Video proof (as good as I can) for the last entry

"Urheberrechtgesetz" literally says, that the anti-circumvention law is not applicable on computer programs and that I may create a backup of computer software – if this is necessary to ensure future usability. This may not be contractually forbidden (like as part of an EULA).
Is a backup needed to ensure future usability? Big YES from me. As far as I know, the software in this example isn’t for sale anymore (and I have a valid license, so I don’t see a reason to buy another one if the original disc fails). CDs can break for various reasons. These reasons include:

• Disc rot / decay / age
• Stupidity / clumsiness / user error
• And – this is software for little children after all – careless kids

In my opinion my actions – with the goal of gaining/sharing knowledge (research) – are perfectly legal.

There is no CD emulation software running (only the symbol for the physical CD-ROM right next to the floppy drive icon). I am well aware of the fact that some applications can manipulate CD read timings and emulate the physical structures. Such a feature isn’t in use here. There is no Daemon Tools, Alcohol 120%, VirtualCD or anything like this installed on this old laptop from the year 1999. I didn’t even try if CD emulation software runs on the old machine at all.

The problem is, that what I’m showing here, is easy to fake. Even if I would go ahead and show a more detailed video opening autoruns.exe, showing the list of installed software and so on…, somebody could come across and scream: “Fake!! You didn’t show […] and you could have hidden […]”.

Well… It is not a fake! If you don’t believe me, then try the method yourself (I guess nobody will actually do this, even if they scream "fake"). My little research isn’t finished yet; learning to program, developing my tiny application and doing the writeup will take many weeks – depending on my concentration issues. If somebody actually wants to try it:

• Success depends on the reading drive and the sector step – a step of 70 or 80 should do
• Sadly especially the widespread LG drives are most problematic (I got LG drives to cooperate anyway)
• If you do not have an old dedicated read-only CD/DVD drive, ATIP hiding software is needed to succeed (unless you have an old “real” Plextor writer, those can hide CD-R themselves if needed)