CloneCD

Description

CloneCD is a Windows application for making exact, sector-by-sector copies of CDs and DVDs. Where standard disc copying software copies only the data a disc contains, CloneCD copies the disc at a lower level — reading and writing the raw sector data, subcode information, and deliberate errors that copy protection systems use to verify a disc is original. This method allows CloneCD to create backup copies that will act the same as the original disc when played or run.

The software is no longer being actively developed and has not been available for purchase since June 2024. Copies in circulation still work on modern versions of Windows, and CloneCD still has a place in the digital preservation and archiving community for its ability to create accurate images of copy-protected discs from the 1990s and 2000s.

HISTORY

Oliver Kastl of Swiss company Elaborate Bytes originally wrote CloneCD and released it in 1999. In September 2003, Elaborate Bytes ceased distribution of the software when changes in German copyright law made the program’s core functionality illegal to sell in Germany and the wider European Union. The last version of Elaborate Bytes was 4.2.0.2.

Elaborate Bytes sold the rights to SlySoft, a company based in Antigua and Barbuda, where legislation did not prohibit software that circumvents copy protection. SlySoft continued development and released version 4.3 in 2005, and version 5.0, which added DVD support. SlySoft continued development until February 24, 2016, when the company shut down citing regulatory pressure, following legal action including a 2014 court ruling in Antigua that found SlySoft liable for copyright infringement.

RedFox, a company registered in Belize and Latvia, took over the software shortly after SlySoft’s closure. RedFox released one additional update, version 5.3.4.0, in August 2016. No updates have been released since then, and the product was pulled from sale in June 2024.

HOW IT WORKS

Most CD and DVD copying programs read only the main data channel of a disc — the content accessible to the user — and write it back to a blank disc. CloneCD reads at a deeper level using RAW mode, which reads 2352 bytes of raw sector data per sector instead of only the 2048 bytes of usable data that normal reading reveals. This raw data contains error correction codes and sector headers that can be checked by copy protection schemes when a disc is inserted into a drive.

CloneCD also reads subcode data, which is on the outer layers of each sector (an additional 96 bytes per sector in full RAW+96 reading). Subcode data carries disc position information and in the case of some copy protection systems such as SecuROM, carries a digital identification code against which the protection checks. Standard copying tools ignore or discard subcode data; CloneCD captures and replicates it.

For protections such as SafeDisc, which operate by putting intentionally unreadable sectors on the disc and checking to see if a drive reports these sectors as bad, CloneCD creates the bad sectors on the copied disc by burning data with deliberately corrupted error correction codes. A drive reading the copy then fails on those sectors in the same way it would fail on the original, satisfying the protection check.

The success of a CloneCD copy is very dependent on whether the user’s CD reader and CD writer support the necessary read and write modes. Not all drives support full RAW+96 subcode reading or writing intentionally bad sectors. Users with incompatible hardware may find that some protections cannot be duplicated no matter what software settings are used.

IMAGE FILE FORMAT (CCD/IMG/SUB)

When CloneCD reads a disc to an image file instead of copying directly to a blank disc, it creates a set of three files that together represent the complete disc:

The .img file contains the raw sector data — the main content of the disc in unprocessed form, including all 2352 bytes per sector. The .ccd file (CloneCD Control File) is a simple text descriptor that contains the table of contents, track layout, session structure and subcode configuration of the disc. It works in much the same way as a cue sheet in other disc image formats. The .sub file contains the subchannel data that was captured from the disc separately from the main sector data.

This three-file format retains information that standard ISO images discard. ISO files only store the 2048 bytes of user data per sector, and also do not contain any subcode information, so they are not suitable for making working copies of copy-protected discs. The CCD format is recognized by VirtualCloneDrive and other virtual drive software, and can also be opened and burned by programs such as Alcohol 120%.

