Dvd rw problems

[nate39]

OK, I have a cheap optarite dvd rw drive. I create documents weekly and save them to a dvd rw. Every month or two I will go to save a new doc. only to be told that I don't have access to the drive that it is read only. I check the disc and see that it is completely full and all the docs. are read only. Of course it isn't full. So I have to copy it all on to a new disc and reformat the old one and everything is fine for another couple of months.

Then, this week, a new twist. In one folder containing about 20 docs., all the files are gone! The folder is there but it is empty. In another folder several of the docs are there but there is nothing in them!

this is a home computer so I count out sabatoge. I have thought of a virus of some sort but I don't think so. Could the Nero and Incd programs be the problem? I have had this problem for at least a year. It seems rediculous. Any help? Thanks.

 

[iss]

well, you are discovering why you shouldnt rely on RW of any kind for important documents. it is not a reliable format. use a external USb connected hard drive, a pen drive and burn your data to cd's they are dirt cheap.

one of the reason your RW is showing full is somehow the session was closed meaning nothing more can be written to the disk.

 

[nate39]

thanks, I have heard that they aren't very reliable but for files just to disappear seems odd. why is an external better than an extra internal one?

 

[SultanGris]

thanks, I have heard that they aren't very reliable but for files just to disappear seems odd. why is an external better than an extra internal one?

depends on what you need it for, if you dont require lots of storage, or need to take it to your office or whatever, external usb is great. if you require lots of space, i would go with internal, not to mention internal wont clutter up your desk, haha.

internal hard drives are simple to install, if you read the directions.

 

[iss]

why is an external better than an extra internal one?

portability. I use a 160 GB external USB 2.0 in an enclosure for back ups I also use a 40 GB 5400 RPM 8 MB cache samsung notebook drive in a USB 2.0 enclosure that needs no external power supply ( runs off the USB bus) and fits in your shiirt pocket. it cost me less than 100.00 for the drive and the enclosure from Newegg.

 

[IBN]

I have just bought a DVD RW NEC ND3550A. I already have a CDRW and HDD. After conecting my new DVDRW windows showed it as new hardware but doesnt have any drivers for the DVDRW. (NEC ND3550A doesnt have its own drivers)

I've been playing around in the bios but now both CDRW and DVDRW are not being detected. Instead it just shows a DVD in my computer but the DVDRW doesnt work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've also got a new 300gb but i want to get the DVDRW working then backup then connect the 300gb first.

Any ideas????

 

[iss]

All optical drives use the native windows drivers. so there is no need to install drivers. windows does this automatically. Windows has no built in DVD burning capability so it is not uncommon for your drive not to show up as a DVD RW in my computer until you install a DVD burning program.

 

[IBN]

OK after playing with the cables. I've got the DVDRW to work. But i cant get both CDRW and DVDRW drives and my HDD all to work at the same time.

Its either HDD and DVDRW working or HDD and CDRW working. Time being i've not connected my CDRW until i come up with a solution. I still got my 300gb :angel: to connect also but i aint 100% sure how i'm gonna do that.

This forum is very useful but i cant find any post to help me. I wanna end up with the following.

300gb and CDRW and DVDRW and my old (current) 80GB to be a backup drive.

???

 

[mailpup]

In each of the IDE channels you have to set one of the devices as a master and the other as slave, unless you prefer to use cable select on both. Your system has to support cable select, of course.

Did you set the jumpers on the back of the drives to the appropriate settings?

 

[IBN]

Thanx. I didnt have a clue what jumpers were. I fixed the jumpers at the back of the CDRW as slave and now everything is working fine :haha:

But i still got a few Qs. Does it make a difference what i set as Primary, Secondary, Master Slave?

300GB HDD for Windows
80GB HDD for Just Backups

CDRW
DVDRW

What are the optimum jumper settings???

ps
Whats the CS jumper setting for?

 

[mailpup]

When two drives are connected to a IDE controller, it is better to set the one on the end as master and the one in the middle of the cable as slave. However, it will usually work either way.

The third jumper setting is CS or cable select. If you use cable select, both drives are set to CS. CS lets lets the position of the devices on the cable determine which is master or slave. However, you have to have the proper cable which I believe is a 40 pin, 80 wire ultra ATA cable.

 

[SultanGris]

Put your hard drive with windows as your primary master, back up hd as primary slave,

put both cd roms on secondary, and it doesnt matter which one is what, but the one on the end of the cable u want set to master, and the other to slave, personally i have my cdrw as master, and dvdrw as slave.

 

[IBN]

Thanx for that.

 

[nate39]

I have found out that the problems I am having with nero is not unusual with this program. Am I to understand that if I uninstal it, windows won't burn or format rewritable disc? What about the windows media burn program? Is there a more stable software out there? thanks