Card Dumping Guide]].
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GDs (Gigadiscs) are the type of [[wikipedia:Optical disc|optical media]] used by the [[wikipedia:Dreamcast|Sega Dreamcast]] as well as the [https://segaretro.org/Sega_NAOMI Sega NAOMI], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_NAOMI_2 Sega NAOMI 2], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Chihiro Sega Chihiro] and [https://segaretro.org/Triforce Triforce] arcade systems. The disc contains two distinct areas, a Low Density (LD) Area and a High Density (HD) Area, physically separated by a ring. To get a good dump, you need to extract both Areas from the disc.
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If you have any of the officially released discs for the Dreamcast or any of the above mentioned arcade systems, you are pretty much guaranteed to have a GD. The Dreamcast did however support loading of [[wikipedia:MIL-CD|MIL-CDs]], which lead to a number of unlicensed software being pressed on regular CD-Roms. Check for the GD-ROM logo on the disc or check the reflective side of the disc for a visible LD/HD Area divide if you are unsure.
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==LD Area (GD-ROM / GD-R)==
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===Tools===
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* An optical drive listed in [[Optical Disc Drive Compatibility: CD]]
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* A Windows, Linux, or macOS computer
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* [https://github.com/SabreTools/MPF/releases MPF application] (includes Redumper)
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==Tools==
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===Dumping===
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First you need to make sure you have the necessary equipment. To dump a GD you need:
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The LD Area is formatted like a standard CD-ROM, so should be dumped using the standard [[Disc Dumping Guide (MPF)]] with a CD-ROM compatible drive. The CD-ROM profile should be selected in MPF.
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* A Windows PC
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==HD Area: swapless method (GD-ROM)==
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* [[DiscImageCreator: Optical Disc Drive Compatibility#GD-Rom|Compatible drive(s)]]
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===Tools===
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* [https://github.com/reignstumble/DICUI/releases/latest DICUI app]
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* An optical drive listed in [[Optical Disc Drive Compatibility: GD-ROM]]
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* Download [https://archive.org/download/VGPCGDRomDumpingKit_201811/VGPC%20GD-Rom%20Dumping%20Kit.7z VGPC GD-Rom Dumping Kit] (audio trap disc image, dcdumper, ice, startstop)
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* A Windows computer
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* A CD-R to create an Audio Trap Disc.
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* [https://archive.org/download/dcdumper-swapless-ice/DCDumper_ice.zip DCDumper & ice apps]
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==Burning an Audio Trap Disc==
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===Dumping===
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You'll need an Audio Trap Disc for the HD Area dumping process as it tricks your drive into reading into that part of the disc.
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* In command line, '''cd''' (change directory) to the "DCDumper_ice" folder.
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* Run '''dcdumper [DriveLetter] -c446261 -df -ft -t0 -p20'''.
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* It will take several "PASS"es to get all matches - this is fine. Sometimes there is no progress for 30mins, but if you need to stop and restart the dumping process, it will continue where it left off. Just make sure you don't delete progress if you have to stop it.
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* When the HD Area dump completes, you need to convert it to its final form. Run '''ice.exe dense.bin 44990 > gamename.txt'''. This will produce a bunch of files starting with "Track 03" and going as high as however many tracks were on the HD section of the disc (as little as 1, as many as 98).
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The Audio Trap Disc image is included with the VGPC GD-Rom Dumping Kit. Because the image intentionally has errors, many programs won’t burn it properly. We’ve found that CloneCD can reliably burn it properly:
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If dcdumper fails to run with an error complaining about MSVCP100.DLL being missing, install the [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26999 Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)] to fix this.
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* Open Clone CD and click on “Write from ImageFile”.
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* Click on “Browse” and navigate to where you extracted the VGPC GD-Rom Dumping Kit, and select “TOC122A.CCD”.
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* Then, select the drive with the blank CD-R(W) inside. Click on the “Protected PC Game” profile. The write speed doesn’t matter much since this is such a small image. Still, you should probably avoid setting it too fast or too slow. Somewhere between 4x and 24x should be good, so set it to 8x if you don’t want to overthink.
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==Dumping the LD Area==
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==HD Area: swap disc method==
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The LD Area should be dumped with DICUI using this guide: [[Disc Dumping Guide (DICUI)]].
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===Tools===
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* An optical drive listed in [[Optical Disc Drive Compatibility: GD-ROM]]
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* A Windows computer
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* [https://archive.org/download/dcdumper-ice-startstop/DCDumper_ice_startstop.zip DCDumper, ice, startstop applications]
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* [[Audio Trap Disc]]
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The LD Area is a standard CD-Rom, so it will be the only data to appear when mounted in a computer.
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===Dumping===
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Dumping the HD Area can take over an hour sometimes, during which your drive may make scary noises. Stopping your drive to allow it to cool down before continuing the dump later can help with ease of dumping.
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To dump the HD Area of the GD-ROM, a Swap Disc technique can be used.
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There are two ways to do the Swap Disc technique:
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* '''Prepare a Drive for Top Removal''' [https://youtu.be/RfCc7nsTUoo as seen in this video tutorial]. Afterwards, set the top back onto the drive with screws removed, which allows for easy top removal. Make sure your drive lid is replaced perfectly, as putting your drive lid on unevenly can lead to the dump failing partially into the dumping process.
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* '''Pin Eject''': Push the tray back into the drive quickly so the spindle will catch.
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==Dumping the HD Area==
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====Method 1: DCDumper (preferred for GD-ROM dumping)====
