focus or tracking error - WTF is it?

[mrhata]

I've been burning quite a number of dvd-r's and never a coaster until this past week. I've gotten this focus or tracking error on cd-rw's before but never on a dvd-r. I've made about 3 coasters all due to the same error message. Does anyone know what it means or how to fix it? I've searched and found others with the same messages but no help for them either.

[garryheather]

It could be a problem on the recorder... but more likely is you've got a bad batch of media.

The laser "tracks" a pregroove etched into the disc so it knows where it is on the surface, and if it can't find this (or can't follow it), you will get tracking errors.

Try a different batch of discs to prove it's not the recorder, and if they work OK take the discs back under the guise of a manufacturing defect.

[mrhata]

Well I tried to burn at a slower rate just to test it out. And successfully did it on a dvd-rw that I constantly use. Then tried to burn at 1x on the faulty batch, and was successful at that too. I think I have burn slow with this batch of media.

I'll try other media as you suggested.

Thanks.