DVD/CD-Writer issues

[oliB]

Hey!

There's something wrong with my DVD/CD-writer, maybe you guys can help me figure out what it is. I've already wasted 4 CDS trying to burn a regular Data CD (BMI and JC - Heaven and Hell). Here's what happens:

I insert the CD-R, choose the files in Nero and start the writing process. Everything appears to be normal, progress bar normal, no error message, nothing. After a while it tells me it's done. When I try to read the CD though, the Writer tells me it's empty and my regular DVD-drive can't read it at all. It's not empty tho, I can't use the CD-R again and carefully looking at it confirms that it is indeed not empty.

Hopefully it's not broken, just some software issue. The drive is about 2.5 years old, which means it's out of warranty and I won't get a free replacement. I also have a new laptop, which I could use to burn CDs or DVDs. Using this instead would be somewhat of a hassle though, as I'm still using my Desktop PC when I'm at home.

Thanks!
Oliver

[flamingice]

I've had that problem occasionally... bu never 4 CD's in a row. If it was me with the problem, I'd probably go and buy a RW CD, and fiddle around with stuff and see if I can get it to work. The first thing I'd try doing is using a different burning program, see if that helps at all.

Good luck.

[AxlxA]

my experience with cdrw and dvdrw burning cd is that....

i owned 3 dvdrw. all 3's cdrw lens i guess broke due to excessive burning. Now i cannot even burn cds with my dvdrw. I have to use a separate cdrw drive. But your problem seems as if it DOES burn but it tells you it is done. does the discs look normal to you? do you see that ring around the disk when the new data is written? do you have another computer to try it on?

[Buba]

The writing prog doesn't tell you there is a problem?

I had this once, and received a new drive (and a way better one...) only to encounter half a cake of CD-Rs was bad...

Buba

[jensked]

Have you already tried another burning program?

And what happens if you burn one and tell Nero to verify the data after the writing?

[flamingice]

And what happens if you burn one and tell Nero to verify the data after the writing?

Ahh, yes. Forgot about that.

[bone]

already tried burning with another software?

try WMP or the tool you get with windows

[oliB]

Thanks for all the quick replies guys!

What Buba said about bad CD-Rs reminded me of something. I took the CD-Rs out of a pack I just recently opened. I've now tried burning BMI on one of the CD-RWs I had laying around and it worked flawlessly, including the verification thing.

I've had successful burns before though and the CD-Rs also work with my laptop. Looks like they just don't seem to work very well with my desktop PC writer. Anyways, I come to the conclusion that my writer is not broken which makes me very happy! Everybody agree?

[jensked]

You happy, me happy.

[AxlxA]

now what can you do about that cake of bad CD-rs. I say warranty it with the manufactuer!

probably shipping would cost more than buying a new pack

[oliB]

Well, I can burn stuff on the CD-Rs with my laptop and they are readable afterwards. Hence, the problem doesn't seem to be so much that the CD-Rs are "bad" in general, this brand just doesn't work very well with my CD/DVD-writer. I have to admit though, that's the first time I'm having those sort of problems in ~2.5 years.

I think I'll just burn the remaining ones, still almost 20 CD-Rs, with my laptop and buy another brand next time!

[bone]

emtec or philips

the only brands i buy

[Buba]

Verbatim, TDK and Benq DVD-Rs and Platinum CD-Rs here...

[oliB]

The "bad ones" I have ATM are from Tevion. Bought at Aldi, the biggest German discounter for those who don't know. Guess I'll pay the prenium for better CD-Rs next time!

[Buba]

Tevion aren't that cheap anymore, are they? Last time I bought Platinum CD-Rs (had maybe 500 of them and never problems) they were 8 Euros for 50... @Walmart

[jeffy777]

The "bad ones" I have ATM are from Tevion. Bought at Aldi, the biggest German discounter for those who don't know. Guess I'll pay the prenium for better CD-Rs next time!

Hey, we got Aldi here in the US as well. I love that place.

Bad CD-Rs are always nice for target practice, cup coasters, or miniture fisbees. Some colors serve as nice pocket mirrors as well.

[mautzel]

Should remember not to buy any Aldi CD-R's any more, though I didn't have problems with them before - now that we're already talking about CD-R's: did anybody ever encounter problems with the durability of CD-RW's? I checked one of my back-ups today just to realise that neither my DVD nor my CD drive could read that particular Intenso CD-RW any more (I had the same problem with the same CD-RW's last year when I really needed them because my computer DID break down, somehow I luckily could recover all my missing data from the hard disc afterwards). All the CD-RW's were probably 1,5 - 2,5 years old and I did overwrite them several times before, adn I stored them in my cupboard, so Light shouldn't have caused the loss.

[oliB]

Tevion aren't that cheap anymore, are they? Last time I bought Platinum CD-Rs (had maybe 500 of them and never problems) they were 8 Euros for 50... @Walmart

No clue how much they were. I usually don't look at the prices when buying stuff at the supermarket to be honest, at least not if it's something as trivial as CD-Rs. But I'll probably buy Intensos or something like that next time at some electronics retailer.

did anybody ever encounter problems with the durability of CD-RW's?

I never had problems reading CD-RWs. I have no idea what the oldest one was/is though, so no real long-term experience here...

The "bad ones" I have ATM are from Tevion. Bought at Aldi, the biggest German discounter for those who don't know. Guess I'll pay the prenium for better CD-Rs next time!

Hey, we got Aldi here in the US as well. I love that place.

You do?? (Ok, a look at their hp confirms it.) I have never seen an Aldi store in the US even though I've been to the states like a hundred times... I'll watch out on my next trip!

[bone]

Should remember not to buy any Aldi CD-R's any more, though I didn't have problems with them before - now that we're already talking about CD-R's: did anybody ever encounter problems with the durability of CD-RW's? I checked one of my back-ups today just to realise that neither my DVD nor my CD drive could read that particular Intenso CD-RW any more (I had the same problem with the same CD-RW's last year when I really needed them because my computer DID break down, somehow I luckily could recover all my missing data from the hard disc afterwards). All the CD-RW's were probably 1,5 - 2,5 years old and I did overwrite them several times before, adn I stored them in my cupboard, so Light shouldn't have caused the loss.

HELL YEAH!!!

i've never been able to use an RW for longer than 2 months, they always start giving errors

and i neither knew there were aldis in the US. and buba, you go to wallmart? in germany? didn't know there were any in europe

[mautzel]

2 months! What are you doing with them?

I was really surprised to see that Aldi is well represented all over Britain when I went there last year as is Lidl (but only Lidl is offering most of the stuff which you can buy in Germany as well, the sortiment of Aldi differs quite a lot abroad).

Walmart is rather common in Germany, they took over another store chain which was called Wertkauf ten or fifteen years ago and simply renamed all their stores - I hardly go shopping there at all because the nearest Walmart I know to my place is about 30Km away.