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Brand new burning woes
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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19. October 2004 @ 18:57 |
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Good advice, and thanks for the welcome. I have to admit, I've "lurked" around these forums now and again, but I've never posted before. It's nice to find forums like this, where people are actually willing to help out newbies instead of the usual flaming and general nastiness you find on 99% of boards across the net.
Thanks again, the help and hospitality is much appreciated, and I'll definitely become a little more active around here, when possible (if I actually have something helpful to contribute). I'll let you know how I fare with the backup project...
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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20. October 2004 @ 19:38 |
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OK, here's the update, and I think I've actually ripped all of my hair out now...
Scuba, I followed your instructions to a T, and still got the "focus or tracking" error. I just cannot figure it out, and I've wasted 6 or 7 dvd+r's now. Any other ideas of what could be wrong? Do you think my drive might be faulty? It reads commercial dvds fine, and even dvd+r's that I've used to back up files from my HD (these I made using RecordNow). I also use it to burn CDs and never have a problem.
One wierd thing I did notice: if I pop in a blank dvd+r, then go to My Computer, right-click on the drive, and go to Properties, it always comes up as 0 bytes free and 0 bytes used. However, if I put in a blank CD and check it, it comes up as 0 bytes used and 702 MB free (which is what you should expect). Does this matter? Is this normal? Am I just grasping at straws?
Any suggestions?
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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20. October 2004 @ 19:48 |
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Actually, one other thing, and maybe I didn't follow your directions as exactly as I thought - I don't have Nero 6 Ultra, I have Nero OEM with Express 6 and BackItUp. I thought that some of the stuff I was looking at didn't exactly fit your descriptions (I may have gotten a little overexcited).
Does this make a huge difference?
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jake180
Junior Member
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20. October 2004 @ 19:57 |
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BigJMoney,
I am somewhat new to the whole burning thing, but if i can make a suggestion ... why not just forget Nero altogether and use DVD Shrink along with DVD Decrypter which are both free and extremely easy to use yet very powerful. Nero used to be the burn-all cure-all for me when i was making cd's back in the day but i find when it comes to dvd's it causes more headaches then good dvd's. I followed Pete's wonderful guide which i am sure he can link you to ... and i haven't looked back ever since. but that's just a suggestion ... not a reccomondation or anything..
cheers.
...Just another stupid question with a simple answer...that's me!
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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20. October 2004 @ 20:19 |
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Thanks Jake, I appreciate it. If you or Pete could link me to that guide, I'm willing to try just about anything right now to get this to work. I finally wised up and got a DVD+RW disc, too, so that if I keep making coasters, I can just erase and try again until I get it right...
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 20. October 2004 @ 20:19
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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21. October 2004 @ 08:51 |
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Finally...Success! I used DVD Shrink to make the ISO and Decrypter to burn, and it worked! However, a couple more quick questions:
I used a DVD+RW disc this time. Will that make a huge difference? I don't want to burn any more DVD+R coasters, but I'd rather use R's instead of RW's to save my backups.
Also, the movie seemed shaky, or jumpy somehow, as if the whole thing was shot with a steadycam. From the moment I popped it in, it was sort of moving around within the letterbox frame. The actual picture quality was fine, though. Is this something that can be fixed?
Thanks again for all of your help, I hope I'm not being too much of a newb pain.
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Rammie
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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21. October 2004 @ 11:01 |
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I guess I didn't do enough reading.. I didn't know decrypter was a burning program.
I'll have to read a bit more to find out whether it will work with DVD-Rs too.
I always thought decrypter was to remove the encryption and shrink was to make it fit on one 4.7 gig drive.
Man you learn a lot here.
Keep it coming guys.. till my head explodes <BG>
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BigJMoney
Newbie
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21. October 2004 @ 11:35 |
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Yeah, Rammie, it's actually pretty cool. I used Decrypter to rip, then I opened the files in Shrink, and reauthored, and then when you hit "Backup" and it asks for a target (which it usually has as your burner drive), you can change it to "create ISO and burn with DVD Decryptor" or something like that (I don't remember the actual wording). It's the only way that's worked so far for me, but at least it worked!
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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21. October 2004 @ 12:38 |
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Hey, hey BigJMoney,
Glad you got your burn. Go right ahead and use your DVD-/+ R.
