Problem with DVD-RW

[HHSDC]

I have a Sony Vaio PCV-RS233X with a DVD-RW drive. I've sucessfully been burning DVD's for the last three months until this last weekend. It varies on when it stops between 14% done to 72% done but it locks up my entire system. I thought it might be some lost clusters so I chkdsk my drive and found some bad clusters. It still won't write a DVD and it still locks up the system. I have Varitas RecordNow and I'm running Windows XP. Anyone got a suggestion beside taking the system in.


TIA

[jtommyj]

Have you made sure that DMA is on in device manager ? Or check taskmanager when burning and see if some other program is highjacking (eating up) your memory while you are burning causing lock-up.

Also, you might want to try the Nero (www.nero.com) free demo to see if it locks it up also.

[HHSDC]

Well I downloaded Nero and everything worked for 2 DVD's and 1 CD-r. Then it went back to freezing up in the middle of a burn. Back to the drawing board.

[jtommyj]

You might have a driver conflict. I would un-install all DVD/CD writing apps then re-install one again. Also, you might want to go to System Restore and restore it to a time when things were working right. That would be my first shot.

[HHSDC]

Already tried to reinstall RecordNow. Didn't work. I can't restore from a certain point because it only goes back as far as the next day after the problem. I will hate to recover the entire system.

[jtommyj]

Kind of stumped. Good Luck !!

[chasb441]

I had problems recently although not sure if they where the same as yours but .... vertias software does state that there is a problem with xp and multisession disks
quote

'VERITAS RecordNow DX allows you to make multiple recordings to a single DVD.
However, a serious problem can occur on Windows 2000 and XP systems
once the total amount of data or music recorded during multiple jobs
exceeds 4 GB. Once the total amount of data or music exceeds 4 GB,
only the first recording job placed on the disc will be visible to
your computer. This problem does not affect single recording jobs
larger than 4 GB.

Microsoft has been working to fix this problem. For more information,
please visit the Microsoft support center at
http://support.microsoft.com and search for document Q329112.

any help??

[HHSDC]

I only make single session DVD's. And my problem extends into CD-R's. It doesn't happen continously, but it also locks up when in the middle of burning a CD-R. Is there anything that I can run that could trap what the error is? It's getting kind of expensive to diagnosis the problem by making changes and trying to burn in a dvd. The problem doesn't happen at a set point, some dvd's will burn till 70% some will lockup at 14%. I have not had problems reading disc's. I'm seriously thinking of packing up the computer going back to costco and getting a new one.

[chasb441]

will it looks like a trip is in order matey! shame really cause its a pain to take things back. we always look like we are trying it on and the onus is always on the buyer to prove his rights!

[bottle-necked]

I just had a thought....

I remember having the exact same deal with a CD-R about 5 years ago. It turned out to be a batch of bad blank disk. I'd try some different blanks.

If you think it's something else (Windows related), grab/borrow/steal a used hard drive, interchange it with yours (temporarly) install Windows on it, your burning software, and burn one. That would take me about an hour or two to try. This would tell you alot about what's going on.

Or..... Take IT BACK before your time runs out....

Good luck.