Question : Problem: CD WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?

Working on a forensic job.  Need to determine WHEN a CD was copied with a disk copier similar to Easy CD creator.  The standard tools that read ATIP info which unfortunately gives the date the CD was initially mastered.  We are dealing with CD's that are copied, according to a quick experiment with a manufactured disk, the Content Date reported by Nero Info Tool is the same value on a copy and original. Where to look for hidden information about when the copy was done?

Answer : Problem: CD WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?

Do you know the specific copy utility that was used?   As knoxzoo noted, the goal of a good copier is to make an EXACT copy -- so there may very well be no indication of the date it was made.   That's the reason Microsoft uses disk holograms to identify legitimate copies of their software -- they tried various schemes to embed info on the CD's, but the duplication industry could duplicate any of them.   So they resorted to a physical modification of the CD (holograms) that is very difficult to duplicate; and to the activation process so the copies couldn't be used.

IF by chance the original disc used a copy protection mechanism, then the copy will most likely be identifiable as to what technique was used to bypass the copy protection;  but from your description this does not appear to be the case.   So I suspect you simply won't be able to identify the date the copy was made.  Even very detailed forensic analysis software (e.g. Infinadyne's CD/DVD Inspector) is not likely to be able to help -- they are focused on recovering WHAT is on the disc, and showing everything that was ever recordered on it; but in a disc copy case (i.e. not a FILE copy case) the only thing ever recorded on the blank is most likely simpy an exact copy of the original CD.


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