How do I backup PS2 games?

[V|P]

Okay, I just had San Andreas die on me because of my stupid little brother, and I have to backup my other games. So how would I do this. Also, does anyone know how I could bring San Andreas back? I looked at the back and it's clean except for one huge scratch because he scratched it against the corner of a glass coffee table. Also, once I do back it up, will it be possible to play these on a DVD R, or will I need to get some chip or mod my precious PS2 to play them. I have an emulator already, but I'd rather not play it on my PC with the keyboard, and I don't have a USB controller at the moment. One more thing: I heard it's illegal to play these with an emulator even if you own the real game and console. Is that true?

EDIT: Okay, I made an image of GTA3 with CloneCD and then I mounted it and tried to play it with the emu, but it won't work. I'm hoping this is a problem with the emulator....

[Thrax]

Short version: You can't.
Long version: You can make copies of the disc, but they'll only play with a mod chip. Yes, it's illegal to make archival copies. Thanks DMCA!

[tcith]

Mod chips are legal in this country (meaning down here in Ozzie Land)

http://www.cnet.com.au/games/ps2/0,39029672,40057408,00.htm

[tmh88]

modchips are legal here too in the US. Its just the bios that YOU have to flash onto them that is illegal. When you buy a modchip (xbox for instance) most come with the cromwell bios pre-flashed which is 100% legal. The only thing is you have to reflash it with a hacked bios that contains copyrighted MS code. Without reflashing it with the new bios the modchip is useless.

Xbox modchips are a simple concept. It is just essentially a 2nd bios that overpasses the one on the motherboard. Once its overpassed you can get the bios to allow you to do other things, primarily change the dashboard and run other software.

[tcith]

Actually here in Oz the complete modification is legal, comes complete with the Bios flashed, otherwise the mod could not perform as stated in the court case.

Australian consumer law is very broad, it is an Australian's right to purchase any product they like from anywhere in the world (assuming the product is not illicit or breaches customs laws) and have it work here.

Thus all DVD players sold in Australia must have the capability to be made multi region to allow us to play DVD's from any region.

The same is for Games and modifying the console to play overseas games is not illegal and the great thing is that you can get it done by reputable electronics store or even buy the consoles off the shelf pre mod'd.

Both Microsoft and Sony have had to bend to this law
Also backup copies of disks owned has been deemed not illegal here (very grey area and is still being debated in the courts) as copyright law currently has not quite caught up to the digital age here.

[Thrax]

Let's hear it for not having megacorporations buying their way into draconian federal policy.

[Gargoyle]

A friend of mine got a program that lets you back up games to a USB hard drive. He says some things load slower, but games are playable (the PS2 is USB 1.1).

[airbornflght]

how do they fit!!? Those games are on DVD's, lets say its only half filled, that is still 2 gigs, or 4 if its a dual layer disc.

[Cyclonite]

Umm, airborn, recent hard drive are usually at least 40 GB. I'll let you figure out the rest. ;)

[airbornflght]

ohh...i thought he said usb flash drive, not hard drive, i see now, it was late, can you blame me.

[V|P]

ohh...i thought he said usb flash drive, not hard drive, i see now, it was late, can you blame me.
I read Flash for a minute too. BTW, could you tell me how to put them on an external drive and play them?

[tmh88]

modchip + hard drive = playable games from hard drive

[GrayFox]

You probably want to check out something like hdloader (http://www.hdloader.net/) If you don't want to get a mod chip. (Also the older revisions of the game shark made great boot disks to get around the copy protection)