I have been proceeding fairly steady with DVD backup for several years replacing/upgrading my drives as technology changes. But lately I have been producing more coasters than I would like.
I am currently reading with a Sony DVD RW DRU-810A And Writing with an LG H54N.
The Sony drive is about three years old and I used to burn with it but bought the new LG about four months ago and started using it for burning.
My questions are,

1) how can I tell if the problem is media or the burner?

2) How many burns should I expect out of a burner?

3) I have heard of head cleaners for DVD burners. Are there such a thing and if so do they work and where can you get one?

I have been assuming that this is a media problem since I get a failed burn, open Nero and do a second burn with no problem. I have used RIDATA -R for most of the past five years with virtually not problem till recently. I am including the info that was on the error message hoping that you experts know what it means and can get enough info to answer my questions.

Thanks,
Don

1A23-***serial number removed by creaky***, wouldn't want some thieving oik to steal it :)

Windows XP 5.1
IA32
WinAspi: File 'Wnaspi32.dll': Ver=4.71 (0001), size=45056 bytes, created 8/14/2002 4:03:36 PM
ahead WinASPI: File 'C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero\Wnaspi32.dll': Ver=2.0.1.74, size=164112 bytes, created 10/26/2004 6:35:34 PM
Nero API version: 6.6.0.8
Using interface version: 6.3.1.4
Installed in: C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero\
Application: ahead\Nero - Burning Rom
Recorder: <HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N>Version: 1.00 - HA 1 TA 0 - 6.6.0.8
Adapter driver: <atapi> HA 1
Drive buffer : 2048kB
Bus Type : via Inquiry data (1) -> ATAPI, detected: ATAPI
Connected to MMC as unknown drive with class-nr : 1
Drive is autodetected - recorder class: Std. MMC recorder

=== Scsi-Device-Map ===
DiskPeripheral : Maxtor 6Y200P0 atapi Port 0 ID 0 DMA: On
DiskPeripheral : WDC WD1800JB-00DUA3 atapi Port 0 ID 1 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N atapi Port 1 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : SONY DVD RW DRU-810A atapi Port 1 ID 1 DMA: On

=== CDRom-Device-Map ===
HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54 D: CDRom0
SONY DVD RW DRU-810A G: CDRom1
=======================

AutoRun : 1
Excluded drive IDs:
WriteBufferSize: 83886080 (0) Byte
ShowDrvBufStat : 0
BUFE : 0
Physical memory : 1023MB (1048044kB)
Free physical memory: 500MB (512300kB)
Memory in use : 51 %
Uncached PFiles: 0x0
Use Inquiry : 1
Global Bus Type: default (0)
Check supported media : Disabled (0)

25.10.2007
NeroAPI
3:26:41 PM #1 Phase 112 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
DVD-Video files reallocation started

3:26:41 PM #2 Phase 114 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
DVD-Video files reallocation completed (no file modified)

3:26:41 PM #3 Phase 111 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
DVD-Video files sorted

3:26:41 PM #4 Text 0 File Reader.cpp, Line 127
Reader running

3:26:41 PM #5 Text 0 File Writer.cpp, Line 122
Writer HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N running

3:26:41 PM #6 Text 0 File AudioCompilationImpl.cpp, Line 842
DRM: StartDrmRecording(RealRec:1, ImageRec:0, Copies:1)
DRM: Beginning burn process.

