I recently got a new computer (AMD 2000+, 256 RAM, Win XP) with an internal CDRW (ATAPI 40x12x48 Accesstek), but I've been unable to successfully burn a full CD, audio or data, on a variety of brands of CD... I've browsed many forums and tried many options, but with no success.

Using both Nero (5.5.8.1 and 5.5.9.9) and Windows (ugh) Media Player produce the exact same results: the burner will begin to write, but around 5% or 10% the drive will stall and burning stops, with no error message or log to report. The "Used Read Buffer" almost immediately jumps to almost 100%, while the "Recorder Level" hovers around 25%. I've tried burning at a variety of speeds (4x to 40x) with the same results. I've also tried burning a small 150kb file, and that worked fine (so the drive should work!)

I've seen similar problems in the forums, so I tried a few suggestions: DMA is enabled for both IDE channels (although I couldn't find settings for Disconnect, Sync Data Transfer, or AIN in the device manager...). I also tried increasing the buffer size with no luck. According to Nero, ASPI is installed. And nowhere can I find any problem devices, hardware conflicts or a single error message or warning!

I think I've attempted everything I'm capable of, so any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Some other info that may or may not be relevant:
Driver: atapi.sys (Microsoft 5.1.2600.0)
Firmware version: 100C
The only other problem I've had with the system was an error regarding the SM Bus Controller's driver, which I think I fixed by installing a driver from the motherboard's CD.

Thanks for reading this far...

Please check this out:

1. Disable DMA - set the ide-channel where your burner is to pio-mode in bios and windows.

2. Get a cdr with TY-layer (Sony, Fuji, ...).

3. Make now a transfer-test with neroīs cd-speed and look, if it can ending the test or if it stops after 5-10% too.
If it stops, goto step 6. If cd-speed can ending his test goto step 4.

4. Defrag your hd-partition and make an image with nero on hd.

5. Take the cdr with the TY-layer and burn this image with 12x-speed.
If it stops, goto step 6. If not, let DMA off and use cdrīs with TY-layer in the furture (many "cheap" burners have problems with ritek and other layers).

6. If you have a mainboard with via-chipset, make same tests with and without viaīs 4in1-ide-driver.

7. If you have an intel-chipset, install intels inf-driver and the application-accelerator and make the tests again (read the manual first, if your chipset is compatible with this drivers, of course).

If your burner now works, your problem is solved. If not, goto 8.

8. Change the IDE-channels. Put your burner at secondary-master and test it again. If it donīt solves your problem, goto 9.

9. It seems, that your burner is damaged. Bring it back to your seller and get a new one. Goto step 100.

100. Next time you buy a burner, get a Yamaha F1!

- RaMaTz -

(in reply to mr t)

Mr. T:

You will not be able to achieve writing speeds of 40X with DMA disabled, this is not possible.

(in reply to mr t)

Thank you for your responses... Before I tried anything, I stumbled across my System's Error Log, which revealed these likely relevant problems (each recurring):

Cdrom: The device, \Device\CdRom0, has a bad block.

Cdrom: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\CdRom0.

atapi: The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort1, did not respond within the timeout period.

These 3 errors occurred quite a few times, but I'm not sure what they mean. What is a "bad block" and "controller error"? Obviously I'm not too technically inclined, but I'm willing to try anything.

(in reply to mr t)

If you can, and feel comfortable, get inside the box and check the cables, it seems like you have a communication error with the drive. If you do this, and the cables are connected fine, you have either a bad controller (which is probably integrated on the motherboard) or a bad drive. In which case, if you just purchased this system, I would return it for an exchange.

(in reply to mr t)

I have the same problem, my CD burner stops at around 4%. In fact the percentage depends on the size of the data I'm trying to write.

I still didn't solved the problem completely, but my burner works fine with Nero 5.5.7.8. Nevertheless, it frezes at 4% with any version of Nero greather then this.

The first time I had this problem, I formatted my HD completely and reinstall Windows 98 SE and NERO 5.5.9.9. Evething worked fine, but this week Nero stopped working again and I went back to version 5.5.7.8.

(in reply to mr t)

See a similar problem at:

http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4937

http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6653

(in reply to mr t)

I turned off DMA on both IDE channels, and the burner worked fine.
But I'm curious why DMA affects the writer's process... Some people recommend turning it on, others turning it off... Should I leave one channel on, and the other off? Is there any benefit to enabling DMA?

Just wondering, but thanks anyway.

(in reply to mr t)

Hi mr t
Just go to :-
http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6002
And read my post in Our FAQ Section and it should tell you most things you want to know about DMA !!!
I hope this Helps !!!

(in reply to mr t)

As I stated above, you will NEVER achieve 40X burning without DMA enabled. All drives that are manufactured today utilize DMA (Direct Memory Access). This allows the writing speeds that we are seeing today.

(in reply to mr t)

Alright, alright, I won't try burning at 40x.

But it seems like the drive should be burning up to 40x, so something must still be wrong. Switching to PIO rather than DMA might just be a temporary solution. I think the underlying problem might be with the SMBus Controller. I'll research that next...

(in reply to mr t)