Improve Disc Drive Compatibilty for Dremashell 4 RC4 CDI with dummy file.

[caristizabalm]

[size=medium]Hi guys!
I start this thread cause I 've been having issues trying to burn dreamshell 4 rc4.

I downloaded DReamshell 4 rc4 from swat's web.
Burned it with Discjuggler at 4x to 8x speed in tdk, verbatim, huskee...
none of those discs worked. Wont boot at start, nor from the menu.
Dreamcast Drive and lens reads cd-r based games fine, no stuttering, or lag, or reset issues, or non working games.
I have no retail GDrom Discs to test.
I have a samsung drive. Console is HKT 3020 1 NTSC made in china.

I tried downloading and burning older revisions to see what happened and after burning unsuccessfully different older versions etc... I stumbled into this copy of Dreamshell RC 1 (Link at the end) from the iso zone, this one has a dummy file added to improve compatibility as it says in the site's description and this worked with my dreamcast fine. I also tested every cdi image in nulldc and demul before burning and they all work fine on pc emulators.
Now i would like to know how to burn my own copy of RC 4 with the dummy file added, or if someone has already done that and wants to share a link... I bought my first dreamcast just a couple of weeks ago, never had one, or played one. But I don't want to use de Gdrom unit, I don't think i will play on it anyway not unless I cant figure out how to boot dreamshell Rc 4. Dreamcast library is not so big, specially horror games.. its perfect to mod it with the hdd. Ad from what I have read its better to play a full Dcres than a 700mb 80min ripped copy a diy Sd adapter, but to make the ide hdd mod first I need to know at least the disc is working fine. Don't want to start buggering the pot or touching nothing inside cause everything is fine.
I also fount that some hombrew games below 50mb with no dummy wot boot.

Dreamshell 4 Rc 1 cdi + dummy the iso zone:
http://theisozone.com/downloads/dreamcas...1-by-swat/
tinnitusdiscos@hotmail.com
Thank you for your time!

[SWAT]

"DreamShell 4.0 RC 4 CDI Image" - has a dummy file, look on it, CDI image has big size.

[caristizabalm]

Ok, I don't know what is my problem... none of the versions of Dreamshell CDIs above rc1 wont work in my console. When I turn on the console with the disc inside it stucks in the Dreamcast logo for a while like triying to read the disc and then goes to the menu, and wont boot from there neither. The only exception is with the Dreamshell rc1 downloaded from the ISO zone, that one runs perfectly from start.
I really dont know what could be, is there another way to boot it DReamshell rc4 CDI? maybe with a utopia disc kinda tool, or something? or if maybe exist a way to upgrade Dreamshell to rc4 from rc1 without disc? Thank you for all your time.

[SWAT]

You doesn't have BIOS mod?

Try this way:
Download "DreamShell 4.0 RC 1 + Boot Loader (For old JP DC)" and burn bootloader from it.
Download "DreamShell 4.0 RC 4 + Boot Loader" and put DS folder from it on your SD card.

But it's have one problem, Boot Loader from RC1 doesn't support HDD, so you need boot DS_CORE.BIN from SD, but you can put other resources (from DS folder) to HDD.

[SonicDcer]

why doesn't RC4 work with old jap dcs? what changed besides the flash chip size?

[SWAT]

All DS versions working with all DC's. The problem can be only in CDI image.

[caristizabalm]

Im really tired of wasting cds and time, I tried to burn:
Download "DreamShell 4.0 RC 1 + Boot Loader (For old JP DC)
But as I expected it didn't work. The key lies in that isozone image, thats the only one that works for me.... This is so frustrating... If you simply cant believe me let me know and I'll make a video, but its totally pointless to me: Im telling you. My cdrom drive is FINE, CDI's have been burnt in 4 different pcs 2 of them laptops, speeds from 4x to 8x, good quality 5 different brands of cds, and all, ALL, the images available for download in your site: NONE OF THEM WORKED. I wont try to pot tweak or open my console because it is alright, and though you find very much pot tweaking videos on youtube, I wont do it, cause I've ruined consoles like that even with multimeter measurements and extreme care, those lens are not supposed to be touched.
Can you make a cdi image of Dreamshell 4 rc4 just like that one you did with rc1.... the one from the isozone, I think that could resolve the problem.
If you make that same cdi but instead rc1 you'll put Rc4 in there.... Seems for me like there is no other way. Thank you all for your collaboration and your time.
PD: dont have bios mod.

