I just got a Dreamcast but I'm having some bother with it.

[halfacandan]

Hi. Basically, it'll play CDs but not the game that it came with. I only have the one game to test it with and it doesn't seem too scratched. I opened up the DC and tried the "potentiometer fix" but that didn't help. It managed to load the game once when I had taken the DC's top off but I couldn't get it to repeat this. When I start the console up with the game in, it'll go to the dashboard but when I try to play the game, it'll either tell me to insert a disc or it'll go to a white loading screen with the sega logo before returning to the dashboard. Is this the "random reset" problem I've read about or is the laser/lens broken? Any help would me much appreciated.

Thanks
Dan

[Space Monkey]

It sounds like the drive, you could download and burn a homebrew disc to test it with.

[halfacandan]

I'm not quite sure how to burn a homebrew disc. I couldn;t find a guide. Also, is there anywhere that'd sell me a new lens or drive unit for less than the cost of a new console?

Thanks
Dan

[Kron]

If its going straight to the dash then its the hardware problem that starts the random reset.

Its very easy to fix as its just the lid switch at the rear right of the disc drive assembly.

[anephric]

Or, dundundun, it could just have a dirty lens - give it a clean with an oh-so-slightly damp cotton bud.

[Commander Marklar]

Could just be a crap disc, there are plenty of DC games like it. Not Worms, is it? That ones notorious

[halfacandan]

Could just be a crap disc, there are plenty of DC games like it. Not Worms, is it? That ones notorious

It's Sonic Adventures. I'm going to try to load a homebrew disc as suggested previously...They'll load without a mod chip fitted right?

Thanks for all the responses. I'll give the random reset fix a go and if that fails I'm sure I'll find some use for the console...perhaps an itx project is called for

Thanks again
Dan

[MikeRox]

yeah u don't need a mod chip to play anything on the DC as there was an exploit that gets around the copyright protection so most discs are even self booting (though originally u had to use a boot disc)

[halfacandan]

Right, I tried the random reset fix, cleaning the pins with acetone and it loaded he disc fine...then I put the cover back on and it all started again. I tried adding some solder to the pins and have checked that there is a connection between the pins and the PSU (there is) but I'm still having the problem. It isn't the lever which the lid operates as the disc spins up fine. I want to try burning a homebrew disc but I haven't been able to find any guides to this. Basically, I don't care what I try to load, so long as it's simple to burn to a CD. Any pointers or disc images much appreciated.

Thanks
Dan

Scratch that last request. I just stumbled across http://www.dcevolution.net/DCHelp/

[halfacandan]

Well, it works fine with the Homebrew image that I downloaded but does that mean anything? It could play audio CDs fine. I'm guessing that a GDROM is a bit different to a CDROM so could the laser still be faultyor is it more likely to be the DC game which I had?

Thanks
Dan

[SegaMark]

Possibly the game. With Rez, my PAL DC acts like a bitch, even though are both in as new condition. Is it just the one GDROM game you own?

[halfacandan]

Possibly the game. With Rez, my PAL DC acts like a bitch, even though are both in as new condition. Is it just the one GDROM game you own?

Yep...and I traded it in at gamestation today. I may pick up Chu-chu rocket for 50p next time I'm in and try that out...got a sneaking suspicion though that I wont be able to get any GDROMS to load on the machine...you never know though unitl you've tried.

Dan

[SegaMark]

Where did you get the machine?

[halfacandan]

Where did you get the machine?

It was part of a big lot that hadn't been tested. All the other consoles worked (2xMD1, an MD2 & 2 PSONEs) so I'm not too bothered if it's faulty. I was only going to sell it.

Dan

[MikeRox]

u tend to get random games that won't work in a Dreamcast console, yet will work perfectly fine in others and every other game will work with that console too (one of my DCs won't run Suzuki Alstare Racing or Gauntlet Legends but my other one will)