CD Burner not recording data files properly

I have seen this intermittently. Check the Liteon web-site for any firmware updates. Also try using the Roxio drag to disk option to burn the disc instead of the usual interface.

Can you read the data on another PC? It seems to me that Roxio is capable of burning formats that some ROM drives can't actually read. There are a lot of ways of burning disks and finalizing them etc. to make them the most compatible. It seems crazy that the drive could burn a format that it then could not read itself but this is a PC we are dealing with so anything is possible.

Hi Ejscarfo,
I know Flemo has good intentions but the use of any firmware other than one from Dell will void the warranty on the drive, regardless if you get it from Lite-on. I am not saying it will not work, flip a coin, but it will void the warranty.

Use the "Downloads" tab above, enter information for your system and check for a Dell firmware.
Make sure that you have DMA enabled for your device, Click on the CD/RW gif in my post and scroll to Section 15, articles 14 & 13 and Section 20, article 3, re-loading the Secondary IDE controller.

Best Regards




God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

---

I am going to try to install the firmware tonight.  With any luck it should work. 

To answer your question, the data cannot be read anywhere, either my home PC or  my PC at work.

I did notice when creating data CD's is that in the status box that comes up showing the progress of the burn, it doesnt say its finalizing the disk or closing the disk like it did when I made the audio the CD.  I burned an MPG file to a blank disk and left the disc open so I could add additional sessions and tracks purposely so I could finalize it myself.  After it copied the file to the disk, I tried to choose the Finalize CD option from the drop down menu and it was greyed out, I couldn't use it at all. 

OK, I did what the Dell dude told me, I downloaded the firmware from the link they sent me and it said everything was already up to date.  I then uninstalled Roxio, restarted the system, and then re-installed it.  There is no change!!!  It still wont copy data to CD's right and now its really pissing me off because it worked 2 weeks ago.  I even restored the computer using the Windows XP System Restore utility back to a date when I know the burner and the software were working properly and it did nothing.

I am about to do an Elvis and shoot this thing soon.  Does anyone have any ideas?  The device is recognized by the computer, it reads fine, it burns, its just not reading what its burned - datawise that is.  Audio CD's burn fine and they work.  I made sure all the drivers were updated and everything checks out.  The IT guy at work says its most likely a software issue, but with what software?  Could it be a virus that has gone undetected could have caused all this mayhem?  I ran a Virus Scan when this happened the first time and nothing showed  up.  I even ran my SpyBot program and it found nothing either.

I  need some serious help with this and quick.

Have you tried this procedure, go into device manager and remove the drive and then reboot, windows xp will install the drive again. delete your cookies , delete your temp files and defrag .can you think of what you did different,before this happned. Could be the drive it self

I havent tried that one yet, its my next plan of action.  I can't think of anything out of the ordinary that I did to make this happen.  I remember updating the Windows Media Player and getting a newer version of the DivX player, but other than that, it was business as usual.

I dont think its the drive because it still makes perfectly good audio music CD's.  For some reason, it doesnt seem to be writing the directory to read data CD's.  What is really bizarre is that it happens with all CD writing programs I have installed, not just Roxio.  Could it be the drivers/device?

What version of Roxio are you running? You mentioned you tried other software to burn data CD's, what was that software.

Based on everything you have tried and failed it does sound like it could be a hardware issue, even though it is burning audio CD's properly. Have you tried different makes of CD-R?

flemo - I am using Roxio EasyCD Creator 5.2.  I tried to use Nero 6 as well, but that had the same results.  I am currently using TDK CD-R's, the same CD-R's that I have been using the whole time, successfully.  I have never had a problem with them.

Sounds to me like it is not software related.

Did you check the DMA settings on the drive in the Secondary IDE channel? Whatever it is right now try setting it to the other setting. It will either be "PIO Only" or "DMA if available".

When you burn a data CD and try to read it, does the system think the CD is still blank or does it give another error message?

DMA is set to DMA if available.  When any computer tries to read the the CD, it comes up as blank, I never get an error message.

Interesting, if the disk was still unwritten you would get an error since it would not be formatted to be readable at all. It would just be unaccessable. Is it possible that the files being written are files hidden by the OS by default?

When you open the CD to view, go to Tools, Folder Options, On the View tab there is a radio button to Show Hidden Files and Folders. This is just a shot in the dark but who knows.

Hi ejscarfo,

really interesting thread this, especially as I've got almost exactly the same problem.

Different drive (Samsung CD-R/RW 248F) same software ie.Roxio and like you I tried
with Nero and also Sonic.
Also got the latest firmware from Dell.

Still can't produce readable data CD's.

Let's hope someone can figure this out.

regards Dave

Well Dave, its nice to see I am not alone.  Maybe its not a hardware issue after all.

I tried uninstalling the burner and having Windows reinstall it last night, but that didnt work either.  I downloaded the latest firmware from Dell and flashed the computer too, it did nothing.

I was wondering if something I downloaded from the web could have caused all this.  I did a virus scan with the lastest update of McAffe on the hard drive and it found nothing.  Should I have it search something else, can you scan the disk drives?  Does anyone know of any viruses or worms that have an affect on burning CD's?

Also, those of you that use Roxio 5.x Basic, when burning a data CD, does it say its writing a table of contents after it finishes burning your data?  I remember mine doing that before all this happened, but it doesnt do it now.

I have a Dell Dimension 4200 at work w/Roxio v5 (that came with my Dell) & have the same problem you described - at home, I couldn't view the files I had burned at work.  Sounds like you're as frustrated as I was.  I downloaded a file from Roxio's website called 'udfread_v5.1.1.213_inst'.  I ran the executable & rebooted my PC.  Then I was able to view the files at home from the cd I burned from my Dell at work.  Let me know if this works for you.

Good luck,

Tabetha 

Thanks for your interest Tabetha but no, that won't work for me. I believe that file is for reading CD's created with DirectCD.
Could this be an XP or file-system issue ?.....................anyone ?

Dave