of course you don't need to believe me re the media, but that's the whole point of the link i pasted before, buying TDK one day does not guarantee you get discs made by the same disc manufacturer another day. But if they work for you, good stuff, i'm just out to make sure you and others know how easy it is to get caught out by companies such as TDK
Sorry Creaky, I think you misunderstood my post: The Mitsubishi discs I've been using over the last few days with the failed results are from the same cake pack as the ones I used before things started to go wrong. I understand what you're saying vis a vie buying some discs, using them up and then buying some you think are the same, but arent. But I'm using the same discs from the same pack as before, but with failing results. Obviously discs from the same pack, which came from the same factory, cannot be made by different makers, so I can't understand how one will burn perfectly, but 20 minutes latter a second, from the same pack will not. Do you see what I'm saying? Yes, I know they're cheap and that they're not the best, but the point I'm making is that I know, for a fact, that they worked perfectly well before I moved house and now they don't. All from the same cake pack! I've got several I used before for both data back-up and DVD back-up, so I just don't understand what's happened! Please don't misunderstand me, I appreciate all you've done to help me out, but I just feel that the problem is with the drive and not the media...
creaky and i know that ye can can have different manufacturer disks in the same pack. as that has happen to all of us.. i want ye to read this Attn: Newbies... this is why you should NOT buy CMC MAG or any other unknown media... http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/262544
Seriously? How? I mean, they come off the press (or whatever) and are packaged and shipped. How can you get different manufacturers discs in the same pack? I know you can get odd ones that don't work, but that's normal with almost everything! I'm not being funny, I really just want to know! Anyho, I've downloaded Nero CD DVD Speed to take a look at what's going on in my drive. I also had a thought last night; when I back-up a DVD I usualy use SlySoft to do all the work and that's the program that burned everything onto the Mitsubishi discs with no problems. I'm going to try that again as it may be Nero and the reminants of Sonic conflicting with each other. I'm also re-installing a new copy of XP and not using the Sony Recovery Discs! I guess I'll see what happens in a while!
No luck with the clean install. I've given in. Once I find the receipt it's going back to John Lewis. I don't know what to suggest you do mate. Ditch Sonic and try Nero, see how it goes. I know I had Sonic on my first Samsung and when I installed Nero, Nero would constantly crash. Something to do with a conflict between the two programs. Thankfully, Samsung's ship with DECENT software now! Wish I'd not bought the Vaio and just got another Samsung laptop... ah well.
I'll have to try a few more times as my vaio is no longer under warranty. I think that one of the questions is, is the problem with the software or pioneer drive. I have no idea how one would check the drive anyway. What sort of tests can be done. Anyway, if I find a solution, I'll let you know. By the way, I have uninstalled the sonic software but still not working.
It could be the drive itself. Seems to be the problem on my machine anyway. I'm a member of Club-Vaio and there have been a couple of complaints about that drive on the forums there. Pop by and take a look at the threads if you want more info. What really annoys me is the fact that Sony fit this Pioneer drive to several Vaio models, but they only provide firmware updates for thier own Sony drive! I was looking into buying a Vaio Laptop, but I've decided not to bother since the problem with the desktop!
It's all very strange as if you goto the pioneer website, they do not even recognise the DVR-K14L Also with regard to your comments about vaio, I can agree as within 7 months the letters on the keyboard started to wear off. I contacted vaio and they were not interested and said that they did not cover cosmetic faults. Well I ask you, what kind of manufacure procedure is used so that the letters start to wear within 7 months on a home pc.
Yes, I went to Pioneer's website too and I was stunned to see that the drive wasn't listed! It's like they know it's poor and they don't want to admit that they ever made the thing in the first place! Very strange... As for the letters coming off your keyboard, that's been covered in Club-Vaio too! A chap there had the same trouble with Sony saying they wouldn't do anything. The chap pointed out that a keyboard without letters wasn't much good to anyone! After a while Sony said they'd replace it, but he had to send the whole computer back for them to check it. I mean, come on! What is wrong with Sony Customer "Service"? I was never a big fan of Sony products before buying the Vaio, but I was swayed by the beauty and compactness of the PC and thought I'd give Sony the benefit of the doubt. But after their useless handling of my complaint I'm wishing I'd plumped for the HP which was cheaper and had more features! Speaking of HP, I've got an HP DVD Movie Writer which I was going to sell off. Glad I didn't now, because I dug it out and have managed to burn about 15 of those Mitsubishi discs and not one of them has failed! Goes to show that not all cheap media is crap and that it really IS the Pioneer drive which is buggered! Maybe if we all club together and swamp Sony with complaints about their drive they'll actually DO something? Or, maybe I'm just living in cloud-cookoo-land! Lol!
hi guys, i had the same problem as you, i have tried most of the ideas posted, and even reformated and reinsatalled windows. i belived it was my toshiba dvd drive that was at fault , so i purchased an lg external usb dvd, and guess what! i still cannot burn any dvds. i am using the same batch of blank dvds that worked before. bloody laptop.
Hopefully this will work for you. Real basic but I've got mine working. I got so pixxed with it all that I decided to buy a new dvd unit so popped down to pc crap world as their website said in stock. I removed the defective unit so I could compare it with the Sony DWQ58A drive that is supposed to be a replacement. On arrival at PC crap world I was told that none were in stock so I went home and put the old unit back in the machine so that it would not get damaged. Two weeks later pc crap world said, over the phone, that they were in stock. So off to pc world again. This time I was told that they never stock these things. So off back home and refitted the old unit yet again and low and behold it's all working now. The only thing I can think is that the removal and refit on 2 occasions as cleared a bad connection between the drive and pc. Give it a go, it might work for you also. Ashley