3:26:41 PM #7 ISO9660GEN -11 File geniso.cpp, Line 3293
First writeable address = 0 (0x00000000)

3:26:41 PM #8 ISO9660GEN -11 File geniso.cpp, Line 3293
First writeable address = 0 (0x00000000)

3:26:41 PM #9 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 3153
Turn on Disc-At-Once, using DVD media

3:26:41 PM #10 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 259
Last possible write address on media: 2298495 (510:46.45, 4489MB)
Last address to be written: 1523103 (338:28.03, 2974MB)

3:26:41 PM #11 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 271
Write in overburning mode: NO

3:26:41 PM #12 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 2316
Recorder: HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N, Media type: DVD-R
Disc Manufacturer: RITEKG - 05
Disc Application Code: 64, Disc Physical Code: 193

3:26:41 PM #13 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 433
>>> Protocol of DlgWaitCD activities: <<<
=========================================

3:26:41 PM #14 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 830
Setup items (after recorder preparation)
0: TRM_DATA_MODE1 ()
2 indices, index0 (150) not provided
original disc pos #0 + 1523104 (1523104) = #1523104/338:28.4
relocatable, disc pos for caching/writing not required/ required, no patch infos
-> TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048, config 0, wanted index0 0 blocks, length 1523104 blocks [HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N]
--------------------------------------------------------------

3:26:41 PM #15 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1043
Prepare recorder [HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H54N] for write in CUE-sheet-DAO
DAO infos:
==========
MCN: ""
TOCType: 0x00; Session Closed, disc fixated
Tracks 1 to 1:
1: TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048/0x00, FilePos 0 0 3119316992, ISRC ""
DAO layout:
===========
__Start_|____Track_|_Idx_|_CtrlAdr_|_RecDep__________
0 | lead-in | 0 | 0x41 | 0x00
0 | 1 | 0 | 0x41 | 0x00
0 | 1 | 1 | 0x41 | 0x00
1523104 | lead-out | 1 | 0x41 | 0x00

3:26:41 PM #16 Phase 24 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
Caching of files started

3:26:41 PM #17 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 4040
Cache writing successful.

3:26:41 PM #18 Phase 25 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
Caching of files completed

3:26:41 PM #19 Phase 36 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
Burn process started at 8x (11,080 KB/s)

3:26:41 PM #20 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 2609
Verifying disc position of item 0 (relocatable, disc pos, no patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

3:26:41 PM #21 Text 0 File DVDR.cpp, Line 2194
Recording mode: Sequential Recording Mode

3:26:41 PM #22 Text 0 File Mmc.cpp, Line 21235
Set BUFE: Buffer underrun protection -> ON

3:26:41 PM #23 Text 0 File DVDR.cpp, Line 2340
Start write address at LBA 0
DVD high compatibility mode: Yes

3:26:41 PM #24 Text 0 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 8430
---- DVD Structure: Physical Format Information (00h) ----
Layer: 0, Address: 0 (0 h), AGID: 0; Length: 2050
Book Type: DVD-R (2), Part Version: 5
Disc Size: 120 mm, Maximum Rate: <not specified> (F h)
Number of Layers: 1, Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP), Layer Type: recordable
Linear Density: 0,267 um/bit, Track Density: 0,74 um/track
Starting Physical Sector Number of Data Area: 30000 h (DVD-ROM, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW)
End Physical Sector Number of Data Area: 26127F h
End Sector Number in Layer 0: 0 h (LBN: FFFD0000 h, 4193920 MB)
Data in Burst Cutting Area (BCA) does not exist
Start sector number of the current Border-Out: 2FE10 h
Start sector number of the next Border-In: 2FFA0 h
Media Specific [16..63]:
00 30 01 02 04 06 00 00 - 00 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 .0..............
00 02 FE 10 00 02 FF A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

3:37:01 PM #25 SCSI -1093 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1435
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0, buffer 0x02560000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x03 (KEY_MEDIUM_ERROR)
Sense Code: 0x02
Sense Qual: 0x00
CDB Data: 0x2A 0x00 0x00 0x05 0x02 0xC0 0x00 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x03 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0E
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x02 0x00

3:37:01 PM #26 CDR -1093 File Writer.cpp, Line 311
No seek complete

3:37:01 PM #27 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 228
all writers idle, stopping conversion

3:37:01 PM #28 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 222
conversion idle, stopping reader

3:37:01 PM #29 Text 0 File DVDR.cpp, Line 2603
EndDAO: Last written address was 328383

3:37:01 PM #30 Phase 38 File APIProgress.cpp, Line 276
Burn process failed at 8x (11,080 KB/s)

3:37:01 PM #31 Text 0 File AudioCompilationImpl.cpp, Line 867
DRM: DRM burn session terminated.