When you're burning, keep everything away from the PC, use it for nothing. AAMOF, it would be good to close down any thing you don't have to have in msconfig. It's good anyway as your PC will be able to boot faster. You want all the resources you have to be available when you're burning.
Lastly, what media are you using ?
You cannot "Cheat" on any of my directions.
Now, give it a shot and see if it doesn't turn out better.
Report back after your next burn -
Pete
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Rammie
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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31. October 2004 @ 14:07 |
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Well well.. I just got the replacement dvd durner back.
For all that was wrong before it's gone now.
Here's what I did....
1.) installed it as the secondary master
2.) went and got some real Ritek DVD-r
3.) tried both the Nero and the shrink to burn with as instructed in previous messages..
4.) EVERYTHING is working great.. thanks people.. obviously it was a bad burner from the start.
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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31. October 2004 @ 15:39 |
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Rammie,
I'm glad you found out what it was, it was giving us a headache -
We're glad that your problem's solved.
Let's not think about saying "Goodbye" just yet -
We'd still like you to stop by and visit even when you don't have problems you need help with - "Pop" in when you can and cruise around the different forums. You never know when we might have something that can make your computer work a little easier. You might pickup some valuable tips to boot. Checkout the "Safety Valve", it's a place where we "Chew the fat" on just about every topic under the sun. As an extra added bonus, when you see another person with a problem and you feel you might know something that could help, join in. As the Ogre said to the Cyclops, " Three heads are better than two." (Lol) You'll then see how much fun we have helping others. As a current member of our little club you can welcome the new guys in -
We'll look forward to seeing you. "Me ?" You'll find me hangin' out over there by the water cooler, sittin' under the potted palm with my feet propped up, sipping on a "cold one", waiting for the next "Newbie" with a problem that I can help them with - maybe you'd like to join me . . . ?
I'll be lQQkin for you - -
Till then,
I'll be Sea'n you -
Pete ;p)
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bonky
Newbie
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1. November 2004 @ 14:54 |
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I have the same problem but , i dont have a DVD burner and i tried to install Nero and the next thing i know BOTH MY D: AND F: drives are GONE!!!!! what the hell do i do now, since i cant re-install with discs. I dont have a floppy to re-install the drives. The drives are in the comp....but it says they are not installed and unable to work...... please help me!!!!
thanks
E-dizzle-Dub
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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1. November 2004 @ 15:54 |
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Hi bonky,
Quote:
I tried to install Nero and the next thing I know BOTH MY D: AND F: drives are GONE!!!!!
I don't believe that installing Nero caused your drives to go But most of today's PC will find the drives upon rebooting. If for some reason your PC is running an O/S so old it won't do that, then go online to the mfgr web site and download the proper disc info and launch your drives from there.
Cheers,
Pete
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bonky
Newbie
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1. November 2004 @ 16:15 |
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could you possibly give me a link to that?
E-dizzle-Dub
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mimans21
Junior Member
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1. November 2004 @ 17:13 |
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Hey,
Ok, I followed all the steps of Subapete using DVD Shrink and DVD Decypter. I still have problems burning DVDs. Some movies work fine but then others are all fuzzy at the end or half way mark of the movie.
It sucks. Did anyone else have this problem, and is there anyway to make the DVD perfect everytime or at least 99 percent of the time. Help Me.
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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2. November 2004 @ 16:35 |
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bonky,
Quote:
could you possibly give me a link to that?
I can only imagine you're asking for a link to your Mfg's drives -
Well I'm pretty good there bonky but since you haven't mentioned what drives other than a "D" drive and an "F" drive and since I'm not physic you'll have to do it yourself.
Go to Device Manager and click on your IDE controllers then click on your drives and you'll be able to find out what they are ? If they are gone, open your PC and look at the drives, they will have the Mfg's name on each drive. "Google" the names and you'll find the install files. Too bad you aren't running something like windows XP. All the files would be there ?
Go get'em guy ?
Hi mimans21,
Quote:
Some movies work fine but then others are all fuzzy at the end or half way mark of the movie.
What movies ?
What is your burn speed ?