[SWAT]

I don't received another reports about doesn't working CDI image (moreover, all images), seems problem in your DC. Maybe your GD drive dead soon...
RC4 images has dummy files, no sence recreate it again, because it will not have difference.
Try create image by self, look for guide in internet.

[caristizabalm]

*"I don't received another reports about doesn't working CDI image (moreover, all images)"*

Feel free tom check out forums in other sites. I'm not the only one, many people say the Dreamshell works on some consoles and others no, even with fine gd rom drives. Some people are frustrated if they own just one incompatible console cause nobody seems to have an answer for that. They doesn't even bother asking, they just give up. And some people which own various systems say that maybe a half of the total are Dreamshell-able. Seems Random. It's just frustrating and nobody seems to care about. But isn't a lie. I guess in that aspect , Dreamshell is exclusive. It's the lack of reason of that exclusivity what bothers. I don't know how many Dreamcasts where made, but, nobody can speak for sure if DS is compatible with all Dreamcasts, even with several versions you've made.
Not every dreamcast owner is able to do this mod, is not that hard but isn't accessible for all the people specially when supplies access is limited. Some people which have worked with it since it first came out, say there are Dreamcast that just wont read the DS CDI, and others say is kinda unusual for a Dreamcast to be not Dreamshell-able. Whit such different testimonies is very difficult to give a verdict.

*"Seems problem in your DC. Maybe your GD drive dead soon..."*

Now this is a lame of an answer. If my Gd rom was the fault, it just simply could not read the iso zone's Dreamshell you made and uploaded a while ago.. .But guess what: it does. it works fine. Nobody cant tell at distance that my gd rom is gonna die, just cause a version of your software doesn't support my console, without even seeing it work. But I'll keep you updated on that, seems to me you're simply out of answers here. And only thing i can tell is no third party software could expect 100% compatibility, not without a lot of time, resources and money... and support from the original manufacturer... what you do is pretty hard, and I see how much effort you put in it, but lets drop it here. And seriously, there's no way you could say for sure its my console, or that I'm the only one with this problem.
Thank you for your time. I dont think I'm in the mood of wasting mine or more discs trying to make work Dreamshell anymore. It's a shame. Hope you keep improving it.

[SWAT]

And I say again - create image himself who you want.
You don't have to use my images if you have problems with it.
My images are created just to be, they are not the main goal for me. I write code.

[caristizabalm]

Maybe in another time, not now. Guess I'll stay with cd-r rips for now. Thank you.

[caristizabalm]

Hey Mr Swat!!! I finally managed to burn the Dreamshell 4 rc4 CDI with a new dvd-rw drive. I don't know but the problem seemed to be with the HP drives (strangely enough they burn most of the games fine) I used a SAta Hitachi Drive, a TDK CD-R at 4x burnt in Discjuggler and Voila!
Man: What a fucking odyssey. Thank you for your answers and your patience. Sorry for my newbieness anyway. Here comes the best part!!!

[ericcannon]

(14.06.2016 06:35)caristizabalm писал(а):  Hey Mr Swat!!! I finally managed to burn the Dreamshell 4 rc4 CDI with a new dvd-rw drive. I don't know but the problem seemed to be with the HP drives (strangely enough they burn most of the games fine) I used a SAta Hitachi Drive, a TDK CD-R at 4x burnt in Discjuggler and Voila!
Man: What a fucking odyssey. Thank you for your answers and your patience. Sorry for my newbieness anyway. Here comes the best part!!!

Im having the exact same issue! ive tried burning every version and using 2 different cd burners with no luck. i wish I could give you my address and pay you for a burned copy of dreamshell that worked for you.