3:37:01 PM #32 Text 0 File AudioCompilationImpl.cpp, Line 896
DRM: Closing entire DRM handling. Bye.


Existing drivers:
File 'Drivers\CDRALW2K.SYS': Ver=8.0.0.212 , size=2560 bytes, created 10/4/2006 7:42:42 PM
File 'Drivers\ASPI32.SYS': Ver=4.71 (0001), size=17005 bytes, created 8/14/2002 4:03:36 PM
File 'Drivers\PXHELP20.SYS': Ver=2.02.47a, size=17136 bytes, created 5/1/2003 7:52:34 PM (Prassi/Veritas driver for win 2K)

Registry Keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\AllocateCDROMs : 0 (Security Option)

Hi, right before "Exiting Drivers" was DRM burn session terminated.Sounds like this data u are trying to burn has "digital rights management" encoding/encryption. This may be your problem.

It was encoded using Shrink with AnyDVD running in the background.

This was a three hour movie with extras so I used the DVD compilation feature in shrink to divide the program in two parts and the second part failed on the first try. I opened Nero by itself and it burned fine the second time so It seems to me if it was a problem with "digital rights management" encoding/encryption, it would continue to fail.

I tried to do the extras on a third disc and that failed in shrink but While I am typing this, it seems to be burning fine in Nero by itself.(indeed, the burn completed successfully.)

I am still suspecting media failure but I think that burners ware out. I would hope to get at least a couple thousand burns from a burner. I think the one I am currently using has only burned about 150 disc or less.

Don

It might also be your LG drive.I have never had much luck with that brand.You might want to try burning with your Sony drive to see if you get more successful burns.

I like Plextors. My 708 gave me 3000 burns b4 I smoked it.

Originally posted by iluvendo:

---

I like Plextors. My 708 gave me 3000 burns b4 I smoked it.

---

problem is there are NO more true Plextor drives anymore Pioneer are making the drives now (PX-800 and PX-810SA). i had about 3000 plus burns on my PX-716A but there gone forever

Sounds like an interference problem has developed. That would account for failed burns and then working when burning manually. Is there any batch writing software, such as Drag to Disk? I noticed this in your drivers, CDRALW2K.SYS. That's a Roxio driver that sometimes causes interference when using DVD backup software. That's one possibility to eliminate. Remove any Roxio software and run Roxizap. That's a cleanup tool like Nero's cleaner tool. Once you get the Roxio cleaned out, do the same for Nero, running the Nero tool. You can find the cleaner programs at Roxio and Nero's websites. Run a reg cleaner and install your Nero and try it again. Be sure to save the log. May not be the fix, but it's a good place to start.

I noticed you have an ASPI driver in there. Did you install an ASPI layer or did that come with a piece of software? Nero has it's own version. XP doesn't come with it. Did you run Aspi check to see if the layer is installed properly. I've got a well seasoned XP OS and none of those drivers appear when I do a Nero burn. The other driver in there may be another Roxio remnant. It can somtimes cause problems. It'll be interesting to see what happens after the cleanup.

Thanks Pakman, I was afraid of a response like yours because I am woefully ignorant to any kind of configuration issues. I put my computer together three years ago, with the help of a friend and the tech support guys at Micro Center, and I know enough to basically be dangerous:=) I have been happy in that I have had very few glitches and everything has seemed to run well. I have put off reformatting out of mostly laziness but I assume this would be a way to clean things up.

I am actually intimidated by these cleanup software and utilities you mention because I assume you need to know what to remove and make choices accordingly and I really do not know what to keep and what to remove. I have no idea what Roxio is or how it got there. All I do is install software when I need it.

