| User review:
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This is a tool to have handy it does what it does and has options others don't have. But what it does do better than all the others is it never gives up. And it never stops to ask what to do like all the other dumb softwares do. Or asks but never applies when do answer, ISOBuster for example had that bug for over two decades it's author knew of it but couldn't be bothered ever to fix it.
WinASPI there are many sure most are for HDD and not Optical Discs but a few are. Such as FrogASPI. Get one of those which are many rename it to WinASPI.dll and place it in ISOPuzzle folder and it will use that instead. Yes the program was made or optimized for Nero WinAPSI.dll but when in need another combination may work.
Also what is good is the flag file which is made as soon as it start recovering a disc. You can the use that in any drive and yes all drives do recover differently that it is said that drives than can first write are better than ROM read only drives. And those can can RW Read Write Discs are better again for data recovery drives.
FLG (flag) file works like this have two drives no matter where they are located on same pc or different PC. To use flag file you place the disc in another drive and select Force Size after the disc has loaded then select to use the flag file. Choose the correct flag file and OK. Then select start it will ask for .ISO image to load.
A. If you have the .ISO file recovered so far it will continue to recover data.
B. With no .ISO present Select OK and will continue but will instead use the flag file what it know has been recovered and from where as A. above does but instead will make and IMP (import file). Which can be later merged to the .ISO that was partially recovered earlier. To do this copy the IMP file to the PC that has the ISO and choose the Import button and continue from there.
It is a huge shame on the developer that IsoPuzzle UI cannot be resized and it is way to small. Which also means the progress bar which is very much needed to be viewed is also very small. If the developer ever continues this should be one of the first fixes that needs to be fixed. The software need to be capable of expanding to full screen and all the UI details fill the screen window. Also make the progress meter larger this is needed.
Also when using with Never Give Up mode a time out and time restart which user can enter manually these time can be entered in UI [ ] manually. The check tick boxes to enable them. This way never give up mode is made so drive can continue forever until it reaches the end or user stops it when they are happy to do so.
Take a break every [60] minutes
Continue after [15] minutes
Some one mentioned the progress jumps around. No that is intended but you don't see the progress bar easily which as said really should be fixed. Full screen UI would make the progress bar fill the screen easier to see. The program does loops of the data to recover it. So read all the data on disc in a loop each pas along the progress bar. To see loop details The Log Window Option on the UI radio buttons increase the verbose to how much info you need. Have just verbose alone shows you the loops how many reads have been found and errors found. That said the error are erratic and don't seem to make sense to me, but that maybe more read found more errors that can be revealed!
The idea of the flag file and the import file functions are so good imagine if other developers also developed their tools to use the same flag and import file from ISOPuzzle visa-versa either way. Then we would have better capability of all optical disc recovery tools. That said the other tools do need to get rid of asking what to do when error is encountered or at least a fully working option do not ask that always remembers that so recover never gives up. When can decide when to pause and then continue later using the flag file. With same software or any other software.
Someone also mentioned disc blew up in a BD drive. Yes I have had that twice since the mid eighties both times because of the same problem. Once with a CD drive and second time with a BD drive. Both times because the disc was defected, which most times many people will fail to notice. A crack in the centre of the disc manufacture defect disc. When that happens speed will blow up the disc and drive cleaning is needed or a new replacement drive. Next time you have such discs don't write them instead return them don't accept single discs replacements as they maybe be damaged by time you get them. Ask for money back they will claim from manufacture and so in turn maybe make in turn manufacture places better checks so doesn't happen in future. If you do have such discs and are written on best try to read them on older drive if have one but use a software than can read at x1 speed slower the the better. There are such tools that can do that I forget but they will be very old tools by now. Also maybe your drive slowest speed for the disc maybe not x1 but x2 so tool needs to work and apply speed you require. ISOPuzzle has the ability to set read speed.
Also it would be great if could add audio disc extraction to ISO file as does with data discs. Copyright is not an issue since we own the discs as we own dvd disc we recover. So ISOPuzzle needs able to extract all modes not just 2048 data mode.
What is missing ISOPuzzle developer and updates.
What is not needed is enforcement of shareware or purchase. Please keep it free fully capable to recover all and every disc with all functions working. |