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To dump the HD Area of the GD-Rom, the swap disc method is used. To do this you will have to remove the four bottom screws of your drive and faceplate. Afterwards, set the top back onto the drive. It will be removed after the startstop step. Note: Refer to video guide at the top of this page if you're confused.
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A video tutorial for this dumping method can be seen [https://youtu.be/N3wPQOqHJr8 here].
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* Insert the audio Trap Disc to an HD Area [[DiscImageCreator:_Optical_Disc_Drive_Compatibility#GD-Rom|compatible drive]].
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This method is the more reliable method for dumping GD-ROMs because:
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* In command line, CD (change directory) to the "VGPC GD-Rom Dumping Kit" folder.
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* The recommended TSST drives read GD-ROMs best. They do not support /c2 error correction, but...
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* Run '''startstop [driveletter] 1'''
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* DCDumper dumps disc segments multiple times and compares hashes for QC, and does not rely on /c2 error correction.
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* Remove the top off the drive
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* Insert the gdrom and put the drive top back on.
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* Run '''dcdumper [drive letter] -c446261 -df -ft -t0 -p20'''
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* It will take several "PASS"es to get all matches, this is fine.
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If dcdumper fails to run with an error complaining about MSVCP100.DLL being missing, install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) to fix this issue.
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Dumping:
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* Insert the audio trap disc into the drive.
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* In command line, '''cd''' (change directory) to the "DCDumper_ice_startstop" folder.
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* Run '''startstop [DriveLetter] 1'''.
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* Remove the top off the drive.
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* Insert the GD-ROM and put the drive top back on.
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* Run '''dcdumper [DriveLetter] -c446261 -df -ft -t0 -p20'''.
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* It will take several "PASS"es to get all matches - this is fine. Sometimes there is no progress for 30mins, but if you need to stop and restart the dumping process, it will continue where it left off. Just make sure you don't delete progress if you have to stop it.
 +
* When the HD Area dump completes, you need to convert it to its final form. Run '''ice.exe dense.bin 44990 > gamename.txt'''. This will produce a bunch of files starting with "Track 03" and going as high as however many tracks were on the HD section of the disc (as little as 1, as many as 98).
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==Converting HD Area dump Sections to Tracks==
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If dcdumper fails to run with an error complaining about MSVCP100.DLL being missing, install the [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26999 Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)] to fix this.
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Run '''ice.exe dense.bin 44990 > gamename.txt''' This will produce a bunch of files starting with “Track 03” and going as high as however many “tracks” were on the HD section of the disc (sometimes there will only be one, sometimes it will go up to Track 98).
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====Method 2: DiscImageCreator (preferred for GD-R dumping)====
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This method is more reliable for GD-Rs because:
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* GD-Rs do not read on the TSST drives that work so well with GD-ROMs.
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* c2 error re-reading is very useful. Since DiscImageCreator can use /c2 error correction, dumping with a compatible Plextor model is preferred.
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Dumping:
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* Insert the audio trap disc into the drive.
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* In command line, '''cd''' (change directory) to the folder containing "DiscImageCreator.exe".
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* Run '''DiscImageCreator.exe stop [DriveLetter]'''.
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* Remove the top off the drive.
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* Insert the GD disc and run: '''DiscImageCreator.exe close [DriveLetter]'''.
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* Then run the dumping command: '''DiscImageCreator.exe gd [DriveLetter] foo.bin [DriveSpeed(0-72)] /c2''' (Note #1: " /c2" is only for use with compatible Plextors. Note #2: Adding the command "/be pack" may[http://forum.redump.org/post/105799/#p105799] be helpful when dumping GD-Rs.)
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* Dump multiple times until you get an error-free dump (check the Command Prompt output after DiscImageCreator finishes dumping).
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Note for GD-R dumping:
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* 1x, 4x, 8x read speeds can be helpful or even necessary when dumping GD-Rs. Try starting with 8x, and if that speed doesn't work, try another.
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* If you have issues where the drive locks up partway through, disabling cache flushes helps: '''DiscImageCreator.exe gd [DriveLetter] foo.bin 8 /c2 /f 600000'''.
==Submitting your dump info==
==Submitting your dump info==
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Here are example submissions: [http://forum.redump.org/topic/45492/addeddc-nfl-2k1-usa/] [http://forum.redump.org/post/105798/#p105798]
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'''Note:''' [https://github.com/SabreTools/MPF/ MPF.Check] (UI or CLI) supports DCDumper logs. This greatly speeds up gathering submission info.
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We'll presume you've used Disc Image Creator for your dump in both LD and HD Areas.
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Open your "!submissionInfo.txt" files from both your LD and HD Area dumps. Copy in the additional track information from your HD Area !submissionInfo.txt file into your LD Area !submissionInfo.txt file in three sections:
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* "DAT"
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* "Cuesheet". When combining Cuesheet data for LD and HD Areas, paste "REM SINGLE-DENSITY AREA" at the top of the cuesheet, and "REM HIGH-DENSITY AREA" in a new line after the LD Area cuesheet into, then finally the HD Area cuesheet text.
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* "Write Offset". For determining write offset for HD Area of a DCDumper + ice.exe dump, open the .txt file output by Ice:
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** Combined offset = Disc offset + Drive offset.
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** Kreon drives used for DC dumping have a +6 offset.
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** Calculation for Disc Offset: [Example Combined Offset of +30] - [(Any Kreon Model) Drive Offset of +6] = [Disc Offset of +24].
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** Offsets for GD-ROMs are formatted in entries as follows: [LD Area disc offset]|[HD Area disc offset].
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Fill in Ring Code data and any relevant Comments. Post on the Redump "New Dumps" subforum.
[[Category:Dumping Guides]]
[[Category:Dumping Guides]]

