Lightscribe smearing problem?

smurof7neves · 06 Dec 2010

I cannot figure out why I'm getting a problem with smearing on my Lightscribe-compatible CDs. It just started happening yesterday. I was only able to complete 3 successful CDs and the rest are crap. The CD gets about 80-90% complete and smears.

I have no way of knowing if the drive is overheating, but my hard drives are 37-40 degrees C (somewhere around 100 degrees F), so I highly doubt it. BTW, the max temp for the lightscribe drive is 122 degrees F according to the pdf manual.

Do I need to get a new drive or is there a way to fix this?

Dwarf · 06 Dec 2010

I take it that you are talking about the labelling of the disk and not the actual writing of data to it. It could be a heat-related problem, particularly if you are labelling several disks in succession. I suggest giving the drive a rest between disks in order for it to cool down. You could also try a different brand of disk to see if that makes any difference.

linnemeyerhere · 06 Dec 2010

As getto as this sound you can try pointing a room fan at the drive to help keep it cool to see if that helps if waiting between burns isn't an option.