DISC COPY PROFILES

CloneCD comes with preset profiles which set the reading and writing parameters for various types of discs. Each profile defines options such as whether to read subcode data, whether to amplify weak sectors, and what write mode to use. The built-in profiles include common disc types:

Audio CD configures the program to copy standard music CDs that conform to the Red Book specification as well as non-standard CDs that may not play in all car stereos or portable players. Data CD covers general purpose data discs without copy protection. Game CD is used to configure subchannel reading and weak sector handling for protected PC game discs. The Protected PC Game profile makes changes for games that use specific protection schemes. Multimedia Audio CD deals with enhanced CDs that combine audio and data tracks in the same disc. Video Game profile is aimed at console game discs.

Advanced users can create and save custom profiles with manually configured settings for those drives or protection types that are not well served by the defaults.

DVD SUPPORT

DVD copying was added by CloneCD in version 5.0. It supports DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R Dual layer and DVD-RAM formats. DVD copying in CloneCD is one-to-one copy of the raw disc data without compression or modification. The program does not shrink DVD-9 (dual layer) content to fit on a single layer DVD-5 blank, which is a function of separate programs like CloneDVD or DVDShrink.

Copying movie DVDs that have CSS (Content Scramble System) encryption requires AnyDVD, a companion program that strips CSS before CloneCD reads the disc. CloneCD alone does not decryppt CSS protected movie DVDs.

Blu-ray is not supported. CloneCD only works with CD and DVD formats.

IMAGE COMPATIBILITY

CloneCD reads and burns a number of image formats in addition to its own CCD format. It opens ISO files and UDF images created by other programs including Nero, DVD2One, DVDShrink, and CloneDVD. It supports DVD split-file image formats, which is a format that splits large disc images across multiple files to fit within the FAT32 file system limits (which cannot store files larger than 4GB).

VirtualCloneDrive, a free companion application from the same developer lineage, mounts CCD, ISO and several other image formats as virtual disc drives on Windows, allowing the image to be used as if a physical disc was inserted without burning to a blank disc.

INTERFACE

CloneCD has a simple four-button interface on the main screen. The four main actions — read disc to image, burn image to disc, copy disc to disc directly, erase a rewritable disc — have a button each. Users click the appropriate button, navigate through a brief wizard choosing the source drive, destination and profile, and the program does the rest. A tray icon enables CloneCD to run in the background and gives quick access to the functions.

Advanced settings for each operation are available for those who wish to change read speed, write speed, subcode handling, sector amplification, and other technical parameters.

THE HIDE CDR MEDIA FEATURE

Some copy protection systems verify if the disc in a drive is a pressed factory disc or a burned CD-R, and reject burned copies even if the content at the sector level is identical to the original. CloneCD’s Hide CDR Media feature tells the drive to report itself as a CD-ROM drive instead of a CD-R drive so that protection software cannot determine that the media is a writable disc. This feature depends on the connected drive supporting the underlying command; not all drives do.

LEGAL CONTEXT

The legality of CloneCD has fluctuated over the course of its history from country to country. Elaborate Bytes pulled the product from Germany and the EU after alterations to copyright law that banned tools aimed at bypassing copy protection. SlySoft operated from Antigua specifically because Antiguan law did not have equivalent restrictions at the time. Anti-circumvention laws in the United States, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and similar laws in many other countries, limit or forbid the use of tools that circumvent copy protection, regardless of whether the user owns the original disc.

Using CloneCD to make backup copies of discs that one owns for personal use is in different legal territory in different countries. Some jurisdictions allow personal backups copies; some forbid circumventing copy protection to make them. Users should review the laws in their own country before using the software to copy protected discs.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Operating System: Windows XP to Windows 11 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Processor: Pentium II 450 MHz or better
• RAM: 128 MB or more
• Disc drive: Any CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive to read from; CD-R/CD-RW or DVD writer to burn (RAW mode and subcode support in the drive required for copying protected discs)
• Storage: Minimal program installation; additional space proportional to disc images created (a full CD image runs up to 700 MB; a dual layer DVD image up to 8.5 GB)