Latest revision as of 21:45, 30 June 2025

GD-Rom (pressed) and GD-R (recordable) dumping guide.

GD discs were used by the Sega Dreamcast, Sega NAOMI, Sega NAOMI 2, Sega Chihiro, and Triforce arcade systems.

The discs contain two distinct areas, a Low Density Area ("LD Area") and a High Density Area ("HD Area"), physically separated by a ring. You'll need to dump both areas of the disc, which requires different drives and different methods.

Note: Some GD-ROMs may NOT dump with these methods, and require a TOSEC-style SD Card dump for the HD Area which then has to be "fixed" to meet redump spec. If the game is a single track in the HD Area, the TOSEC-style dump will be equal to a redump dump for HD Area, but the LD Area will still need dumping. See GD-ROM SD Card Dumping Guide.

Contents

LD Area (GD-ROM / GD-R)

Tools

Dumping

The LD Area is formatted like a standard CD-ROM, so should be dumped using the standard Disc Dumping Guide (MPF) with a CD-ROM compatible drive. The CD-ROM profile should be selected in MPF.

HD Area: swapless method (GD-ROM)

Tools

Dumping

  • In command line, cd (change directory) to the "DCDumper_ice" folder.
  • Run dcdumper [DriveLetter] -c446261 -df -ft -t0 -p20.
  • It will take several "PASS"es to get all matches - this is fine. Sometimes there is no progress for 30mins, but if you need to stop and restart the dumping process, it will continue where it left off. Just make sure you don't delete progress if you have to stop it.
  • When the HD Area dump completes, you need to convert it to its final form. Run ice.exe dense.bin 44990 > gamename.txt. This will produce a bunch of files starting with "Track 03" and going as high as however many tracks were on the HD section of the disc (as little as 1, as many as 98).

If dcdumper fails to run with an error complaining about MSVCP100.DLL being missing, install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) to fix this.

