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Gaming => General Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: MadeManG74 on December 28, 2010, 11:17:53 pm

Title: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 28, 2010, 11:17:53 pm
I started up my Dreamcast yesterday to play some Crazy Taxi to see if I can put up a high score in the CT Scores topic, and my Dreamcast is acting really odd.

Basically as soon as it comes to the gameplay, the Dreamcast resets itself, sometimes to the boot up screen and other times to the system settings screen.

It was doing this a while ago to CVS2 and I thought it might ahve just been an issue with that disc, but now it's doing it to Crazy Taxi as well.

Anyone run into this problem before? Am I going to need to go to the pound and find a new dog -err- Dreamcast?
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: Sharky on December 28, 2010, 11:21:52 pm
One of my DC's have the exact same problem.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: CrazyT on December 28, 2010, 11:39:19 pm
My dreamcast has the same problem sadly. It's the second one that does it. It's something that happens to all DC's with time i've learned. For some a few years, for some longer than that, but it does that eventually to all(or at least most) dreamcasts.

My brother fixed it for a period of time. He opened up the dreamcast and did some things with this part of the DC

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/158/dreamcasth02.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/158/dreamcasth02.jpg)

Edit: Here a guide I found. Hope it helps (http://http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/sega/dc-reset.htm)

Edit2: I also found this video. I think if you find the method above a bit too complicated, you can try this first http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5AZ7mQvE1o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5AZ7mQvE1o)

Many in the comments say that it worked. Never tried it myself.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 29, 2010, 01:02:07 am
Do you play any burned games?
Could be the GD-Rom going out.

I heard it's the one thing that happens more often than anything else.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 29, 2010, 01:38:05 am
That's what I was thinking too. I've played a number of burnt games on the system, but recently I had hardly been playing any burnt games at all.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: CrazyT on December 29, 2010, 01:50:07 am
Wait, so does your dreamcast completely reset as if it's switched on and off? Or does it just simply go to the boot up screen?
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 29, 2010, 04:35:51 am
Resets to when the game loads up initially.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: cube_b3 on December 29, 2010, 07:14:58 am
[youtube:27ibdq8r]1VVGoha9BhY[/youtube:27ibdq8r]
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 29, 2010, 09:27:13 am
Quote from: "MadeManG74"
That's what I was thinking too. I've played a number of burnt games on the system, but recently I had hardly been playing any burnt games at all.

The only reason I say that is because playing the games off of CD-R's puts extra stress on the drive, and speeds up the process of it crapping out.
From what you're saying, it sounds like an issue with the GD-Rom drive. A good way to nail that one down though, is see if it will stay at the menu. Don't put a disk in there, and just see if it will stay on while you go through the system settings and such. If it does stay on, then you'll know it's an issue with the drive.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: Sharky on December 29, 2010, 10:13:51 am
I should point out I've never played a burnt game... So that can't be the issue.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: cube_b3 on December 29, 2010, 12:41:16 pm
It isn't the burnt game that affects it is how the game is burned.

Head Hunter is an example of a stressful game for the Dreamcast.

Data has to be synchronized on the disk, burnt games are usually unsynchronized but commercial games can be as well.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 29, 2010, 03:16:48 pm
It only reset when I tried to start the actual gameplay. Selecting mode and character was all fine, but when it came to the actual gameplay it would reset instantly.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 29, 2010, 04:07:26 pm
Quote from: "Sharky"
I should point out I've never played a burnt game... So that can't be the issue.

Not saying that the drive won't crap out if you don't play burned games. But like Cube said, the way the data is burned on the CD-R adds extra stress to the drive. It's one of those things like you're guaranteed to die at some point, but if you smoke, it'll probably happen sooner.

@MadeMang:
If it's only doing it when you're playing games/when it's accessing the drive, and it's happening with multiple games, it really sounds like it's the GD-Rom.
It would probably be cheaper, and less hassle just to get a new console, than it would be to buy and install a new GD-Rom Drive.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 29, 2010, 04:47:42 pm
I think I'll have to search for a new console. Problem is I would have to buy it online, second hand at this stage...
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 29, 2010, 09:03:36 pm
There are still plenty of new consoles out there.
Here's one:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/SEGA-DREAMCAST-SYSTE ... 5196f868ec (http://cgi.ebay.ca/SEGA-DREAMCAST-SYSTEM-BUNDLED-2-GAMES-/350425213164?pt=Video_Games&hash=item5196f868ec)
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 29, 2010, 10:34:54 pm
I was about to say 'Fukken SOLD', but realised it's a US system.

Thanks for pointing out there are new ones though, i'll keep my eyes peeled for a PAL system!
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 29, 2010, 10:40:12 pm
No problem. Worst case, you could get a North American one, and mod it to play everything :D.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 30, 2010, 05:12:56 am
Quote from: "SOUP"
No problem. Worst case, you could get a North American one, and mod it to play everything :D.

The only issue with an NA model is then having to get a power converter and fiddle with all that stuff too.  :|
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 30, 2010, 09:29:37 am
Totally forgot you guys had that going on. Is it something that could just be solved by an adapter for the plug?
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: MadeManG74 on December 30, 2010, 02:10:22 pm
Quote from: "SOUP"
Totally forgot you guys had that going on. Is it something that could just be solved by an adapter for the plug?

I'm sure there are adaptors, but I'm not quite sure how much they run for and how they work. I remember that they can be quite expensive, since it requires to change the voltage and everything.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: SOUP on December 30, 2010, 03:42:52 pm
Yikes. Probably best to track down a PAL system then. Or a GD-Rom drive.
Title: Re: I think my Dreamcast is dying
Post by: Wilhelm on January 02, 2011, 06:31:04 pm
I actually just had the RESTART problem happen the other day.
I took it apart and gave it a nice cleaning, like I mean, a very good cleaning
Being a Auto-Detailer and all I got the eye for this stuff, and the steady hands to do so on a motherboard...

Hasn't restarted yet since the cleaning and I've had it on for almost 20 hours straight now, actually ti's been staying pretty cool too... impressive.

And soup,
depends on the brand of CD-R your using
cheap CD-R will destroy it fairly quickly if you get like a Philips or Sony brand of CD-R you'll find it going quiet smooth if you properly burn it and have a DUMMY file on the burnt copy
(Check out TuxTheWise's Dreamcast Resurrection Project for info)

ALSO! That part with the four silver pins...
It's a bitch to pull it out, just make sure when you go to rip it out your supporting it in thr proper places
AND DO NOT!
Loose that plastic piece that should be resting under the circuit board.
It helps pervent dust from getting on the board, I left mine off last year causing this year's clean up to take a little bit longer.