?Is there any batch writing software, such as Drag to Disk??

Not that I know of, I wouldn?t know what to do with it.

?CDRALW2K.SYS. That's a Roxio driver that sometimes causes interference when using DVD backup software. ?

I don?t know what this is. I have Corel Draw 9 installed would it be associated with that? (just guessing) At any rate, if that were the case, I has been on the computer from day one and has had no modification to my knowledge.

?Remove any Roxio software and run Roxizap.?

What is Rixio software?

?Run a reg cleaner and install your Nero and try it again. Be sure to save the log. May not be the fix, but it's a good place to start.?

I assume a reg cleaner is some type of software that cleans the registry? I have never done any of this and am very intimidated by the thought. Are you suggesting that I re install Nero? I guess this is like a mini reformat in that I would be just reformatting the one program and I guess I could do that but what I get from your post here is that before I reinstall the program, I should do the reg clean? Would I have this software or is it something I would need to get?

?I noticed you have an ASPI driver in there. Did you install an ASPI layer or did that come with a piece of software? ?

If it is there, it had to have come with some type of software because I have no idea what it is and did not purposely install it.

As you can see, I have no business messing with all this high powered technology, but everything has worked fairly flawlessly so I guess it was time for the shoe to drop. I was hoping that there was a simple solution but I guess this is much more complicated than I imagine Any help is much appreciated.
Don

Not as bad as it seems. A little googling would have turned up Roxizap. There's no selections for different software, it cleans away all traces of Roxio. I don't know if Corel dropped those drivers or not. If removed drivers are associated with another program, it would probably disable it. Removing that program from Add Remove on the Control Panel and reinstalling would fix that, if it occurred.

Here's the link to download Roxizap from Roxio. If no Roxio, run it and see what happens.
http://tools.roxio.com/support/tools/roxizap.exe
Same goes for Nero and the cleaner tool. Look in Nero support for your version of Nero and get the clean tool. You can read about it and get the Nero6 clean tool off this page.
http://www.nero.com/enu/support-nero6-tools-utilities.html
You can get the download for the most stable version of Nero6 from here:
http://www.dvdplusvideo.com/Guides/Software.html
Delete Nero from Add Remove on the Control panel and run add remove. Once removed, run the clean tool. Once again there's no big decisions to be made about various software. The clean tools are specific for the products they were designed for.

You were right on the Registry Cleaner. Some are bad news on the OS. I use a relatively light one on a regular basis. I use Registry Mechanic at least once a month. Save anything you repair and you can put things back the same if something were to go wrong. I've been using it for a couple of years and never had to go back. But it's still a good idea to back up the registry anytime you change anything. Registry Mechanic has a trial, but it only does a few fixes and ends up mostly telling you what the registry flaws are. If you're curious, you can run the scan to see how many errors it lists. You don't have to do the repairs it lists.

Doing a system format is the last resort in my book. If you have no idea what's causing your problem, you might end up putting it back.

If you're going to run a PC, you need to know how to handle installing and removing programs and doing routine cleanup. There's things that need to be done weekly or at the longest monthly to keep the PC in tune. If you don't know what to do or have friends to show you, you may need to call Geek Squad or something similar. Even after installing an OS on a clean drive I run a reg cleaner to make sure the registry is starting out in good condition.

Good luck. If you don't care to attack what I mentioned, you can eliminate some of the other suggestions and see if that helps. But without a definite starting point with a known possible cause of problems, you could be doing a lot of jumping around with no success.

If you're going to do a reformat, trying what I suggested can't hurt anything. ;)

I'll just add, what I said above could cause the problem, but if you want to start at an easier level, you're reading disc (medium) and hardware (SCSI) errors. Make sure the firmware is up to date for your optical drives and if it is, try another DVD besides the Riteks. I use Sony +R with good success. Verbatim or one of the name brands with Made in Japan on the label are good bets. Adding a little extra stock to your store of DVDs isn't a waste. Other than that, check out your burner. Best way is to swap it out and use a new cable, if possible. I realize not everyone has those extra parts laying around. Do the best with what you have and good luck.