HD Area: swap disc method

Tools

Dumping

Dumping the HD Area can take over an hour sometimes, during which your drive may make scary noises. Stopping your drive to allow it to cool down before continuing the dump later can help with ease of dumping. To dump the HD Area of the GD-ROM, a Swap Disc technique can be used. There are two ways to do the Swap Disc technique:

  • Prepare a Drive for Top Removal as seen in this video tutorial. Afterwards, set the top back onto the drive with screws removed, which allows for easy top removal. Make sure your drive lid is replaced perfectly, as putting your drive lid on unevenly can lead to the dump failing partially into the dumping process.
  • Pin Eject: Push the tray back into the drive quickly so the spindle will catch.

Method 1: DCDumper (preferred for GD-ROM dumping)

A video tutorial for this dumping method can be seen here.

This method is the more reliable method for dumping GD-ROMs because:

  • The recommended TSST drives read GD-ROMs best. They do not support /c2 error correction, but...
  • DCDumper dumps disc segments multiple times and compares hashes for QC, and does not rely on /c2 error correction.

Dumping:

  • Insert the audio trap disc into the drive.
  • In command line, cd (change directory) to the "DCDumper_ice_startstop" folder.
  • Run startstop [DriveLetter] 1.
  • Remove the top off the drive.
  • Insert the GD-ROM and put the drive top back on.
  • Run dcdumper [DriveLetter] -c446261 -df -ft -t0 -p20.
  • It will take several "PASS"es to get all matches - this is fine. Sometimes there is no progress for 30mins, but if you need to stop and restart the dumping process, it will continue where it left off. Just make sure you don't delete progress if you have to stop it.
  • When the HD Area dump completes, you need to convert it to its final form. Run ice.exe dense.bin 44990 > gamename.txt. This will produce a bunch of files starting with "Track 03" and going as high as however many tracks were on the HD section of the disc (as little as 1, as many as 98).

If dcdumper fails to run with an error complaining about MSVCP100.DLL being missing, install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) to fix this.

Method 2: DiscImageCreator (preferred for GD-R dumping)

This method is more reliable for GD-Rs because:

  • GD-Rs do not read on the TSST drives that work so well with GD-ROMs.
  • c2 error re-reading is very useful. Since DiscImageCreator can use /c2 error correction, dumping with a compatible Plextor model is preferred.

Dumping:

  • Insert the audio trap disc into the drive.
  • In command line, cd (change directory) to the folder containing "DiscImageCreator.exe".
  • Run DiscImageCreator.exe stop [DriveLetter].
  • Remove the top off the drive.
  • Insert the GD disc and run: DiscImageCreator.exe close [DriveLetter].
  • Then run the dumping command: DiscImageCreator.exe gd [DriveLetter] foo.bin [DriveSpeed(0-72)] /c2 (Note #1: " /c2" is only for use with compatible Plextors. Note #2: Adding the command "/be pack" may[1] be helpful when dumping GD-Rs.)
  • Dump multiple times until you get an error-free dump (check the Command Prompt output after DiscImageCreator finishes dumping).

Note for GD-R dumping:

  • 1x, 4x, 8x read speeds can be helpful or even necessary when dumping GD-Rs. Try starting with 8x, and if that speed doesn't work, try another.
  • If you have issues where the drive locks up partway through, disabling cache flushes helps: DiscImageCreator.exe gd [DriveLetter] foo.bin 8 /c2 /f 600000.

Submitting your dump info

Here are example submissions: [2] [3]

Note: MPF.Check (UI or CLI) supports DCDumper logs. This greatly speeds up gathering submission info.

We'll presume you've used Disc Image Creator for your dump in both LD and HD Areas.

Open your "!submissionInfo.txt" files from both your LD and HD Area dumps. Copy in the additional track information from your HD Area !submissionInfo.txt file into your LD Area !submissionInfo.txt file in three sections:

  • "DAT"
  • "Cuesheet". When combining Cuesheet data for LD and HD Areas, paste "REM SINGLE-DENSITY AREA" at the top of the cuesheet, and "REM HIGH-DENSITY AREA" in a new line after the LD Area cuesheet into, then finally the HD Area cuesheet text.
  • "Write Offset". For determining write offset for HD Area of a DCDumper + ice.exe dump, open the .txt file output by Ice:
    • Combined offset = Disc offset + Drive offset.
    • Kreon drives used for DC dumping have a +6 offset.
    • Calculation for Disc Offset: [Example Combined Offset of +30] - [(Any Kreon Model) Drive Offset of +6] = [Disc Offset of +24].
    • Offsets for GD-ROMs are formatted in entries as follows: [LD Area disc offset]|[HD Area disc offset].

Fill in Ring Code data and any relevant Comments. Post on the Redump "New Dumps" subforum.

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