Error Message, help required please.

Hey everyone,

Noob here, so please be gentle.

I have had my new Samsung R60 laptop for three months now, and in that time have converted and burnt some 200 dvds using converXtoDvd with no problems whatsoever, no coasters, no dodgy jumpiness or anything.
BUT, now i am getting an error message saying...

23/10/2008 15:02:38 error BURN: WRITE FAILED: Can't find write strategy at sector 16
23/10/2008 15:02:32 error BURN: Write error at 0 (16) - Code 03 73 03 [Medium error, Power calibration fail (CD-burner is dirty)]

Now as i say, the encoding is all fine, and if i try to burn it with Nero i get an error message too.
I know it seems obvious, like clean the burner lol.. so i put a lens cleaner through a couple of times, but still no joy. I have only ever put brand new discs in the drive, so it cant be a case of putting a dirty skanked up disc in there.
The brand of media i am using is Verbatim DVD plus R, RW, 4.7gb, 16x, 120min. And for added info, i only burn at 4x just for better playback results etc.
So, any ideas what i can do to resolve this? I am desperate as i am running out of hdd space with all these x264 movies grr, bloody HD lol.. and i need to back them up onto DVD, and cant afford to buy another DVD burner or External HDD.
If anyone requires any further info to help them give me some ideas, please ask.

Thanking you for reading, and keeping fingers crossed!

Woop.

 

right click on MY COMPUTER.... go to PROPERTIES...... go to DEVICE MANAGER...... then DVD/CD-ROM DRIVES
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1796/devicemanager2rr9.jpg

and tell me what DVD burner you have?

also:
[Medium error, Power calibration fail (CD-burner is dirty)]
<9>I have a Power calibration error?
Options you can try with "power calibration errors"
o Try another brand of DVD-/+R or DVD-/+RW media. This is the most common cause of OPC errors.
o "Slow down your burning speed".
o Update the firmware of your recorder. Check the manufacturer's website for the latest version.
o Check your power connectors, loose connections do occur. Don't share power with other devices. It needs its own power connector. If the errors occurs with an external recorder, Check the USB cable and connections.
o Try different configurations, such as taking the DVD-ROM to the primary IDE bus as slave and have only the recorder connected to the secondary IDE bus as master.
o Clean or have your DVD burner serviced. There are cleaning kits available. Sometimes just a gentle appplication of canned air can remove dust blocking the laser.
o Replace the DVD burner.
lets hope we don't need to do the last one
found from the MASTERS ADVICE:
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/183136

 

'hey, thanks for the reply..

I am not sure how to check this, as i have a spanish laptop, and dont really understand the lingo, but i can paste my full log if it will help you identify the dvd writer.. as i am not sure which one i have.. all i know is it is a samsung R60 plus.. the log is as follows:

23/10/2008 15:01:52 info ***************** Encoding end **********************
23/10/2008 15:01:52 info Disc name: "My DVD"
23/10/2008 15:01:51 info Burned folder: "C:\Users\Cheeky\Documents\ConvertXtoDVD\Silence.Of.The.Lambs[1991]DVDRip.Xvid.Delta\"
23/10/2008 15:01:47 info BURN: New media (DVD+R) inserted. Burning layer is ready to write
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info BURN: Compatible media types : DVD-R, DVD-RW Seq., DVD-RW RO, DVDRAM, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R, CD-RW, DL DVD+R, DL DVD-R
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info BURN: Drive has IDE-ATAPI physical interface
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info BURN: New Drive selected : 2:0:0 - Slimtype DVD A DS8A1P CS21 [E] (Ide)
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info Total size 2006 Mb., Target size DVD5 4300 Mb., Occupation 46.66%
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info Conversion completed in 00:42:21
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info Rendering rate: 2.81 x Realtime
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info DVD duration (incl. menus) 01:59:02 (~ 7142 sec.) - rendering time 00:42:21
23/10/2008 15:01:06 info Generated duration 7142.92 sec., expected 7142.31 sec.
23/10/2008 15:00:40 info P-SDT buffer Underflow 1 times, 285 bytes peak
23/10/2008 15:00:39 info 1 frames duplicated

 

use your mouse and follow these instructions:

right click on MY COMPUTER.... go to PROPERTIES...... click on HARDWAREtab........go to DEVICE MANAGER...... then click on DVD/CD-ROM DRIVES

see picture here:
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1796/devicemanager2rr9.jpg

Now what does it say? It will tell you what DVD burner you have.........

 

Hey, Unfortunately my screens looked nothing like yours, maybe because i am using vista, and definately because mine is all in SPANISH lol.. but i got there in the end, and under the cd dvd rom section it says: SLIMTYPE DVD A DS8A1P ATA DEVICE

That's it.. does that help at all?

