Question about DISK images

[chacyung]

I wasn't exactly sure where to put this,
so I'm sorry if it's in the WRONG forum all-together.

I know creating ISO files is a good way to backup a disk.
But I was wondering, is there a way to edit a file inside a DISK image??

And if so, what would be the best program to allow disk image editing?

[chacyung]

My current virtual drive is DVD-ROM

Is there a program that has a virtual DVD-RW drive?
So it can edit the disk image ??

[JLM]

I have only done this a few times so let's see if I can remember something helpful. If you are working with ps2 game iso files, then you can use apache.
Someone said something about the later versions of apache altering the lba's or something like that so I used an earlier version 1.1 or 2.? It can be found at sksapps or google it.

Okay once you have the iso and apache on your computer, use apache to open it and you will see a list of the files. You can highlight any file and extract it (with menu option or right click file and pop up menu option depending on program version).

Now you can do what you want with the file. For example I wanted to edit some files in bully, for ex:vehicle handling.

I opened up the handling file with a text editor (with other file types you may have to use a hex editor or something else) and made the changes I wanted, then saved it but save a copy of the original to compare them.

Next I compared the sizes in bytes of the original and modded file (using right click -- properties in windows explorer). Keeping editing the modded file and checking its size until it's equal in size to the original. With the handling file it was easy; it had lots of comment sections which are of course unnecessary to the program. I just added or deleted characters until the file sized matched. The you can open the iso with apache again. Highlight the file you want to replace and select update file, navigate to the modded version (which you have given the same name as the original) and click on it to replace. If you messed up it will say something like wrong file size.

There is also a good tutorial somewhere on using Agent Under Fire to launch UlaunchELF which ends up teaching you how to use apache.

Good luck. If you have more questions, just ask. I might even fire up the other computer with apache and some iso's on it to refresh my memory. Or maybe someone who really knows what they're doing will help you.

[chacyung]

I have only done this a few times so let's see if I can remember something helpful. If you are working with ps2 game iso files, then you can use apache.
Someone said something about the later versions of apache altering the lba's or something like that so I used an earlier version 1.1 or 2.? It can be found at sksapps or google it.

Okay once you have the iso and apache on your computer, use apache to open it and you will see a list of the files. You can highlight any file and extract it (with menu option or right click file and pop up menu option depending on program version).

Now you can do what you want with the file. For example I wanted to edit some files in bully, for ex:vehicle handling.

I opened up the handling file with a text editor (with other file types you may have to use a hex editor or something else) and made the changes I wanted, then saved it but save a copy of the original to compare them.

Next I compared the sizes in bytes of the original and modded file (using right click -- properties in windows explorer). Keeping editing the modded file and checking its size until it's equal in size to the original. With the handling file it was easy; it had lots of comment sections which are of course unnecessary to the program. I just added or deleted characters until the file sized matched. The you can open the iso with apache again. Highlight the file you want to replace and select update file, navigate to the modded version (which you have given the same name as the original) and click on it to replace. If you messed up it will say something like wrong file size.

There is also a good tutorial somewhere on using Agent Under Fire to launch UlaunchELF which ends up teaching you how to use apache.

Good luck. If you have more questions, just ask. I might even fire up the other computer with apache and some iso's on it to refresh my memory. Or maybe someone who really knows what they're doing will help you.

THX for the responce ^.^

I wanted to edit my ps2 "Jurassic park: Operation Genesis" disk
so I could unlock more then 3 dig sites.

Changing a few un-needed lines to make the file the same size won't be an issue,
as there are ALOT of them ^^;

But the confusing issue is...
The game disk actually has an ISO file copied to it.
So if I made an ISO of my disk,
THAT 1st ISO would have an 2nd ISO in it!
I've never seen this before...

SO can this "apache" program copy an ISO from inside an ISO.
Then overwrite the 1st ISO's internal 2nd ISO file,
after the file I need to change has been put back into the 2nd ISO file.

(forgive me if this is a tad confusing)
But the file I want to change is an INI settings file.
It's inside an ISO file, Actually ON the disk.

And I don't suppose this "apache" program is freeware is it?

[JLM]

Yes, apache is freeware or I wouldn't have recommended it.
download it from sksapps.com in the section ps2 miscellaneous apps.
click on this link here:
SKS Apps - Exploit Systems - Wii Ps3 Ps2 Apps - Homebrew Game Downloads
I would use version 1.1 (will just run from the executable) not version 3 (has to be installed). Just search apache and iso or apache and swap on this site(psx-scene) to find out more about apache. A lot of people use it. It is not some bogus adware or anything like that.

I have never encountered your situation-- nested iso's (except in linux distributions).
In short, I would just use apache twice. Open the disc iso, extract 2nd iso, open 2nd iso, extract ini, edit ini, update 2nd iso with edited ini, update disc iso with updated 2nd iso:

Open the iso with apache, in the filelist highlight the iso file you want to edit and extract it. Close apache.

Restart apache. Try opening the iso you extracted earlier. If it opens, in the filelist highlight and extract the ini file. Close apache. Edit your ini file.

