Rip Content Protected Cds Without Using the Bundled Software

Don't you hate it when you pop in a music CD, and lo and behold, you can't copy, burn, or even listen to your CD? You have to agree to copyright terms and install software that could possibly damage your computer. As if this wasn't enough, the installed software takes over your computer and only allows 3 copies of the disc.

Steps

  1. You need to disable autorun. Do this by running regedit.exe (Press Start, Run, type regedit, press enter).
  2. In the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom.
  3. Double-click the Autorun value, and type 0 for its value. If it's not there, create it by selecting Edit -> New -> DWORD Value, and typing "Autorun" for its name.
  4. You might have to log out and back in for the change to take effect.
  5. Pop in your music CD. No software should come up when you do this.
  6. Rip, burn, or listen to the CD just as you would do with any normal disc.
  7. You can also disable autorun temporarily by holding shift when you insert the CD. (Keep holding it for a while as the drive spins up and down until the light stays off and you're sure it's done.)
  8. Alternatively, you could just install your favorite distro of linux. Then a few minor packages for MP3 capability and your life will be worry free! (Not for the weak at heart)

Tips

  • The autorun trick only works with some copy protection schemes, namely "MediaMax CD-3" used by RCA Records/BMG. In this case, disabling autorun after the CD has already been inserted once won't help--you will have to remove the driver that was installed without your permission and/or disable autorun before ever inserting the CD. See this Wikipedia article for more information.
  • Copy-protected CDs do not have the official Compact Disc Digital Audio logo on the disc or packaging, and usually have some logo, disclaimer, or other label identifying them as copy-protected.
  • One trick that has been known to work with some disks is to use Windows Media player 8 or higher to rip it. This version of WMP can sometimes read past the copyrights.

Warnings

  • With this solution, Windows will no longer be notified when you insert a new CD. To make sure the correct icon and title for the current CD are displayed in My Computer and Explorer, press F5 to refresh the window.
  • Even with autorun disabled, double-clicking on the drive's icon in Explorer will cause it to autorun anyway, so either right click and choose a different action, or open it from within your playing/ripping/copying program.

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Sources and Citations

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