I think my Dreamcast is dying

[MadeManG74]

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?

[Sharky]

One of my DC's have the exact same problem.

[CrazyT]

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

Edit: Here a guide I found. Hope it helps

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

Many in the comments say that it worked. Never tried it myself.

[SOUP]

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.

[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.

[CrazyT]

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?

[MadeManG74]

Resets to when the game loads up initially.

[cube_b3]

[youtube:27ibdq8r]1VVGoha9BhY[/youtube:27ibdq8r]

[SOUP]

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.

[Sharky]

I should point out I've never played a burnt game... So that can't be the issue.

[cube_b3]

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.

[MadeManG74]

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.

[SOUP]

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.

[MadeManG74]

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...

[SOUP]

There are still plenty of new consoles out there.
Here's one:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/SEGA-DREAMCAST-SYSTE ... 5196f868ec