Just checking on a question I probably already know the answer to.
I’m trying to copy a file from a CD, and I’m getting a “Cyclic Redundancy Check” error.
It’s a file used as data for a program. In other words, it’s not a picture or movie or song or anything like that.
I’m guessing that the file can not be recovered in a usable form. Do you think that’s correct?
-Kris
Have you tried accessing the file with a DVD drive? I’ve had very good luck with them getting data off of discs that my CD drive will no longer read–something about a more sensitive laser, I believe. It reads my old music discs anyway, which look like someone has been using them to sand lumber. There are programs (I don’t know what they are) which will recover whatever is left of the file(s) that fail the CRC check and save it in a new file. If the data is in a human readable format (tab-delimited tables, for instance) that may be of some help.
And now that I think about it, I believe chkdsk is just such a program. Run it from the command line with the /F switch and see what it does–I’m not sure if it will give you the option to save with read-only media, or if it will even work for what you’re trying to do. Good luck!
I had already tried using my DVD drive–I’ve had that work for me in the past too, but not this time. 
The data’s not in human-readable format, so no luck there either.
Thanks for the suggestions anyway! 
It’s disk 2 of Titan Quest that I’m talking about here, so I might be able to get THQ to send me another copy. Infogrames sent me another copy of one of the Civilization disks once, when I lost the disk. They charged me something like seven bucks for it, though…
-FrL-
I’ve done a little experimenting, and it appears that chkdsk just plain won’t work with CD-ROM discs. Oh well. Try the DVD thing though, it usually works for me. What kind of data is this, exactly? What program uses it? If you only get part of this file, are we talking about editable text, like a Word document, or binary gibberish, like a .DLL?
Oh dang, didn’t preview. Yeah, I don’t know any way around that. Hopefully someone more knowledgable can help you.
I’m not up on the latest copy protection schemes, but I do know that software will sometimes use intentionally damaged files to prevent easy copying of their software. You might be running up against the copy protection on the disk.
I don’t quite understand what you mean here. Whatever is going on is making it impossible to install the game. That can’t have been intentional. But did I misunderstand what you were trying to say?
-FrL-
Okay, I figured out what you meant. You were responding to the OP (of course) where I talk about trying to copy data from a CD.
In fact, the reason I was trying to do that was because when I tried to install the software on the disk onto my computer, the install process stalled out. I tried copying the files manually as a test to see if the problem was with the disk or the data or what…
Sorry I failed to explain it completely in the OP.
-FrL-
I got the same kind of error a long time ago trying to install Fallout, or Fallout 2. I took it back to the store, they replaced the CDs, and they worked fine. I’m guessing your CD is hosed.
Have you tried cleaning the CD? Have you tried inspecting the CD? If it’s damaged, you may be able to get a replacement from the publisher.
The CD has a light scratch on it, but I would have been suprised to discover this was the problem since my CD reader does fine with CDs in much worse condition.
Still, I had just about decided the problem was the scratch, and was planning on getting a replacement from the publisher.
But then I did a search of some tech support type forums about Titan Quest, and discovered that a whole lot of people are recieving the very same error I am, at the very same spot in the installation process, and are unable to copy the file to HD just as I am unable to do so. So it looks like the scratch isn’t the problem: it’s bad data!
This should mean I would get a replacement from THQ, except the same search has turned up the bad news that, apparently, THQ is not responding to emails about the subject, and is not providing customer service by phone on this product! I suspect they have realized they have a big problem on their hands and are trying to make it go away by ignoring it.
So, for the moment, I’m kind of stuck. I can’t return to the seller for an exchange because it was bought through Ebay from a company in Canada. Well, they did email me claiming I could get an exchange, but only for exactly the same item, (which I don’t want–I want the DVD version now since it does not have the error in question) and only with a buttload of restrictions as to my manner of mailing them the returned product. I don’t really trust their intentions to be honest. Anyway, they say I would have to pay for shipping again, both ways That is utter crap, of course, but what can I do?
So… as I said… I’m stuck.
A lot of people have taken to simply downloading the game illegally, or downloading the offending file data3.cab, and using their legitimate CD keys to install the game. But I don’t know whether I should have qualms about that or not, and as long as I don’t know whether I should have qualms about something, I count myself as having at least light qualms about it.
But as you can see, if people are being driven to do that by this problem, it’s a pretty serious problem.
Hey, at least I only paid 20 bucks including shipping for a 50 dollar game! It was a risk, but it almost paid off, and apparently, I think, the non-paying-off wasn’t due to deliberate rip-off-i-ness from the merchant I bought from.
-FrL-
I, for one, would not have any qualms whatsoever about downloading part of a game I paid for, especially if it were made necessary by a defective disc (which this clearly is) and the manufacturer were unwilling to replace it.
This could be caused by an accidental screwup in the manufacturing process, or a flawed copy protection scheme (for example, maybe there’s an intentional defect on the disc, and the installer is supposed to be able to work around it, but that isn’t happening on your computer). If THQ is refusing to comment on it, I suspect it’s the latter, and either they don’t want to embarrass their copy protection vendor or they’re not allowed to discuss any details of the scheme.