CD-R Problem with my Burner

Joe Siegler

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Nov 10, 2009
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Recently I've noticed a problem with my CD/DVD burner. Not quite sure what to make of it.

This is a Windows 7 machine. It used to be Windows XP until May when the system sat in a closet for a few months when I brought it back out the day after Win 7 came out, and installed it there. The drive is a Pioneer DVR-212D CD/DVD Dual Layer burner.

Some background: The CD player in my truck was having problems with CDs burnt from a specific manufacturer (TDK), so I decided to try a different kind of media - I bought a short stack of the Amazon Basics media. I have a stack of their DVD+R/DL media, and have no problems, so I thought I'd try the CD-R's.

Got them in, and tried one. I burn most everything in iTunes, and when it would finish burning, and then show a bogus track listing with like over 100 tracks on the CD. I know that's not true, as I've burnt things with around 15-20 songs on them. Then, to top it off, I could never eject the disc. I had to reboot to let me eject the thing. Wasted a few discs realizing it wasn't just a single stray. The discs themselves would play on a CD player, but only to like track 3 or 4 - anything after that, and the disc would just stop.

So I tried a different brand of media - the kind that caused me the problem originally (TDK). No luck. Same problem.

So I checked the Pioneer site, and looked for a flash update to my burner. Indeed there was one. Found it here:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/BusinessProducts/Blu-rayDisc+DVDWriters/DVDComputerWriters/DVR-212D?tab=F

Flashed the drive, all went well there. Tried again, this time with some Memorex CD-R's I found in my computer desk. No luck. Same problem. But since the flash, I'm at least able to eject my CD without rebooting!

I'm at a loss, it used to work, it now does not. What's really strange is I have no problems ripping any CD's - that works fine. Burning regular DVD's or DL DVD's gives me no trouble. But CD-R's - they don't seem to work, anymore.

If I need a new drive, does anyone have any recommendations as for specific drives? I'm not picky - so long as it burns my media, I could care less whose brand it is, as long as I'm not being taken for an arm and a leg price wise, if you know what I mean.
 
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Guest

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It may be an issue with the computer motherboard disc controller drivers or with the motherboard BIOS. If you can identify the motherboard, I'd visit the manufacturer's site for downloads -- or maybe first repost your issue on the Motherboards section here.

Had you not changed the operating system or had the burning problem been evident with XP I'd blame the drive -- particularly as replacing that on a desktop computer is pretty simple.

Pioneer make good drives, in my experience.
 

Joe Siegler

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To be honest, I wouldn't have noticed if it happened when this machine used to be XP.

It was a hand me down from my company, and nobody ever used it to make CD's in it's previous life, that's not what this machine was used for. In fact, I'd wager it never burnt a CD-R before I brought it home and started burning stuff the week Win 7 came out.

It's entirely possible this problem has been there all along, and nobody ever noticed it.
 

Joe Siegler

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Nov 10, 2009
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Update - this is quite strange.

I changed the playlist of what I was burning with iTunes, and it worked. The playlist I was trying to burn was a collection of songs my 4yr old likes. That's what crashed all of this.

But then I tried burning the new "Straight No Chaser" album I bought from Amazon's mp3 store, and it worked.

What the hell? Is it iTunes causing this problem?
 
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Guest

Guest
Possibly the lack of information supplied by iTunes means you've made some minor error which you're not aware of.

Only have it on my machine because my neighbour has an iPod and couldn't quite grasp loading it.

I'd recommend looking at Ashampoo Lite and Koyotesoft's CD Easy -- both free downloads.