I have just acquired a CD that has Copy Control. While it will play on my CD player it crashes Windows Media Player, Creative Media Player, Nero etc. Has anyone encountered this and found a way around it?
I would like to add it to my list on the pc, but so far no luck.

Tried CDex or CDparanoia?

Hi, I've heard stories that the copy controlled CDs have some sort of information written around the very edge of the disk. So, apparently if you colour in all the way around the edge of the disk with a vivid marker, then the copy control doesn't work.

However, I've only heard this from another person, I haven't read it anywhere, so you may want to do some research on this for yourself.

All the best,
Nefer.

Nefer- That was a very early form of copy protection that was around the inside ring.

That type of protection is rarely used these days, and is hard to do accurately and succesfully yourself unless you REALLY know what you're doing.

Okay, sorry about old (and incorrect :eek: information). I've done a bit of reading about this copy control and I don't know how to beat it. However, there is quite a good website I found that makes an interesting read... http://www.fedge.net/emi/

I'm sure you could email this guy with questions. You can see his email address at the bottom of the page.

Good luck,
Nefer.

CDParanoia is Linux software, couldn't test it, CDEX did not work, neither did products from Slyfox. I did manage to rip the CD using Windows Media Player to .wma files. But once the CD gets activated nothing works, acts like a virus on my machine and slows everything down. Power down and restart is the only way out. Copy Protection seems to get activated as soon as any program attempts to read the CD (with the exception of W.M.P.)once activated, no media player can play anything, shut down appears to be the only way out.

Have you tried holding down 'shift' when you put the cd in, so it doesnt autoplay?

heard that sometimes works.

X-Humed- That will not work if the software that the shift disables hasn't been installed yet (a service into windows). However, if he had not played the CD before, he could disable the autoplay and prevent that method of copy prot successfully.

After learning the lesson about the shift key, this method was dropped down to minimally used.

WPN, on reading your update, I would mention that X-humed's chosen method of copy protection appears to be a probable type that is plaguing your machine.

Look through your services list, try to identify a new one... Disable this service, reboot. Hold shift as you insert the CD, see if that lets you access it.