DVD Burn Failure

tjg79 · 28 Oct 2015

strollin said:

Do you have access to another computer so you can try to burn a disc there? Although it's certainly a possibility, the odds that both of your drives have failed at the same time is rather high.

I only have this desktop at home. The drives haven't totally failed. They seem to read OK and I just used them to compare two identical Win 7 distribution DVDs with the CDCheck utility and the utility indicated the two disks were identical. Other than burning DVDs and the drawers not opening reliably at times, they are otherwise functional. As old as these drivers are, their problems could just be the early signs of excessive dirt and dust accumulation. I had to disassemble and clean my old card reader about a year ago, because the card slot contacts had gotten too dirty to read cards reliably. I need to find a good CD software iso and see if the drives can burn a CD. The Samsung can recognize a blank CD media, but it doesn't recognize a blank DVD as blank. The Pioneer can recognize blank DVDs, but has problems finalizing a burn.

tjg79 · 28 Oct 2015

RolandJS said:

What happened when, within Device Manager, the two DVD drives were uninstalled, and Windows forced to reFind and reLoad appropriate drivers?

I tried manually uninstalling the drivers to force a reinstall. Both drives are using the same Microsoft driver. If that driver is corrupted in the driver store, then that could be what's causing this burning problem. I've searched for a better driver, but the OS indicates it is the best driver.

When I finish setting up Win 10, I'll give them a try with the new OS. Perhaps the drivers are new as well.

tjg79 · 28 Oct 2015

How To Clean A DVD Burner Laser (very cheap and easy)

I see several YouTube videos on cleaning optical drive lasers. This one may not be the best.

tjg79 · 29 Oct 2015

Well, the first cleaning with isopropyl alcohol has made some burn performance improvement with the Pioneer DVR-216R. Although there were still errors indicated at the end of the ImgBurn burn, the verify indicated that the burn was successful. CDCheck indicated three files with data errors (cyclic redundancy check). That might not appear to be very good results, but it's a big improvement after a few wipes with a cotton swab saturated with isopropyl alcohol. Prior to the first cleaning, the DVDs were unreadable and ImgBurn indicated failed burns. A second more thorough cleaning may resolve this issue.

tjg79 · 29 Oct 2015

A first cleaning of the Samsung optical drive has resolved the main issue of not recognizing DVD media as empty. Burning greatly improved although there were some errors. A second, more thorough clean, will likely be successful.

From my internet research, I think you're lucky if you optical burner drive lasts more than two years.

I found the following Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of CD Players and CDROM Drives. It provides a wealth of information that should be read by anyone contemplating troubleshooting and repair that goes beyond simple swapping out units. It's a lengthy document and it covers lens cleaning. Actually, there is more than just the laser lens that needs to be cleaned for many of these units.

Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Compact Disc Players and CDROM Drives

Layback Bear · 29 Oct 2015

Couple of sites I found that should also be helpful.

Amazon.com: Allsop CD and DVD FastWipes: Electronics

Amazon.com: dvd player disc cleaner

I personally use a very old Kensington CD cleaner that still works great.

tjg79 · 29 Oct 2015

I've read some criticism about these disk based DVD/CD cleaner kits. If they appear to work, it's because your condition is minimal. From what I've researched, the disk based kits have small brushes mounted on the disk and they wipe the laser lens. Some comments indicated they just move the dirt around. I don't think they use a solvent such as isopropyl alcohol. Perhaps, if you used them regularly from when your drive was new, they might still be effective five or six years down the road. But, if you've neglected your optical drives such as I have done, then you've got to employ more effective solutions to resolve the issues. I've read about four different methods for cleaning the laser lens: 1. isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab, 2. glass cleaner, such as Windex and a cotton swap, 3. water and a cotton swab (a different solvent for sugar based lens contamination), and 4. a pencil eraser such as on a No. 2 pencil (I'd use a new one, because a contaminated eraser could scratch the lens.) I think a combination of solvents would be most effective. Also, there's more to clean than just the laser lens and the disk based wipes are not effective. There's a mirror or prism used to concentrate the light beams located below or above the lens depending on how you look at it. That needs to be cleaned as well if your model uses this type of device. Otherwise, you wouldn't effectively solve a difficult dirt and contamination problem.

My optical drive problem is not fully resolved, but it is greatly improved after just one cleaning. I cleaned one drive with isopropyl alcohol (99.9% pure anhydrous Electronics Cleaner) and a cotton swab, and the other drive with glass cleaner and a cotton swap. I also cleaned the optical assembly guide rails and spiral translation screw. I carefully lubed the guide rails and spiral translation screw with SuperLube Multi-Purpose Synthetic Oil applied to a cotton swab first. A very sparingly application.

I'm going to do a bit more research and study before I perform my second cleaning.

Regards

PS - I will add that the laser lenses come in basically two types, plastic and glass. I don't think a pencil eraser is a good choice to clean the lens in either case. Small scratches can render the lens damaged beyond repair. The lens has such a short focal length, approximately a millimeter, that even a spec of dust can look like a boulder from what I've read. If you wouldn't clean an expensive pair new prescription eyewear, either plastic coated lenses or glass lenses, with a pencil eraser, then you shouldn't clean the laser lens with it.

mjf · 29 Oct 2015

tjg79 said:

Perhaps these drives are failing due to age. They're about six years old.

I'd try another brand of CD/DVD media but I'd be moving very quickly to just buying an new internal DVD R/W for <$20.

tjg79 · 29 Oct 2015

Yes, I agree that the media might be part of the issue. But, the drives have age issues. You can buy a cheap DVD burner in the $20 range, but for a better quality drive or one with features such as LightScribe, you'll pay a lot more. In most cases, these drives are disposable. But, if this is a hobby or you have the skills, you can repair your drive and give them new life. From my own research, I realize now that these optical drives require regular maintenance to ensure they will last as long as possible. If they are not maintained with regular cleaning, then they have shorter then normal lives.

cyclops · 29 Oct 2015

I have been burning disc type media for quite a long time and have done some reading lately as to the changes in the manufacture of discs. Older discs seemed to have had a greater shelf life compared to most recently used by myself. Turns out the materials used are not the same. Old discs were primarily metal semi-conductive coatings and newer media has gone semi-organic. Shelf life has diminished and costs are less, but to whose benefit? I guess it is time to do some more research and seek only the archival quality discs for further testing on this matter.