Thanks

 

I can't find your burner listed anywhere........ so I don't know if your burner needs a firmware update.

a write strategy has to do with finding the correct burning method for your disk. So it seems your burner is not liking those disks that you have. Firmware is programming that is inserted into a programmable memory area of your drive, thus becoming a permanent part of a drive. This 'software' is called firmware and can be updated with a firmware flasher. A firmware upgrade can add new functionality to your drive. Also bug fixes and improvements are done by firmware upgrades. It also adds more media codes and write strategies to the drive to improve burning capabilities and disk recognition.

Sooooo without finding your burner I can't see if you need a firmware update to fix your problem.

 

Hey, thanks so much for the reply.
Well i looked on Samsung website under my laptop model and couldnt find any updates there. Have just done a windows update, but that didnt solve anything!
I did try to burn an already converted project, and it did burn without the error, but then there was nothing on the disc haha.
As i said originally, i have been using the same media for the last few months with absolutely no problems whatsoever, its strange that it should happen now.
Weird question, but is fake media common? its just that they do look like official named Verbatim, all in the proper sealed packaging that takes a nightmare to get off etc, and stamped on the discs etc, but they are not expensive, yet everywhere i read they do recommend a brand such as verbatim but say they are expensive. I pay about €22 for 50 blank DVD plus or minus R, they are both the same cost. Which i think is quite cheap.
Oh well, i guess i will have to bite the bullet and buy a usb external writer. have found a Freecom one that is not overly expensive.
But thanks so much for your time and effort in trying to help me out.

 

not sure if would work or not, but have you tried a system restore to a date prior to when your problems started? It's a long shot, but might be worth it.

also, i found this link. Looks like maybe you should contact the manufacturer of your computer.

http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=44642&p=216754

 

Hey

Havent tried that,but with my lappy being spanish i am loathe to playing around with things that i have no idea what i am doing. What consequences would there be with doing that? Biggest problem for me is that my lappy is essential for my work, so i cant be without it, and with no i.t help over here that is readily available it could be a mistake. To be honest, i cant remember when i started having the problems either lol

 

a restore using the windows restore feature should not affect any files. I'm not convinced that it's the solution but who knows what might work. I usually go back a month or so when I am unsure of the dates. I'd still pursue the driver firmware if at all possible.

I googled "DS8A1P firmware samsung" and found a few possible starting points. Seems alot of others are having problems with this burner also. There were a few other sites that were in some language I couldn't read. Maybe they are in spanish?

 

Ahhh ok, well thats a start.. trouble is my spanish is not that good, ok for everyday use but anything more than that, especially on a technical level i am pretty much stumped. As not having used vista before buying this laptop in Spain, i had no idea how to find the device manager haha, that was a mission in itself.
I may have to delve further on the firmware situation.. its strange though that after 200 perfectly satisfactory burns it should suddenly develop a problem, or is that usual?

 

Laptop slimline drive... I'm not surprised it's died. They aren't very heavy duty.

I am surprised nobody has suggested giving a different burning program a try. I've seen nero do some very strange things on fista after an OS update.

imgburn

Lets drop nero and possible hidden drm out of the loop.

 

Hey

Thanks for the replies.. i have tried nero when before it was fine, but now has an error message, probably indicating the same problem, but its all code, so i have no idea.
I guess i have to resign myself to the fact i need to get a usb external writer grrr.. bloody thing is only two months old..
First lappy i have owned, so didnt realise that the internal optical drives were so lightweight and poo, or i woulda bought an external at the same time when i had the money!
Time to go shopping me thinks.

Thanks again for the advice, at least i know i have done pretty much all i can to remedy the problem.

Woop.

 

Well, i gave imageburn a try, and received the same error message.. Power Calibration Area Error.. was worth a try.
Guess all ideas have been exhausted.. Going to try and get hold of some compressed air and blow the drive out and see if that works. If not, then will have to get another external burner!

Thanks for all your help and advice guys, really appreciate it.

 

you are absolutely right... although it didn't solve the problem, that would have made sense. Not one my better days. Kind of like searching for ways to open that locked door, when it fact it is unlocked and you just have to open it...

@woopeedoo I( have to ask, why would you purchase a Spanish computer when you can't speak or read the language more than to get by from day to day?

 

Hey

I bought it here because i desperately needed it for work and was under the assumption i could change the language within windows..however, i was wrong!! Also, as i am only here til next year, the plan was to sell it once i return to the uk and then buy a normal high powered pc in the UK.

I didnt envisage any problems with it tbh, and with the exception of this problem it runs sweet and does everything i need it to do, well apart from be in English of course, even though i have the language settings on English lol

 

and LOCO comes through huge, once again