Have you checked your Firmware ? (Bottom of the page, "Try this little tool I found.") http://flashman.rpc-1.com/
Have you checked your ASPI Layer ? http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/support/driverdetail.jsp?cat=%2fProduct%2fEZ-SCSI_5.0&filekey=aspichk.exe&sess=no
Quote:
Did anyone else have this problem,
No, nothing that we haven't been able to fix -
Quote:
is there anyway to make the DVD perfect everytime or at least 99 percent of the time
Sure. Backing up DVD's isn't Brain surgery, it's pretty simple and so are the guides.
Let's start by answering a few questions - I need answers to ALL OF THE QUESTIONS, Please -
What version DVD Decrypter are you using ?
What version DVD Shrink are you using ?
What is the name and type of DVD disc are you using ?
What DVD are you working with ?
What errors are you getting and with what proggy ?
We're waiting upon your answers -
Pete
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 2. November 2004 @ 16:36
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mimans21
Junior Member
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2. November 2004 @ 17:20 |
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Hey pete,
i am using the latest DVD Decryptor and latest DVD Shrink. I checked those. I'm using DVD+R by Memorex. I am trying to burn SWAT, American Wedding. I'm using your guide extactly to burn the DVD's. Custom 4360 mb, iso form Shrink and burn with decryptor. The problem I'm having with the DVDs is the at the end of the movie it is all fuzzy and i can't even watch it. The DVD player says disc dirty, and my computer wont play the end. THe beginning of the movie is perfect, it's just the end that messed up.
anything else you need??
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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3. November 2004 @ 12:34 |
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Hey minans21,
That was fine, it was all the information I required :)
Believe it or not it's the media that you're using that's killing you -
Memorex is an excellent example as DVD media goes, 90% of Memorex is sub-standard as far as DVD backups are concerned, figures as high as 50% coasters have been reported (One member bought a stack of 50 and got 23 good burns.), not what I would call an impressive record. Memorex made a name for itself with their magnetic tapes (VHS and audio cassettes) and have been living off it ever since. There are 4 different companies that manufacture Memorex DVD's BTW and product quality varies widely as you might imagine. Only 10% of the Memorex out there, those are discs manufactured by Mitsubishi in the 25 pack spindle , and they're the exception ? they are the good ones. It's easy to see now why the quality of a big-named company can?t be trusted - ? Who?s making your Memorex tonight ??
Is it just Memorex ? No ! I just used Memorex as an example, Princo, Orange Pack, Great AZO and most "store" discs aren?t all that suitable as a DVD backup media ? that?s why we are specific in the type of media we are recommending.
1. * Cheap media freezes, skips, pixelats and may refuse to be recognized by both burners and players :-( Besides "Freezing", "skips" many times you?ll get a ?Cyclic Redundancy error? or an "I/O error". This message can mean that your discs are scratched or dirty, it can also mean that your burner won?t accept your ?cheap? media :-(
Another problem which, ?Pops up? is a ?*Power Calibration Error?. This can stop you right in your tracks and most often is caused by, Yep, you guessed it, inexpensive media. *A ?Power Calibration Error? can also be attributed to the Optical Components of a DVD Writer, though this isn?t usually the case.
Orange Pack, Princo, Great AZO and 90% of Memorex plus many others are just not that good for DVD burning. Those same discs however, are quite good for your MP3 music, picture archives, Spread sheets and Data..Even DataSafe G04?s made by Ritek have been reported as an inferior quality media and are evoking that ?Oh no, I shouldn?t have gotten those.?
What we are suggesting is to download this DVD Identifier to find out who manufactured your DVD and if it's a decent quality.
http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/
Once you have your disc identified, click the "More information" icon and see what information you're given. if you're not sure of the quality, come on back and we'll check it out for you -
2. A good grade, Hi-quality media is needed for DVD reproduction ! RiData, Sony, TDK, "Branded" Ritek G04's or "Branded" Verbatim Data Life, Verbatim DataLife plus, Taiyo Yuden's and generally, almost any discs manufactured by Mitsubishi are excellent bets. Among the better discs we're looking for, any media boasting "Advanced Metal AZO" - BUT it must say "METAL" AZO !, this indicates a superior dye and dye application on a good composite disc, while they are sometimes a bit "pricey" they are just the type of media we're looking for to do our DVD backups, Prices online from Meritline.com OR Newegg.com have gotten Ritek G04 starting at about a $ .45 (USD) a disc ?
