Backing Up WMS games

[eko]

I have a Sundisk flasdisk and I want to copy my BB games into that. However when I do copy it and try it on the machine. I receive the following error"
"MBR Read Failed I/O Error"

 I need an urgent answer please. I will be very glad if you help me. Thank you.

[jay]

I know very little about the WMS platform - but from what I understand is that they are very very picky about which flash cards they use. Many of the clone Sandisk cards from China do not work. Only the orginals and only certain sizes.

[eko]

Yeah I know what you saying, however, I am copying operatins system which is 128 MB and I have a Sandisk flash which also is 128. After copying, I check the checksum and everything matches. Only thing that it doesnt wok and I got that error which I mentioned earlier. If anyone knows the reason or ran into this problem, please guide me. Thank you for the reply.

[jay]

Do a NLG search on SANDISK - there was a few posts regarding that there were two different series of CF cards from Sandisk. They are formatted different. So while the Checksum for the data may be correct the byte checksum of the whole CF package with the data is different. I think they could trace the difference back to where the CF card was manufactured.

[eko]

Thanks again. I did he NLG search and found those post. However I think  the flashes I have ioorginal because I a able to copy the original flash in to the Sandisk, my problems is that whenever I inserted the copied flash into the machine , I get ther error saying "MBR read failed I/O error". I have checked the earlier post  but no luck. Please help.

[brichter]

Thanks again. I did he NLG search and found those post. However I think  the flashes I have ioorginal because I a able to copy the original flash in to the Sandisk, my problems is that whenever I inserted the copied flash into the machine , I get ther error saying "MBR read failed I/O error". I have checked the earlier post  but no luck. Please help.

That is correct. Other devices can read and write to the flash, but the Williams doesn't like the non-original flash cards because they are physically formatted differently, so the Williams throws the error. In this case, you will see exactly what you are describing.

[eko]

So my question; there isn't anyway of fixing this particular problem? other than changing flashes? Also I am sorry about the spelling mistakes. I was just hurrying and thank you again for the replies.

[brichter]

No way around getting flash cards that the Williams will accept, unfortunately.

[stayouttadabunker]

Just for the heck of it,
when you put the original CF card back into the BB, does the error still pop up?

I warn you, I know of some chip companies making cards that have a tiny filament inside that acts as a fuse-
I don't know if Williams is using these on BB CF's.
Basically,if you try to copy it - the filament burns apart and the CF card is rendered inoperable.
This for protection of their copy-righted material.
Your CF card may now be finished.

[brichter]

Interesting. I've been associated with CF based device testing for almost a decade now, nad never ran across any of those. Do you have a spec? 

[StatFreak]

Just for the heck of it,
when you put the original CF card back into the BB, does the error still pop up?

I warn you, I know of some chip companies making cards that have a tiny filament inside that acts as a fuse-
I don't know if Williams is using these on BB CF's.
Basically,if you try to copy it - the filament burns apart and the CF card is rendered inoperable.
This for protection of their copy-righted material.
Your CF card may now be finished.

Stout, I think that you are describing a different issue not related to CF cards. 

This issue, as I recall, is based on the physical manufacturing characteristics of the Chinese copies vs. the originals, so only an original Sandisk will fix this problem.

[uniman]

Here's a guide posted on eBay for identifying fake SanDisks.
Maybe this can help.

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-SanDisk-Extreme-Compact-Flash-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001456539

modified 12/12/09; a big maybe, as this link is for much larger disks, not the ones that WMS use.

[brichter]

So, I thought the difference was a physical formatting difference between different models of authentic cards, and I thought the cards in the Williams machines are 128 meg?

