Windows 7 Ripping woes

Commander_Cool

Senior Member
Hello, I am in the process of ripping an audiobook to my hard drive, but one or two of the discs report read errors and stubbornly refuse to be ripped. I have been using AudioGrabber, NCH's Express Rip and Windows Media Player so far. They all stumble on discs 7 and 8 in a big way; they hang Windows, everything freezes up. I have never had this happen, guess I'm lucky the PC doesn't explode. I have also tried another Windows 7 machine - same difference.
Now I put the question to you: is there a way to 'salvage' this project at all?
Thank you :cool:
 
A read error on an audio cd is much less likely to be a problem than if the disk contained software - a single bit in error can have major consequences for a software cd but you are unlikely to notice on an audio one so I would try using a program to make a readable copy of the cd. To do this you need a program which will read the cd and write a copy regardless of any errors - the new cd should be readable. Try using unstoppable copier from here:

Roadkil.Net - Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier Program Download
 
Hi

The only thing I can think of to try is copy the whole disk to to a folder on your hard drive, if it will do it.

If it can't copy the disk you are probably out of luck.

If you can copy the disk to your hard drive, in it's native file format, then you can try and rip it from there.

What format are the Audio Books recorded in?

Unlike music CDs I believe there are several formats used, i.e. .wma or .Mp3 etc. for audio books.

If you can copy it to your hard drive maybe you can use a converter to switch formats.
There are apps that will convert almost any kind of audio file to another format.

Mike
 
Patcooke; you say: "A read error on an audio cd is much less likely to be a problem than if the disk contained software - a single bit in error can have major consequences for a software cd but you are unlikely to notice on an audio one...."

OK, I'll grant you that, however there is one thing about your reasoning I don't agree with. For sure a bit error in compiled code can, nay will, likely throw things out of kilter.
But a few missing pages of a book does nothing to enhance the reading experience either as I'm sure you will agree. At least for the first-time reader ;)

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Mike: I tried copying the .cda files onto my HD but no go. It's a great notion in theory but not in reality. Plus, the CD drive can't read the CD - that's the problem. And the drive is sound, the exact same thing happens on my other Windows PC.

And now it's off to Roadkil I go ♫♪. Hi Ho. Hi Ho.
 
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however there is one thing about your reasoning I don't agree with. For sure a bit error in compiled code can, nay will, likely throw things out of kilter.
But a few missing pages of a book does nothing to enhance the reading experience either as I'm sure you will agree
Yes - but I was referring to an error of "one bit" which would probably go un-noticed in an AV file as opposed to an exe file. You would be right of course if there is a major data corruption but the chances are it's down to an odd crc error or two due to a few bits.
 
Yes - but I was referring to an error of "one bit" which would probably go un-noticed in an AV file as opposed to an exe file. You would be right of course if there is a major data corruption but the chances are it's down to an odd crc error or two due to a few bits.
Right. As it happened entire sections of the CD were unreadable and so the equivalent of several pages would have been lost. However the point is now moot as the intended recipient of the audiobook has lost interest.

Which reminds me of books I have read on Howard Hughes - it seems he had , at least for the latter part of his life, severe difficulties making decisions, often procrastinating to where any decision would be irrelevant. Perhaps it was a business strategy - he simply wore people out.

Be that as it may, perhaps you can tell me this - why is it that no matter how often I set windowsupdate to "download updates but let me choose when to install them" it inevitably reverts to "install and reboot automatically"?

Perhaps you could do that, being a Most Valued MS Proffessional, if so I would be happy. Of course, this is classic Microsoft behavior - "we know best" - but they seem to offer some autononomy in this what with the choices and check-boxes.

I have lost much work due to this "service" since reboot time is 3 a.m. and I am not normally at the PC when that happens.

Kindest regards,
Goran
 
However the point is now moot as the intended recipient of the audiobook has lost interest.
Good eh! Been there, done it - hours of work trying to sort something for somebody then they tell you, "Doesn't matter now - changed me mind"!

Read errors on a disk (magnetic or optical) are frequently down to a scratch across a number of tracks so a whole series of sectors are affected. The are a few techniques available for recovery but depends on how critical the loss is as to whether or not it is worth the effort involved.

On the update problem - being an MVP doesn't give me any right to speak on MS behalf but I've always had my update options to advise me and let me choose and have had no problems with that. I'd first set your options, then have another look at the settings and see if they have saved ok. Then reboot and see if thy are still ok. Check occasionally, especially after an update and see if they are still set. If any changes are being made this will at least help you identify when it is happening and help identify the cause.
 
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Good eh! Been there, done it - hours of work trying to sort something for somebody then they tell you, "Doesn't matter now - changed me mind"!

Read errors on a disk (magnetic or optical) are frequently down to a scratch across a number of tracks so a whole series of sectors are affected. The are a few techniques available for recovery but depends on how critical the loss is as to whether or not it is worth the effort involved.

On the update problem - being an MVP doesn't give me any right to speak on MS behalf but I've always had my update options to advise me and let me choose and have had no problems with that. I'd first set your options, then have another look at the settings and see if they have saved ok. Then reboot and see if thy are still ok. Check occasionally, especially after an update and see if they are still set. If any changes are being made this will at least help you identify when it is happening and help identify the cause.
On 'Good eh!": yes, just as well it came to nothing. I could take a tip from Hughes and not act on anything until the very last moment - oftentimes whatever it was has resolved itself. Still, it kind of burns me to have, as you point out, spent hours trying to accommodate the person who asked for the CD rip not to mention wasting yours and other forum participants time. Still, I guess one always learns something in the process and so it will have been worthwhile anyway.

I should have known - nobody else has had the problem with windowsupdate. Just like you I have always had the option checked where I get to choose when and if to install updates which is why I regard it as a problem that Windows goes ahead and installs/reboots regardless.

But I'll check back at intervals to see. I do not think it unlikely that an update automatically resets the option to automatic install/reboot 'for the good of the Windows user'. Of course I am interested in installing whatever updates that pertain to my installation but I would still like to have the final say-so and I especially don't want an unconditional reboot while I'm in Cuckoo-land and can not act to save files I have been working on prior to entering that blessed state.

I'm a big boy now and can decide for myself, I like to think, but thanks anyway Microsoft.
 
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