Once you have made your changes and corrected the file size. Start apache. Open the inner iso file (not the disc iso). Insert the edited ini back into the iso by highlighting the ini in the filelist and click update file. Close apache.

Restart apache. Open the disc iso. Insert the edited iso back into the disc iso by highlighting the iso in the filelist and click update file. Close apache.

Let me know if it works. If not, we'll try something else.

If you will allow a suggestion, you don't have to quote my whole reply (it makes people have to scroll more and no one wants to read my prose twice). Your post made perfect sense. Best of luck.

[chacyung]

Yes...

SWEET O_O
Freeware AND STANDALONE !?!?
(you are awesome, yo) ^.^

And thx for the instructions ^.^ hehehe
(sorry, but I'm feeling giddy)
As I've been trying to edit this game sence I got it.

Well that's a relief.
Most of the time I hang with people that are to me, what I am to you.
(a newb at what you think is simple)
So I wasn't sure if I was just being confusing.

AND THX AGAIN, yo!
I'll get back to you with the results ^.^

EDIT: AH, HELP !!!
I seem to have an issue.
When I try to open the disk ISO with apache, I get this error...

{
Debug Assertion Failed!

Program: ...ments and Settings\account\Desktop\Apache1.1\Apache\Apache.e xe
File: afxcmn.inl
Line: 230

For information on how your program can cause an assertion
failure, see the Visual C++ documentation on asserts.
}

What does it mean, yo ?

For some extra info.
My software is alcohol 120, because it has a setting for PS2 games.
But if you use this setting, it only allows you to made MDS or CCD files.
So I set it to custom...
(unclicking "read sub-channel data from current disk" ) AND
(clicking "skip reading errors" )
And that gives me the ISO option under output format.

But this is the ISO that gave me the error.
Ironically I opened the ISO with alcohol 120 and copied the internal ISO from it that way.
THAT ISO opened just fine with apache.

Now I could just open the original disk and copy all the files to a new one,
replacing the old (internal) ISO with the new one.
But I'm not sure if simply burning the files to disk would work.
(even if I did give it the same disk name of "SLUS20380" )

OK, scratch that. I didn't know that apache could create ISO files from disks.
So I made one, opened it, and extracted the internal "DATA.ISO"
But when I closed it and opened the "DATA.ISO" with it,
it doesn't see any internal files... I'm I missing something here?
I know the files are there because I load my 2nd ISO with alcohol 120,
and then go into the ISO's folder, and all the files are there.
Or can this program not see them BECAUSE they are in a folder IN the ISO?

I noticed the "create a file list" option, but you have to already have it on your computer.
So how do I create a filelist so I can load it into the program and read the ISO.
(or is that not how this program works?)
I also saw an analize disk/iso option,
but I appear to also be missing the required dat.apc file ^^;

I even tried creating an ISO using the apache program,
from the ISO mounted with alcohol 120, to my vitual drive.
I thought that to see the file list, it had to be the one to make the ISO.
But that didn't work either V_V

[JLM]

Okay. I see you are online now.

I have used alcohol even less than apache.
How about use the iso you got from alcohol. open it in apache. extract the ini. edit the ini (I guess you're using something like notepad). make it the same size. use apache to update the iso with your edited ini. I assume you can just use alcohol to replace the iso into the disc iso and burn it to disc. Have you burned discs with alcohol and did they work? I can't remember if I actually ever burned anything with alcohol.

Is the disc cd or dvd? I guess if it was a dvd you wouldn't have subchannel as a clickable option. Is your disc in good shape? Also, I have no idea what that error is. Never gotten any error with apache. Is this file (afxcmn.inl) in the inner iso? Is the extension really inl with an L?

[chacyung]

Okay...

My disk is indeed a cd.
When I created an ISO with alcohol, that's the one that crashed apache.

So I created the ISO with apache FROM the cd.
That ISO opened fine and showed the file list.
So I used THAT apacheISO to extract the internal ISO (data.iso)

But the NON of the DATA.ISO files, no matter how I got them,
are showing a file list in apache.
Dispite me being able to see the files when I mount it to my virtual drive.

So even if I mount the DATA.ISO to my virtual drive to copy the INI file,
I still can't overwrite it in apache, because when I load the DATA.ISO,
apache doesn't have a file list.

help? ~wimper~

[JLM]

I have only ever done this with DVD games not cd. With Dvd I use dvd decryptor; works great. Just open the program, highlight the mode menu, scroll down to iso, click read. Select the drive the disc is in the pull down box. Select destination file and click on this disc picture and wait.

I then do what I want with the files in apache. Then burn the iso with dvd decryptor. It always works for me.

Dvd decryptor is also available on Sksapps. Maybe on the same page as apache. There is another program written by the same guy that handles both cd and dvds.....they are both freeware......

[JLM]

Just saw your response. Can't you edit the ini file when it's in your virtual drive, unmount the iso and then replace the iso into the disc iso in alcohol? As you can guess I have not had to do that.