I am trying to burn Sex and The City for my sister, and I am using DVDXCopy. It usually takes about 20 mins to read it, and 10 mins to burn. But recently it is taking 1h47m (same estimated time, every time) to READ it. I finally let it read all the way though and when it went to burn the actual DVD, it had an error. Is this my computer, or DVDX? I have using a HP computer, XP home. Separate DVD-Rom and DVD Burner (my Burners a BenQ and my Roms a HP).
Hi Jammin1, welcome to aD , Probably your transfer speed has gone from DMA to PIO mode. Here's what you have to do . . . . We need to check your DMA[/b]. "Ooohh, no you're not ! Only my husband or my Doctor checks my "D", "M" . . whatever . . ." No, no, it's OK, DMA stands for "Direct Memory Access" transfer mode OR as we say in the computer field, it's a really, fast way to move stuff. Many PC's today are using UDMA or "Ultra Direct Memory Access transfer mode, or as we like to call it, a really super-duper fast way to move stuff as opposed to the PIO mode. The PIO or Programmed I/O mode, is a technique whereby the system CPU and support hardware directly control the transfer of data between the system and the hard disk since shortly after the beginning of PC's up until the mid-1990's. So we want DMA (fast) more than we PIO (slow). Let's check your Drive's transfer mode. It should be DMA-4, not PIO. Windows XP downgrades the Ultra DMA transfer mode after receiving six CRC errors and drops it down to the much slower PIO mode. To enable DMA mode using the Device Manager 1. Go to "My Computer, ""System Tools," "View System Information," then System Properties, "Hardware," Then Open Device Manager 2. Double-click IDE ATA//ATAPI Controllers to display the list of controllers and channels. 3. Right-click the icon for the channel to which your burner is connected and select Properties. Now click the Advanced Settings tab. 4. In the Current Transfer Mode drop-down box, select DMA if available if the current setting says, "PIO Only." If the drop-down box already says, "DMA if Available" but the current transfer mode is PIO, then the user must "toggle" the settings. That is, change the selection from "DMA if available" to PIO only, and click "OK". Then repeat the steps above to change the selection to "DMA if available". OPTION: Right-click the burner and select "Uninstall" and then "OK" all prompts until the PC reboots. Upon rebooting, the PC should "find" your burner and reinstall it setting it by "Default" to DMA. Lastly, when did you last defrag your Hard Drive (HD) ? If you have to stop and think about the last time you did it, then it's way, way overdue. Here we go, (Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. When it opens, choose your HD, analyses it to see where we stand then if you need it (you probably will) choose Defragment.). After you finish doing it now you might want to think about having "Scheduled Tasks" in your Control Panel do it for you on a daily basis. A fragmented HD not only drastically slows down your system but it can cause all number of things to happen inside your PC, a messed up burn being one of them. Once we've done that, our DVD burner should operate at peak efficiency ) Cheers, Pete Now let's see if everything will work together the way we want it to, OK ? Give it a test run and let us know how you make out -
I did the DMA thing. That seems like it's for my burning speed. I have no problem with my burning speed, its the reading/decrypting speed. Thanks for that though.
Try using the latest DVD Decrypter to rip the image to your hard drive. If you can successfully do this in the usual time, it's probably an Xcopy problem. If that's the case, you could then try using AnyDVD with XCopy and see if that solves the problem. Or use DVD Shrink with DVD Decrypter to accomplish the same thing as DVD XCopy. Otherwise try copying a different disk and see if the problem repeats.
I defragmented my HD last night. It is working again. Thanks so much guys. I tihnk it was my first time defragmenting my HD since I've had my comp (since XMas 2003)
Jammin1, Time to go to your, Control Panel - Schedualed Tasks then set your Defragmenter to run daily for a few hours a day so that this will not happen again. That's what it's there for, make it work for you Cheers, Pete