For DVD backups, purchasing inexpensive media or even average media is a gamble, some people win BUT the majority lose, they lose varying amounts true but, they still lose :-(
Using good grade media can guarantee you one thing to an absolute certainty; it surely cannot hurt.
In an effort to clear the air, when I speak of "Cheap" or "Inexpensive" media, I'm not referring to the price you pay at the counter - I'm referring to poor quality control used during manufacturing and the quality of the dye, dye application or composite type used. I'm not saying it won't burn - Some may burn, some may not. It's quality is inconsistent, meaning it's not dependable.
When I say "Branded" that means that when you pick up a disc in your hand, it says "Ritek" or "RiData" on the disc itself. The monetary cost of the media we recommend many times is cheaper than what you are purchasing now.
We like to verify our information prior to recommending things. There are certain things we look at. For instance, when their dye and dye application are listed as unknown, this almost guarantees us they are using whatever they can get at a cheap price. Companies that use quality materials like to BRAG about it, naming names and staying with quality manufacturers who produce their media.
Using DVD identifier and MediaMatch can help you find out a lot about what you're using. Purchasing your DVD media online can insure that you're getting quality merchandise at a good price. Shopping wisely will save you time, aggravation and money.
To help get you through the rough spot of using your crap media, here's some help, though the solution to your problem is to buy some better quality discs.) -
HOT TIPS for your POOR MEDIA:
1. Here's a good fix. Compress your DVD to somewhere around 4.2GB instead of the recommended 4360MB. I.e., Go into DVD Shrink, "Edit", "Preferences" then set the "DVD Target Size" to "Custom" and enter 4200MB as the size. Reducing the amount of Data to be burned it keeps your burning away from the disc's edges where the dye on poor quality DVD discs tends to be uneven and may even be brittle and flaking.
2. You may reduce the number of errors and "artifacts" (the "freezing", "skipping" and other picture abnormalities) when burning poor media by burning at a reduced speed. It will take longer but what the heck, you're saving money with those "Cheap" discs (Lol). Since you're compressing more it might be wise to burn just the movie, the less you burn the better the quality sooo, movie only, please.
Cheers,
Pete
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mimans21
Junior Member
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3. November 2004 @ 13:12 |
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Thank's pete
i'll use this crappy media until i get rid of all of them , and then buy some better ones.
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jake180
Junior Member
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3. November 2004 @ 13:56 |
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Pete,
This isn't on topic or anything ... but i was wondering if you could have a look at the "freezing during analyzing/encoding" thread .... maybe throw in your 2 cents ...
cheers.
...Just another stupid question with a simple answer...that's me!
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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3. November 2004 @ 16:21 |
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Hey there Jake180,
Quote:
but I was wondering if you could have a look at the "freezing during analyzing/encoding" thread ....
Heh, heh, I don't mind if you don't want to give me the address BUT do you think you could tell me what forum it's in ? ? ?
(just messin with ya - I lQQked)
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jake180
Junior Member
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3. November 2004 @ 16:39 |
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LOL,
I thought about posting the addy and forum when i was reading over the post ...then i was like ...nahh... he'll know where it's at ... lol
cheers,
thanks.
...Just another stupid question with a simple answer...that's me!
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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3. November 2004 @ 16:59 |
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Huuummm, he knowth me too well, Lol)
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mimans21
Junior Member
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3. November 2004 @ 18:30 |
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hey my crappy discs work now thanks
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ScubaPete
AfterDawn Addict
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4. November 2004 @ 14:02 |
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mimans21,
Glad to hear it - remember, Memorex can come up and bite you in the butt and not all of my "fix's" may not help. Get over the Memorex "Hump" and look for some good deals on quality discs.
I.e. Newegg.com just had a 4-day sale on "Branded" RiData. $36.00 (USD) for a 100 piece cakebox with a $10.00 mail-in rebate. Charging $4.00 for Fed-Ex shipping the final cost was $.30ea. Not at all bad for quality discs.
Cheers,
Pete
PS - What got'em working for you ? Inquiring readers want to know -
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 4. November 2004 @ 14:04
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