<edit>

Yup. Here's the thread where those differences are explained:
http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=3098.0

[rickhunter]

There are in fact instances where genuine Sandisk cards WILL NOT WORK as an OS card.  I do find that the cards that don't work for OS WILL work for games.  At this point I believe, and I do not have confirmation on this,  that since the boot OS card needs to have an identical configuration so that the MBR boot record stored on the CF image will match the physical media, it will not work as a boot device if the CF card is using higher density NANDS.  I have noticed that older 64MB CF card will work more reliably than new ones for OS cards, this is also the case for the OS that use 128MB and 256MB CFs.  Sandisk Ultras have ALWAYS worked, but the smallest sized ones are 256MB.  Getting the Shoot 'n Store cards is a crapshoot, they will work for games, but in the OS front, you are rolling the dice.  My advice is to obtain known working 64MB CF's and use them exclusively for Boot OS cards.

[stayouttadabunker]

Headquartered in Reston, VA, Intellitactics is making CF cards for Naval Intelligence.
A friend of my son told me about these and he thinks that the cards have the same
internal security filaments used in a GAL (Generic Array Logic)
I quote>>
[GAL is programmable logic device ( CMOS technology) using EEPROM controlling bits providing electrically erasing and programming. The main function of GAL is to substitute two, three or more ordinary logic circuits (AND, NAND, NOT gates and bistabiles) but also they can be used as memory cells. GAL is consist of output logic macrocells (OLMC) which can be programmed as: blah,blah,blah...

....Programming of GAL is performed by high performance programators, usually in program language called CUPL (Universal Compiler for Programmable Logic).
Once programmed the contest of GAL is protected by unauthorized analyze and copying, because of so called security cell. The security cell can be erased only in erase cycle, so the original configuration can never be examined once this cell is programmed.]

I looked into these "security cells" and found that there was a tiny filament that when voltage was applied to it such as when the reader of a programmer was in operation - it would burn out the filament and render the chip useless.
My other computer at work has the actual info and secs on the GAL chip from mouser.com.

While digging this up, I came across something kinda funny that some companies are doing to protect their work computers from some one maliciously trying to attack the company by inserting thumb-drives loaded with a virus.>>>

Some organizations forbid the use of flash drives, and some computers are configured to disable the mounting of USB mass storage devices by users other than administrators; others use third-party software to control USB usage. The use of software allows the administrator to not only provide a USB lock but also control the use of CD-RW, SD cards and other memory devices. This enables companies with policies forbidding the use of USB flash drives in the workplace to enforce these policies. In a lower-tech security solution, some organizations disconnect USB ports inside the computer or fill the USB sockets with epoxy.

[stayouttadabunker]

It has been pointed out to me by a member that the BB
boards don't have the capability to read CF cards any differently
than any other computer.
I agree with him and I believe that Williams is not using any special security filaments
in their CF cards as I described in the GAL chips.
So, completely disregard my entire previous post.
I was totally mistaken on this!
Your CF card eko, may be still okay if it was handled carefully.

I don't want to get into the discussion of GAL security chips as that is
an entirely different device/format .
Eko,
Have you contacted Williams and asked them if there was a way you could properly copy their CF cards?
If you're from a real casino, they might support you on this.
As you're just making a single backup in case of card corruption perhaps
from static electricity or some other everyday disaster.

[brichter]

Or PM Hokiehog and see if he has any to sell...

[jdkmunch]

Just buy the real games  It's easier.

[stayouttadabunker]

I used to have a friend that was able to hack satellite dish cards and get free tv channels.
He's in prison now...lol    I don't think I wanna ask him.

[PWRSTROKE]

May need to just find some of these.  I am not up to speed on these games at all but from time to time I come across some items for them.  The one in the picture is and should be blank.  These a while back were floating around as part of some kind of field conversions being done.  This is the only one like this I have so no need in asking (not trying to be rude) and the others I have all have orginal programs on them.  Sorry about the awfull glare in the pics- Thanks B.

[brichter]

I know that DirectTV used do this with their access cards.  If you tried to read them without very special steps the card would self destruct.

Those are not flash based memory devices, they are PCMCIA networking devices that have a MAC address and also provide decryption services.