Strange DVD-R Burning Issue

[SundayDriver]

All of a sudden, I am having issues with my DVD burning drive. It's a QSI DVD+-RW SDW-082. Over the past two years I have burned a couple hundred DVDs without a problem.

Starting last week, Nero claims the burned data DVD completed successfully, but upon loading the disk back into the drive for reading, Windows claims the disk is blank and loads the option menu for a "blank CD". Nero also registers it as blank. Further attempts to view the disc on other computers produces the same results.

If I flip the disc over and compare it to a blank DVD-R, there is clearly information written on the disc. For a few laughs, I attempted to write other data to the already non-working burned disc that Windows/Nero registered as blank. Another data ring was produced over the "old" data. That shouldn't have happened.

At no time did I change media. I have been using Taiyo Yuden DVD-Rs the entire time. I could see one or two bad discs in a batch, but 5 of them in a row seems unlikely...maybe? DMA mode is of course, on.

Anyone have some thoughts, or had the same issue at some point?

[rspencer]

Never had that specific issue. I would guess it's the drive.

[U2Lynne]

I've had three or four DVDs in a row not work before. Have you tried picking another out of the stack randomly and seeing if the burn works then? (But, I think I agree with rspencer that it sounds more like a drive issue.)

[SundayDriver]

Interesting, thanks rspencer and U2Lynne. I purchased a 100 pack, and have about 25 left. I'll pick a random one.

After it burned to an already burned disc, I was also thinking that the drive might be going/dead.

[AAR.oner]

i had weird issues with DVD drives before, & this always worked [unless it was a drive goin bad and needed replacing]

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/...3&postcount=15

[saltman]

I have never seen that. It sounds like a bad drive to me. I've never seen a bad drive act like that either though. usually they just die or start burning errors. Can you put in another drive temporarily to check it? That way you would know if it is a hardware or a software problem.

[tgunn2760]

Originally Posted by DumbLuck

All of a sudden, I am having issues with my DVD burning drive. It's a QSI DVD+-RW SDW-082. Over the past two years I have burned a couple hundred DVDs without a problem.

Starting last week, Nero claims the burned data DVD completed successfully, but upon loading the disk back into the drive for reading, Windows claims the disk is blank and loads the option menu for a "blank CD". Nero also registers it as blank. Further attempts to view the disc on other computers produces the same results.

If I flip the disc over and compare it to a blank DVD-R, there is clearly information written on the disc. For a few laughs, I attempted to write other data to the already non-working burned disc that Windows/Nero registered as blank. Another data ring was produced over the "old" data. That shouldn't have happened.

At no time did I change media. I have been using Taiyo Yuden DVD-Rs the entire time. I could see one or two bad discs in a batch, but 5 of them in a row seems unlikely...maybe? DMA mode is of course, on.

Anyone have some thoughts, or had the same issue at some point?

I've had this happen to me.

Is your drive internal or external? Mine is external.

Sometimes it says "semaphore has timed out".

I unplugged it and plugged it in again and worked fine.

I verify all discs I burn now.

It's happened with various media brands so I would say it's hardware issue.

[SundayDriver]

Thanks for all the replies. AAR.oner, I do know that my drive is currently in DMA mode, although I did have that problem a long time ago.

I tried a random disc as well as a different brand of media and got the same results. So it's definitely seems to be a hardware issue. (burning with Nero) This is an internal drive in a laptop, so I'll open it up, reconnect and see what happens. If it doesn't work it is time for a new drive I guess.