Weird Sega Saturn issue in reading game discs

[Thierry Henry]

If I powered it on as per normal it will read music cd's and video cd's (I have one of those Saturn video cards) but it won't read any games.
If I powered the system on with the lid open and then insert the game and close the lid it will then read the game discs without any issues at all.

So it plays an audio/video cd fine but a Sega Saturn game with no scratches will just dump me to the cd player if the unit is not powered on whilst the lid is open.

It's more an odd type annoyance than anything else, but I'd like to get to the bottom of it if I could.
I mean I've never previously heard of such an issue, so I thought to post it here just in case some might have experienced something similar?

[AppleQueso]

kinda dumb sounding but you did make sure you're using the right region games on the right console, right? No PAL/NTSC mixups going on or something?

[Thierry Henry]

kinda dumb sounding but you did make sure you're using the right region games on the right console, right? No PAL/NTSC mixups going on or something?

It's an NTSC US system. The majority of my Saturn games are from the US.
For other region gaming I use the AR cart.

[flojocabron]

I've had issues with games going straight to cd when I had a crappy memory cart.

have you tried to play a game without it (memory cart) plugged in?

I've never had a video decoder thingy but maybe you should do the same? Remove it and play the game again and see what happens.

I know that some scratched disks go straight into cd/music on the saturn. The saturn has auto play, maybe the setting is wrong?

Maybe the Memory cart needs to be re-inserted? Turn off the saturn and play it without the cart, see if the game boots up. Turn it off and put the cart in again and turn it on again and see if theres anything different?

A few of my games do this, but I manage to make them work. I know i need a new 2032 battery. But I play my saturn in spurts and havent needed a battery in a while. I mostly save to my other cart.

[pierrot]

I don't know if I'm entirely understanding the quirk you're experiencing, but do you keep the AR cart in at all times? When selecting to load a game with the Action Replay, hitting the "C" button will dump you out to the bios screen/CD player.

[Thierry Henry]

I've had issues with games going straight to cd when I had a crappy memory cart.
have you tried to play a game without it (memory cart) plugged in?

I just tried it again to be 100% sure. With or without the AR cart makes no difference.

I've never had a video decoder thingy but maybe you should do the same? Remove it and play the game again and see what happens.

As above.

The saturn has auto play, maybe the setting is wrong?

Even so it would still check the disk format and recognize it as a game or not, and then give the option to "start application".

Maybe the Memory cart needs to be re-inserted? Turn off the saturn and play it without the cart, see if the game boots up. Turn it off and put the cart in again and turn it on again and see if theres anything different?

Tried all that multiple times. Same story each time.

A few of my games do this, but I manage to make them work. I know i need a new 2032 battery. But I play my saturn in spurts and haven't needed a battery in a while. I mostly save to my other cart.

That CR2032 I'm using is brand spanking new. I still swapped it out just to make sure. No difference

I don't know if I'm entirely understanding the quirk you're experiencing, but do you keep the AR cart in at all times? When selecting to load a game with the Action Replay, hitting the "C" button will dump you out to the bios screen/CD player.

Ok so just to repeat and be completely clear.

If the system is switched on (with or without a memory cart, with or without a video card) every single game inserted thereafter will dump me straight to the cd player. It will attempt to "checking disk format". That's as far as it goes. It will not read any game-discs at all.

If however I switch the console on whilst the lid is in the open position and then insert a game and close the lid, it will read the game 100% without any issues.
So the lid has to be open before powering on the system.

It sounds completely bonkers, I know, but there you have it.