Thanks again, Packman,
It's a scary thought that I have never done much maintenance and have been running PCs since 1997. Well I have always defraged periodically and I run the Norton Protection Center and I just let it do its weekly thing. But that?s about it. The initial years were quite frustrating but then it was Win95 and Win 98 :=) When I got Win 2000, I was at the point that if it had not come through, I would have dumped PC altogether. In retrospect, I wish I had done Apple but that?s history and I am not in a financial position to change that. In fact my first PC was a gift and that explains it.

Anyway, I will try the regclean and see what happens. I?m just nervous that I will cause new problems that will lead to having to constantly ?fiddle? with things. I absolutely do not enjoy ?tweaking? the computer. I just want to use it. Everything I know, I have learned out of survival, not because I enjoy it. My Geek friend lives in Atlanta and I have moved away so I guess I need to find a new computer guy :=)

Thanks for you help and advice.
Don

You're welcome.

Go back and read the last part of my last post. I added some more simple starting points you may want to try before doing anything major. Let us know how those turn out. Still it looks to me more like an interference problem than media or hardware.

By the way, most of the software has been written for PC. Apple has their issues as well. Also, if you notice, Apple went with an Intel platform. You can run Windows on those models. ;)

Packman (or anybody else) Would you care to elaborate on Roxio. What is it, where does it come from. Your previous post suggest that I do not want this on my computer so how would it get there in the first place, and how do I prevent future incursions?
Peace,
Don

http://www.roxio.com/eng/default.html?AID=10367206&PID=2545290
Google? Roxio is the brand name for a batch of cd and dvd recording programs. I have no idea if you've had one of the various programs on your PC at any time or not. Browse the Roxio website. Programs have a habit of leaving behind drivers when they're deleted. Whether you had the programs or not, there are drivers that are associated with the Roxio programs. That's why I mentioned running roxizap to clear out any Roxio associated drivers (not necessarily from Roxio) and if a program you needed started acting funny to delete and reinstall it.

Don't worry about it. Record all output to the hard drive and burn manually all the time. You won't need to do anything.

heres the roxio zap tool and the "drag to disc" within roxio can cause conflit problem with other burning software

http://www.downloadjunction.com/product/store/15199

Originally posted by ZoSoIV:

---

heres the roxio zap tool and the "drag to disc" will cause conflit problem within roxio

http://www.downloadjunction.com/product/store/15199

---

Pacman's already provided a roxio zap link..

Creaky, thanks for keeping an eye on us. So the log I copied has info that could be stolen or something? What was the serial number, was it my Nero serial? I actually glanced down through all that stuff before I posted it and I didn't see anything that looked sensitive. Shows how totally green I am :=)

So, I ran the Zap tool and sure enough it found Easy CD writer. When I google roxio that was one of the first programs to come up. I don?t remember why I would have installed this program but it rings a bell. But if I did install it, some time has passed so it doesn?t make sense that I would just now start to have problems. Anyway I had it zap that program, which I wasn?t using anyway, and when I rebooted, AnyDVD said it couldn?t find my DVD drive so I uninstalled/reinstalled it and the error message went away so time will tell if this particular problem has been solved. I appreciate all the posts.
Don

after you run the clean tool i would run CCleaner then defrag and reboot

summitboy
Seems you only wanted to do part of what I suggested. But if that part works, no problem. I also suggested cleaning out your current version of Nero6 and using what most users consider the most stable version of Nero6. That might possibly prevent errors in the future. Glad to see you got it straightened out.

