I follow this guide http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=126424 point by point, and I end up getting the error
"Unable to authenticate disc within time limit.
Try again?"
For the Data Position Measurement speed I've tried both 1x and 12x, there's no reason my writer should prefer a setting between those two, is there? I'm writing with a TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H552L
What's odd is even if I try to mount the patched disc image in a virtual drive with alcohol, I get the some message. Anyone know why? Does it matter what type of writable CD I'm using? (I'd think not, since like I said, the image doesn't even work virtually, and it gives the time limit error rather than the "this is a backup CD, use the original", error it gives with poorly made backups)

Can you upload your .mds (zip) file? Which SecuROM version is used on the disc?

It uses Securom 7
I'll have the image up in a bit, I actually deleted it so I'll need to make it again. What's a good place to upload it to?

http://savefile.com/files/384754
Here's the mds
I don't need to upload the mdf too, do I?
also, is there an edit function on these forums? I can't find it anywhere....

Edit: okay, now it shows up, but not for my previous post...eh, whatever, anyway here's the file.

You can edit your post 30 min. Just the mds file but not the patched one the original one and you can attach it to your post for example compressed to zip.

k, here's the unpatched .mds in a zip file, thanks

The .mds file looks good. As you get the "Unable to authenticate disc within time limit.
Try again?" pop-up I would recreate the image and patch it again with the guide you used and try another drive. You can use a CDRW disc so you won't waste any CDs.

p.s. If you use your CDRW/DVDRW you have to enable Ingore Media Type in Alcohol's emulation settings.

What exactly do you mean it "looks good"? Like, did you try it and it worked, or what? Because I have recreated the image, about a dozen times now....
I would try another drive, but my computer actually only has the one disc drive.
And no, I don't have an RW, I have roughly 500 -Rs I should definately buy some rewrightables sometime, lol.

An example of a good and bad .mds file here.

This may also be a problem (quoted from the tutorial you used)

Can you be more precise about your drive/s (model, CDRW, DVDRW, DVDROM, CDROM)?

It's an HP lightscribe DVD+-, CD- writer, umm..model number...well, as I said, the description of it when I go to properties is
TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H552L

hmm, the tutorial also says this

"One additional advantage of this method though is that if by chance you’re unlucky and the copy won’t work at all from any of your drives, you can always make an RMPS emulation copy by simply burning the original unpatched image files with alcohol using Securom *New (4.x/5.x) datatype settings."

What does it mean by "make an RMPS emulation copy"? I can very honestly say I don't have a very firm understanding of this, I've simply been following basic instructions, lol, so I really don't know what that means or how to do it. Like, how would that be an emulation copy if I'm burning it? An explanation would be appreciated, unless the source of my original problem can be found. Because that may be my only option at this point, if it just won't work in my drive.

Seems like it's not working with your drive. You can use your original image and create an emulated copy so you'll have to enable RMPS emulation in Alcohol to run your backup. The TwinPeak copy is independent of such emulation so no extra software is needed if it works.
So start Alcohol--> Image Burning Wizard--> select your original image (not the patched one!)--> choose Datatype Securom 4/5/7 (see screenshot)--> when burning process is finished enable RMPS emulation as mentioned before.

okay, I'll try that

well, I burned a copy like that, and enabled RMPS, but what do I do now? Do I need to change some settings for my particular drive, or what? Because the disc does not work currently.

Recheck your settings using this guide Illustrated guide to copying SecuROM 7 *with RMPS emulation* maybe you missed something.