DVD writer keeps failing

[Peegee]

I have a hypothesis that a cd with a finger print on the bottom may have triggered something, but:

I can't burn dvds. After two failed DVD-R data cds, I decided to not burn anything until it passes the simulation sequence -- no dice. It runs to about 20% or whenever, and then fails. I've tried different discs, so I feel less certain it is the fault of the cd. Are there any software related tests I can run? Or any other potential solutions?

[Shoeberto]

Removing then reinstalling your burning program.
Driver updates.
That's all I can suggest.

[Peegee]

I've tried a firmware upgrade and a different burning program. It usually gives me 'buffer underrun error' even though I have protection on, fails at lower write speeds, or sometimes it gives me this bizarre error where it somehow forgets where it's written previously and thus spits out the disc.

;_;

[Baloki]

You may not have enough free hard disc space, 2 solutions a) free up more hard disc space, b) try the 'burn on the fly' option. If neither work sorry I couldn't help

[Shoeberto]

I've tried a firmware upgrade and a different burning program. It usually gives me 'buffer underrun error' even though I have protection on, fails at lower write speeds, or sometimes it gives me this bizarre error where it somehow forgets where it's written previously and thus spits out the disc.

;_;

Did you happen to upgrade to SP2 recently? I've been having the same problems with my CDRW spitting out coasters due to buffer underrun. Doesn't seem to have the same problem on CDRWs, just CDRs.

[crono_logical]

You may not have enough free hard disc space, 2 solutions a) free up more hard disc space, b) try the 'burn on the fly' option. If neither work sorry I couldn't help

Add defrag to the list too, I don't know what software you're using to burn, but it might be making this huge but horribly fragmented 4.7 GB temp image file before burning. Try testing/burning at 1x too. You can also check the cables, and see if the drive's running in DMA mode like it should be.

[Peegee]

"done" to everything. I think it *could* be the media (which is annoying because I have like 40 dvds unused). Any more ideas while I wait for friday to come along?

[Peegee]

update: I did the following:

- merged all the data drives (ie: not the boot and install files partitions) into one big 107 gig partition.
- downloaded/moved files over
- tested burning capability -- failed
- went out and bought new dvds
- burned
- it works

Why? I want to know why I have a stack of 40/50 dvds which seem to all fail. I would understand if it were one or five or even ten, but it seems as if all the dvds aren't working. Bizarre?

[Yrkoon]

some writers dont like certain makes of discs maybe it didnt like the make of the discs u had and the new ones u bought were a different make or a newer manufacturing revision of the same make.

[NM]

"Buffer Underrun" is usually caused by lack of RAM. Don't really see it these days as systems have alot more memory than in the days when CD-RW's first came out, plus the drives all come with buffer underrun protection built in. However the specs on DVD burners can be quite high, if you have a drive that burns at 4x and above.

Questions.

How much memory do you have in your system?
How much stuff do you have running in startup? (And by startup I don't mean that pointless folder on your programs menu.)

Run MSCONFIG from Start > Run and see how many programs windows is opening at startup. If you've never been into it before, don't worry you won't break anything. Just take the ticks out of the check box's. You can put anything you take out back in by repeating the process and checking the box again.