
Scratched DVDs have always been a major problem for Xbox 360 owners. For those of you who would like to make a backup copy of your prized (and may I add very expensive) Xbox 360 game DVD, but don’t know how, this guide should come in handy.
One of the best things about the Xbox 360 is the fact that you have one of the widest collection of games available for this platform. The controls, the graphics, and the performance of this console give the competition a serious run for its money. All the games for the Xbox available in the market are on DVDs. It’s a well-known fact that these DVDs are real scratch magnets, and aren’t really built to endure the constant use and abuse that they are subjected to almost on a daily basis. For any gamer, nothing is as heartbreaking as the ‘Disk Error’ sign that flashes on the screen, when you are all geared up for some serious gaming action! Never fear, backup DVDs are here to the rescue. You would need to lay your hands on the freeware Xbox Backup Creator and ImgBurn to get started.
As long as you do not intend to walk around town with a black eye patch, selling or distributing these copies, you can make backup copies of your original Xbox 360 games. You can proudly show off your original DVDs as collector’s items, while you enjoy playing the games using the backup. Creating a backup of your games is child’s play, and the best part is that you won’t have the cops knocking your door down for doing this. Also, you do not need to modify your console in any way, so the warranty doesn’t get void. Here’s how you can go about it.
You Will Need
- An Original Xbox 360 game DVD
- A Computer with a dual-layer DVD Burner
- A blank dual layer DVD (DVD+R DL)
- Xbox Backup Creator
- ImgBurn Software
Creating the Backup File
- Install both the software on the computer. Run Xbox Backup Creator.
- Insert the original game DVD into the DVD drive.
- On the screen that pops up, you should be able to see details about the DVD. Check to make sure that the additional information mentions the KREON firmware (only DVDs with this firmware can be copied). Select ‘Complete Backup’ (if not already selected).
- Click on ‘Start’, name the file (ideally the name of the game), and allocate a folder path on your computer with adequate free space (up to 8.5 GB) for the backup. It should ideally take about 15-20 minutes for the backup to be created. You can check to see if the backup has been created by going into the folder that you had saved it in. You should see two files with the name you had given the backup; one would be .dvd file and the other an .iso file.
- Right-click on the .dvd file and select ‘Open With…’. Choose ‘Notepad’ from the list of programs and click on OK.
- You should be able to see a value against ‘Layerbreak’; copy this numeric value and save it separately in another notepad file. Close the files.
Burning the Backup Game DVD
- Once the backup has been created, run ImgBurn. Replace the original game DVD with a blank dual-layered DVD (which should ideally have DVD+R DL written on it).
- Select ‘Write image file to disc’.
- In the window that comes on the screen, under ‘Source’, click on the ‘browse for a file’ icon (an open folder with a magnifying glass). Navigate to the backup files folder that you created earlier and select the .dvd file.
- From the top menu, select Tools › Settings › Write › Options (the one to the right).
- Select ‘User Specified’ and enter the value you had saved earlier from the notepad into the box by its side. Click on OK.
- Set the ‘Write Speed’ at 2x and click on ‘Write’ at the bottom. Let it ‘burn’ for about 30-45 minutes.
Voila! You should now have a working backup of your Xbox game.
There are other paid software available in the market which can help you with creating backups, and are a lot easier to use as well. You can now get back to saving the world without worrying about a scratch!