Secure Your Arcade Heritage with Professional ROM Preservation
Rest easy knowing your arcade game data is safely extracted, verified, and archived using professional methods that protect both the chips and the irreplaceable information they contain.
Return HomeWhat ROM Preservation Provides for Your Collection
Before you can emulate, analyze, or document your arcade systems, you need accurate ROM data safely extracted from the original chips. Our preservation service gives you verified, intact digital copies while keeping your physical hardware undamaged. This foundational step protects your collection against data loss and creates possibilities for future preservation work.
Safe Extraction Methods
Non-destructive techniques that read chip data without risking damage to your original hardware or the irreplaceable information stored within.
Verified Data Integrity
Multiple extraction passes with checksum verification ensure the data we capture accurately represents what's stored on your chips.
Professional Archival
Properly formatted archives with metadata documenting chip types, board revisions, and extraction details for long-term preservation.
The Risk of Losing Irreplaceable Data
Your arcade boards contain EPROMs and mask ROMs storing game data that may exist nowhere else. These chips are aging—EPROMs gradually lose their charge, and even mask ROMs can develop read errors as packaging materials degrade. Each year that passes increases the risk that data becomes unreadable or corrupted. Once lost, this information may be impossible to recover.
Perhaps you've considered extracting ROM data yourself, but the technical requirements feel daunting. Different chip types require specific programmers and extraction procedures. Incorrect voltage settings or improper socket insertion can damage chips permanently. Without experience handling vintage ROM chips, the risk of destroying irreplaceable data during amateur extraction attempts seems too high.
You also wonder about legal considerations surrounding ROM preservation. Intellectual property laws remain complex in this area, and you want to approach preservation responsibly. Professional guidance would help you understand the proper procedures and documentation that support legitimate preservation efforts while respecting copyright concerns.
Our ROM Preservation Methodology
We use professional-grade equipment and proven techniques to extract ROM data safely. Our process prioritizes both chip safety and data accuracy, ensuring you receive verified archives while your physical hardware remains undamaged.
Specialized Equipment
We maintain a collection of professional ROM programmers compatible with various chip types found in arcade hardware. Each programmer is configured with correct voltage levels, timing parameters, and pin assignments for specific chip families. This specialized equipment allows safe reading without risking damage from incorrect electrical characteristics.
Multiple Verification Passes
We extract each ROM multiple times using different read speeds and verification methods. Checksum calculations confirm consistency across extraction passes. If any discrepancy appears, we investigate whether it indicates read errors or actual chip degradation. This verification process ensures the archived data accurately represents chip contents.
Archival Best Practices
ROM dumps are stored in standard formats with comprehensive metadata. Documentation includes chip types, board identification, extraction dates, verification checksums, and any anomalies observed during reading. This contextual information helps with future preservation work and establishes provenance for the archived data.
Legal Guidance
We provide information about intellectual property considerations relevant to ROM preservation. While we're not attorneys and can't provide legal advice, we explain common preservation practices and documentation approaches that support legitimate archival efforts. You receive guidance on maintaining proper records and understanding preservation context.
Your Preservation Experience
Working with us on ROM preservation feels straightforward and careful. We handle your arcade hardware with respect, understanding that these boards represent both financial investment and gaming history. Throughout the process, you stay informed about what we're doing and why.
Hardware Assessment
You send us your arcade boards or ROM chips, carefully packaged to prevent shipping damage. Upon arrival, we document the hardware condition and identify all ROM chips requiring extraction. We contact you if we discover any concerns about chip condition or if we need clarification about extraction priorities. This assessment typically completes within two business days of receiving your hardware.
Extraction Process
We carefully extract ROM data using appropriate equipment for each chip type. The process involves multiple read passes with verification between each extraction. If we encounter chips with read errors or inconsistent data, we employ specialized techniques to maximize successful data recovery. Throughout extraction, we maintain detailed notes documenting our procedures and observations.
Data Verification
After initial extraction, we verify data integrity through multiple methods. Checksums confirm consistency across read passes. We compare against known good dumps when available in preservation databases. Any anomalies receive investigation to determine whether they represent actual chip contents or read errors requiring additional extraction attempts.
Archive Delivery
You receive your preserved ROM data on secure storage media along with comprehensive documentation. The archive includes verified ROM dumps, extraction metadata, chip identification details, and preservation notes. Your physical hardware returns safely packaged with handling information. The entire process typically completes within one to two weeks depending on chip quantity and complexity.
Investment in Data Security
For professional ROM preservation service
What's Included
- Professional hardware assessment
- Non-destructive ROM extraction
- Multiple verification passes with checksums
- Specialized recovery for degraded chips
- Properly formatted archive files
- Complete extraction documentation and metadata
- Legal preservation guidance
- Secure return shipping of original hardware
Why This Matters for Your Collection
ROM preservation represents the essential first step in any arcade preservation effort. Without accurate ROM data, you can't develop emulators, create reproductions, or analyze how your games work. This service ensures you have verified source material before chips degrade beyond readability.
