Can't Burn CDs

[Fulcanelli]

Windows XP.

I reformatted/reinstalled everything a few months ago. Since then I
have not been able to burn any CDs. Just before I did the above
operations, I installed a new CD-R, a cheap generic one I bought for
$20 from a computer building company.

I am concerned that I might have placed the jumper incorrectly. I'm
not sure what my set up is. I had forgotten about this procedure when
I replaced it so I no longer recall what the original setting was. I
have a Dell computer (basic) with a CD-R (my drive D) and and CD-RW (my
drive E.) What is the proper relationship here, for the D drive CD-R?
Slave, Master, or CSEL?

I used to burn CDs with Sonic, that was bundled on the computer when I
bought it.

I purchased Cakewalk Pyro Plus and have been trying to use that. I did
have this software installed before the reformat/reinstall and it
worked.

When I try and copy an audio CD, I get this error: Write operation was
not successful. A write emergency occurred: Unexpected distrubance
during write. Please check if the medium is clean and the recorder is
positioned on a stable surface.
Driver error code = 02030C00h.
The disc in SONY CD-RW CRX216E is not successfully recorded.

I've checked Google for the driver error code before but didn't find
anything that seemed to fit. As you see, my CD-RW is a Sony.

Any ideas on this?

BTW, I did make sure the drive is set to burn CDs.

Please respond to me only in this forum and do not send me any emails.

Thanks

 

[paulmd]

Jumpers for newer Dells: averything cable select.

If that doesn't work: the drive at the end of the cable is master, the
one on the middle jump is slave.UNLESS OTHERWISE LABELED on the cable(
I've seen one or two cables like this). The blue colored one plugs in
to the motherboard.
If you get this backwards, badness happens even if it kinda sorta looks
like it works.

Make sure the IDE cable is oriented correctly. THere are several clues:
The red wire toward the power plug, the filled pin that doesn't LET you
plug it backward, marks on the jumps.

If it's plugged in right, and it still won't work. If it's under
warrenty, take it back and exchange it for a working one.

 

[Fulcanelli]

Thanks for the response.

I'm not sure what you meant with this: "Jumpers for newer Dells:
averything cable select."

I'll pull the cover later and make sure I have the IDE cable oriented.
That's the one that looks sort of like a ribbed ribbon, right? Except
for forgetting about that slave/master jumper, I basically took out the
old CD-R and slid the new one right in its place.

 

[paulmd]

Thanks for the response.

I'm not sure what you meant with this: "Jumpers for newer Dells:
averything cable select."

I'll pull the cover later and make sure I have the IDE cable oriented.
That's the one that looks sort of like a ribbed ribbon, right?
Yep.


Except
for forgetting about that slave/master jumper, I basically took out the
old CD-R and slid the new one right in its place.

On most drives there are three settings. Master, slave and cable
select. There is usually a cheat sheet on the drive to tell them apart.
Often abbreviated MA, SL, and CS. THe easiest way is just to copy the
setting from the old drive. If you don't have it handy, there ARE only
3 settings. It'll only take a few tries to get it right. (you won't
damage the drive with the wrong settings, it just won't operate right
until it's set properly)

 

[Fulcanelli]

What I'm trying to learn here is what those three designations signify.
How does it affect the CD-R to be selected MA, SL, or CS? What
circumstances would one want a CD-R to be the MASTER? Or the SLAVE? I
do have a chart that shows which setting is which, but I'd like to try
to make an intelligent guess rather than shut down, disconnect, move my
computer (it's on carpet and I prefer not to work on it there) and do
the deed.

Thanks.

 

[David Candy]

A cable can have two devices on it. It's how the thing knows what drive it is talking to on the cable.

 

[David Candy]

You don't disconnect the computer to work on it. You leave it plugged in and the power point (a GPO) turned off. You touch the metal case before and while while working inside the case. Especially if you are on carpet.

Or you go buy expensive anti-static equipment that works the same way (it wraps a connector around you wrist).

If you remember shuffling across carpet in libraries and touching a door to get a spark, computer don't like those several thousands volts discharged through their components. Touching the case discharges you and keeps you discharged.

 

[Anna]

What I'm trying to learn here is what those three designations signify.
How does it affect the CD-R to be selected MA, SL, or CS? What
circumstances would one want a CD-R to be the MASTER? Or the SLAVE? I
do have a chart that shows which setting is which, but I'd like to try
to make an intelligent guess rather than shut down, disconnect, move my
computer (it's on carpet and I prefer not to work on it there) and do
the deed.

Thanks.

Fulcanelli:
I'm somewhat puzzled over your subject line that reads "Can't Burn CDs" and
your actual query. Is your "real" problem that you're having some difficulty
burning CDs that you attribute to optical device(s) configuration?

You'll probably receive responses to your query recommending this or that
configuration re connecting your IDE/ATAPI devices. Based on my experience,
other than connecting your booting HD as Primary Master (in nearly all
cases), it makes little difference performance-wise how the remainder of
your devices, including optical drives, are connected to the motherboard's
IDE connectors. A few years ago a computer facility I was associated with
made rather extensive tests on this very subject. The bottom line is that we
found virtually no significant differences performance-wise based on IDE
device configuration. There were a few rather minor exceptions to this
although even here we couldn't come up with a common denominator except in
one particular case -- where massive amounts of data (gigabytes) were moving
between two hard drives (mostly involving video encoding/decoding
operations) it was always best to connect both drives on the same IDE
channel.

I realize your query is couched in terms of Master, Slave, & Cable Select.
Cable Select, of course, just allows you to connect a device as Master of
Slave based upon whether the device is connected to the end or middle
connector of the (80-wire) IDE signal/data cable.

Again, with the obvious connection of your boot drive as Primary Master, it
probably makes little or no difference how your other IDE/ATAPI devices are
connected on either the Primary or Secondary IDE channel or whether they're
configured as Master or Slave on a particular channel.

As to your optical drives, it's easy enough for you to conduct your own
tests on your machine to determine if there's any difference
performance-wise. Should you find any significant difference connect them
accordingly.
Anna