Nice of Creaky to remove that serial number. Not much market for Nero6 nowadays with Nero7 and now Nero8 also on the market. It would take a low rent Ber-guh-ler to steal that with all the serials floating around. LOL I've already moved on to Nero8 and it's doing a good job. I've been backing up some of my library this evening and giving Express a good testing.

ZoSoIV
You're running a bit late, I already suggested a cleanup. Routine maintenance should be at least weekly. CCleaner doesn't appear to do much more than Disk Cleaner in System tools. That's where the Defragmentation tool is found as well. I'm from a different school on that one. For small drives I recommend it occasionally. However for the big drives we have nowadays, it doesn't seem to help as much. I've gone as much as a year without defragging the drives with no severe loss of processing speed. With big video files coming and going, I'd be defragging all the time if I followed the old recommendations. That's why I run a reg cleaner occasionally and keep going. I built this PC with working on videos in mind, 2 HDDs with with about 510GB capacity, split into 4 partitions. Takes forever to defrag the thing. Not really that bad, but not something you'd want to sit and wait for.

I was contemplating the Nero cleanup. Also the upgrade. I have heard lots of problems with nero 7 and did not think I was having any problem with nero 6 so if it ain't broke...

Why would I want to upgrade to version 8?

Don

They said 7 was a lot more bulky than 6. In my book it offered more and the updated programs worked better. I never had a problem out of 7 and I can't say that about 6. Hopefully the Nero 8 will be better than 7. 8 is moving on into the realm of HD recording, plus it adds more features. So, as long as the new programs don't come too close together, I don't mind upgrading. It's not mending what's broken, but more like getting to play with the new toys. From my past experience, Nero 6 was probably the most problem ridden version of the bunch. One can't really say version because each time they come out with a new Nero, it ends up with a bunch of different versions.

yeah some versions of nero work better than others but it depends on you're machine and the other software you have loaded. what works for one won't necessarily work for the next guy

As I have stated many times, I do not know that much about the intricacies of computer program interface and configuration. I have probably been fairly lucky to build a computer, install XP with the service packs and then install the programs I want to use and run for about three years with very few problems. I would like thinks to be logical and make sense so it just throws me off to have a problem crop up, that you guys are saying is a configuration problem when I don?t recall making major changes to anything. Why would Nero suddenly start not working? Then it hit me, I started having this problem about two weeks ago after I decided to upgrade to the latest version of Windows Media player. Would this have written something that would interfere with Nero. As you might guess, the problem is still happening.

So tonight, against my better judgement, I am going to uninstall Nero, do the clean up and reinstall. But I would be willing to bet that the POS windows media player has something to do with this problem. I just hope that all this messing is not going to create another set of problems.
I don?t find this aspect of computing fun. Thanks for your perseverance with my issues.
Don

summitboy, yeah its a pain in the as to reinstall everything I've been though it many times

MS updates could have caused it WPM update ect. its hard to pin point it.

let us know if a reinstall works hope it does. go with nero 6.6.0.18

http://filehippo.com/download_nero_burning_rom/?539

Thanks ZoSoIV,
I just uninstalled Nero 6 (version 6.6.0.8) using the clean tool, and reinstalled using my CD. As soon as it reinstalled, it told me that this version is not compatible with XP and to contact Ahead. I must have done this in the install of three years ago but when I go to Ahead, they claim that 6 is no longer supported. However they do have download options. What do I want to do? I assume I want package 1 but have no clue. Any suggestions?

Package 1:
Nero StartSmart 2, Nero Express 6, Nero BackItUp, Nero SoundTrax, Nero Image Drive, Nero Burning ROM 6, Nero Cover Designer, Nero Wave Editor, Nero Toolkit, Ask Toolbar

Package 2:
NeroVision Express 3, Nero Recode 2, Nero ShowTime 2, Nero PhotoSnap, Nero MediaHome

Package 3:
InCD

Package 4:
Nero Media Player

Don

depends what you want you can download all of them however i would not instal INCD it causes to many conflit problems with other software