The peace of mind alone has value. You'll know your game data exists in secure digital form regardless of what happens to physical chips. If a ROM fails completely, you have verified backups. If you decide to pursue emulation later, the necessary source material is already preserved and verified.
This investment also protects against data loss that can't be undone. Once ROM data becomes unreadable, recovery may be impossible. Professional preservation performed now, while chips remain accessible, prevents scenarios where irreplaceable game data disappears forever.
Our Verification Standards
ROM preservation quality depends on verification rigor rather than extraction speed. We use multiple methods to confirm data accuracy and document our findings transparently.
Multi-Pass Verification
Every ROM undergoes at least three complete extraction passes at different read speeds. We calculate checksums for each pass and compare results. Consistent checksums across all passes indicate successful extraction. Any inconsistency triggers additional passes and investigation into potential chip degradation or read errors.
This verification approach catches problems that single-pass extraction misses. We've discovered cases where initial reads appeared successful but comparison with subsequent passes revealed intermittent errors requiring specialized recovery techniques.
Typical Turnaround
ROM preservation projects typically complete within one to two weeks after we receive your hardware. Standard arcade boards with common chip types process quickly, while unusual or degraded chips requiring specialized handling may extend the timeline slightly.
We contact you immediately if we discover any complications affecting the extraction timeline or if we need clarification about your preservation goals. You won't be left wondering about status—we communicate proactively throughout the process.
Data Integrity Measures
Archived ROM data includes multiple verification checksums using different algorithms. We document any anomalies observed during extraction, such as borderline read timing or inconsistent bytes. This metadata helps anyone working with the ROM dumps understand data quality and potential concerns.
When possible, we compare extracted data against known good dumps in preservation databases. Matches confirm successful extraction, while differences receive investigation to determine whether they represent legitimate board variations or extraction problems.
Handling Standards
Your arcade hardware receives careful handling throughout the preservation process. We use anti-static workstations, proper chip handling tools, and appropriate storage during our work. Boards remain in climate-controlled environments and are packaged securely for return shipping.
We photograph hardware before and after preservation work, documenting the condition we received it in and how it looked upon completion. This transparency ensures you have complete records of how your hardware was handled.
Our Preservation Assurances
Hardware Safety
We use only non-destructive extraction methods. Your chips and boards remain undamaged throughout the preservation process.
Verified Extraction
If verification reveals data integrity problems, we continue extraction attempts using specialized techniques at no additional charge.
Complete Documentation
Every preservation project includes comprehensive documentation explaining what we extracted, how we verified it, and any observations made during the process.
Why Professional Preservation Matters
ROM preservation requires specialized equipment and experience that amateur extraction efforts often lack. Incorrect voltages damage chips permanently. Improper handling techniques can introduce static discharge destroying data. Without verification protocols, you might not discover corrupted extractions until it's too late to try again.
Our professional approach eliminates these risks. You receive verified ROM data knowing the extraction was performed correctly and your hardware remains undamaged. This foundation supports any future preservation work you choose to pursue.
Getting Started with ROM Preservation
Beginning ROM preservation is straightforward. We handle the technical complexity while keeping the process clear and comfortable for you.
Describe Your Hardware
Contact us through the form on our homepage describing the arcade boards or ROM chips you need preserved. Include information about the games, board types, and any concerns about chip condition. Photos of the hardware help us prepare appropriate extraction equipment before receiving your shipment.
Receive Shipping Instructions
We provide detailed packing and shipping guidance ensuring your hardware arrives safely. This includes recommendations for anti-static protection, secure packaging materials, and shipping methods appropriate for valuable electronics. We want your arcade hardware to reach us in the same condition it left your location.
Preservation Work Begins
After receiving your hardware, we conduct initial assessment and begin ROM extraction. We keep you updated throughout the process, notifying you when extraction completes and when your hardware ships back. The entire preservation process typically takes one to two weeks depending on chip quantity and any complications we encounter.
Receive Your Archives
You receive verified ROM dumps on secure storage media along with complete documentation. Your original hardware returns safely packaged with any handling notes. The archives are ready for whatever preservation work you plan next—whether that's emulator development, hardware analysis, or simply secure long-term storage.
Ready to Preserve Your ROM Data?
Connect with our preservation team to discuss ROM extraction for your arcade hardware. We'll explain the process, answer your questions, and help you understand how professional preservation protects your collection's digital heritage.
Start Your Preservation ProjectBuild on ROM Preservation with Advanced Services
Once you have preserved ROM data, these advanced services help you create working preservation solutions from your archived source material.
Custom Emulator Development
Transform your preserved ROM data into working emulation software. Custom emulators recreate original hardware behavior using your verified ROM dumps as source material, providing authentic gameplay on modern platforms.
FPGA Implementation Services
Achieve hardware-level preservation by recreating original arcade circuits in FPGA logic. This approach uses your preserved ROM data while matching original hardware behavior at the circuit level.