DVD writing crashes

[JonnyThunder]

Wonder if you guys / girls can help me out here. There's a problem which has started to happen with my setup whilst burning DVDs. First of all, here's my spec....

Epox 8RDA+ mobo
AMD Athlon 2400 @ 133
512mb 3200 ram
Pioneer DVR-104 Burner
Plextor 24x Burner
80gb Harddisk
Runnin XP SP1 with all critical updates

OK, so what happens is this. I can successfully use Instant Copy to take a backup of my DVDs without a problem. Usually I do this onto a re-recordable and then transfer to a normal -R disk (to save on wasted blanks if it goes wrong). This process has worked for me, for about a year or so.

A couple of weeks back, after no apparent problems or dodgy installations on my PC, the process of duplicating my backups just stopped working. Now, I can take an image of the original backup (from the rewritable disk) without a problem, but when I go to write it to a DVD-R, it just hangs at various places for no apparent reason.

I can still use InstantCopy to take backups of the DVDs and write them with no problem, but can't seem to do any image writing at all with either Prassi Primo DVD or RecordNow Max. I can take the image to my harddisk, but it won't write back.

So I figured XP was probably having an 'issue' so i reinstalled. And before anything else went back on, I tested the burning again with the same negative results.

Any ideas what could be causing this folks? I'm about to go critical.

Cheers,
JT

[JonnyThunder]

p.s. Forgot to mention, i've tried various types of media. Have switched off anything running in background - including screensaver and power management!

Also wanted to reiterate that although I cannot successfully burn a .GI image to a DVD-R, I CAN use Instantcopy to write to one.

[sfheath]

that very last bit throws me .. you can burn to a DVD?
Up till then I was going to wince and suggest a lens cleaner!

You list two burners? Are you sure you have the correct one selected under the Nero Recorder tab?

[JonnyThunder]

Yeah, I CAN burn to DVD, but only using Instantcopy. The instantcopy process takes a DVD VOB file collection and puts it to a workable DVD format - but as part of this process you can choose to write directly to DVD. This still works OK.

The problem occurs when I try to do any sort of disk image, using Prassi or RecordnowMax. I can create a GI image on my harddisk, but it crashes when I try to write it back to a blank DVD. Haven't tried Nero yet - but am not a keen lover of it (especially after version 5.5.6.4).

And to answer the question, yes - definately have the right recorder selected. The process will go through between 20 and 80 percent before it fails. The drive light is on during this time, and there is harddisk activity. But then it just stops. Drive light goes off, and the machine freezes.

[sfheath]

I'm not familiar with RecordNowMax or Prassi.
You might try DVD Decrypter in ISO mode
Not a cure but a workround maybe. Someone else with better knowledge of the subject might fault-find what's going wrong with your present method though

[ashy]

You say it hangs at various places.
Is there an error displayed when this happens?

Check to make sure you have DMA enabled for ALL your drives.

[JonnyThunder]

Yeah, it hangs at any stage during the write process.

I eventually tried reinstalling XP again with no difference, so I went back to 2000 (which I wanted to do for ages after realising just how bad XP actually is) and surprise surprise, it works with no problems.

Unfortunately, I realised this too late cos now I've gone and bought a new 8X DVD writer to replace the 'faulty' one I have!!



Ah well. Can never have too many burners!