Recovering DVD 'writable' discs?

[Terry Pinnell]

While experimenting with writing my own DVDs I use DVD-RW until I'm
ready to call the project 'finished'. But increasingly many of these
no longer work. These include relatively fresh discs, of what I
believe is a 'good' brand (Verbatim). So far, 7 of my current stock of
18 DVD-RW discs are unusable. DVD Identifier reports 'ERROR : Unable
To Initialize Disc In Time : Not ready - Logical unit not ready
[02/04/01]', which its author confirms simply means the drive cannot
initialize them.

I appreciate that, however I value my time, I'd probably be well
advised to dump them as soon as I can no longer get my PC to recognise
them. But I can't believe that they can be so fragile?

So, can anyone recommend any tools I can try to give them the kiss of
life please? One I've tried is SuperBlank, but - unless I'm using it
incorrectly - that doesn't appear to help. (And has occasionally
locked up my PC.) I guess what I'm looking for (probably naively) is
some sort of 'reformat' tool for DVD-RW. I also have inCD, and wonder
if maybe there is any point in trying to use that? But then, if
programs can't even recognise the disc, how is *anything* ever going
to work?

Finally, have any particular *types* or brands of RW media emerged as
significantly more robust than others please?

 

[Daniel Mandic]

Finally, have any particular types or brands of RW media emerged as
significantly more robust than others please?

Greetings,



Hmmm, I knew what I do. Sometimes



No, I mean I did not change to DVD-R yet. I still use CD-R only. No
Multisession anymore (it seems not to work like on a Harddisk ) etc
etc..

Burnatonce (Freeware) gave me the best results with my CD-R's till now.

May I give you some advices: Burning with 1x gives you not
automatically the best result. Laser-intensity is fixed and only
variable by turning-speed 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x. Some mediums need a
higher speed (e.g. the Maxell CD-r I use needs 4x burning and it is
O.K. then, so far . But with 1x BurnSpeed its like damaged and
slooooow, really. Otherwise my security-copies of Audio-Cd's are burned
1x on special Audio-CD-R's 'expensive' and they are O.K.)

So, some mediums need a different burning-speed, as it is your only
possibility to change the laser-intensity. Unfortunately there is no
measure-in computer, like the CCR-RW (Compact Cassette Recorder) is
doing with BIAS and LEVEL. You have to find out yourself the best
settings of the medium of your choice. Welcome to the digital, where
everything is more complicated and shortwhile


try for the first some other burningspeeds. As I said, with my cheapo
data-Cdrs I cannot write 1x, but with 4x they are flawlessly. Good
Audio CD-r's can be burned by 1x (logically - the CD-Recorder I know,
can only write 1x or 2x)

I think there is not much change to the DVD.


All at all, I stopped even recording security copies of my Audio-CD's -
they sound ugly. Ripping is O.K. but the burn is never as the original
CD. CD is still the best for Digital archiving, beside Tape, 5.25"
floppy and very exepensive Streamer (DAT, TAPE etc..)
Possibly I will change to a Streamer for backup.... CD is too small :-(
and DVD I don't believe.




Kind Regards,

Daniel Mandic

 

[Onno Voors]

So, can anyone recommend any tools I can try to give them the kiss of
life please?

I'd try them on another DVD burner. That could help.

 

[rich]

While experimenting with writing my own DVDs I use DVD-RW until I'm
ready to call the project 'finished'. But increasingly many of these
no longer work.

So, can anyone recommend any tools I can try to give them the kiss of
life please? One I've tried is SuperBlank, but - unless I'm using it
incorrectly - that doesn't appear to help. (And has occasionally

I have not had as many as you 'go bad' but when it has happened a *full
erase* rather than a quick erase has fixed the disk. Downside - a full erase
can take 30 - 40 minutes.

Finally, have any particular *types* or brands of RW media emerged as
significantly more robust than others please?

You should be ok with Verbatim. Unless other circumstances dictate, why not
try DVD +RW, these tend to be faster and more robust.
Somewhat off topic but why write your (temporary) DVD project to DVD -RW? I
author a DVD and it is written to HD. Prior to burning I check that
everything is working using PowerDVD, if freeware is required, use Media
Player Classic - just point it at the VIDEO_TS folder on your HD.

 

[Duddits]

While experimenting with writing my own DVDs I use DVD-RW until I'm
ready to call the project 'finished'. But increasingly many of these
no longer work.

Rewritable disks are sensitive to UV rays. If you store them around
fluorescent lighting they have a tendency to fubar (the toc gets
corrupted). One way to revitalize messed up RW disks - leave them in a
sunny window for 2-3 days. Works sometimes for me.

regards

Dud

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Rewritable disks are sensitive to UV rays. If you store them around
fluorescent lighting they have a tendency to fubar (the toc gets
corrupted). One way to revitalize messed up RW disks - leave them in a
sunny window for 2-3 days. Works sometimes for me.

That's an interesting idea. I'll try anything, so I've put a couple on
the window-sill! But if they are indeed sensitive to UV (which makes
sense), then I'd have thought that sunlight would scramble them even
more <g>.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

I have not had as many as you 'go bad' but when it has happened a *full
erase* rather than a quick erase has fixed the disk. Downside - a full erase
can take 30 - 40 minutes.


You should be ok with Verbatim. Unless other circumstances dictate, why not
try DVD +RW, these tend to be faster and more robust.
Somewhat off topic but why write your (temporary) DVD project to DVD -RW? I
author a DVD and it is written to HD. Prior to burning I check that
everything is working using PowerDVD, if freeware is required, use Media
Player Classic - just point it at the VIDEO_TS folder on your HD.

It's a 'Catch 22' situation: I can't erase them (with either option)
until I can get them loaded!

Thanks a lot for that pointer about looking at the VIDEO_TS folder.
I've sometimes looked at the individual VOB files, usually with
PowerDVD (or, more recently VLC Media Player, which is not only free
but faster and less intrusive). But I'd assumed that to check the
menus are also OK I needed to play the DVD itself. Pleased to see I
was wrong. I'd missed that option in PowerDVD to open VIDEO_TS.

 

[beenthere]

That's an interesting idea. I'll try anything, so I've put a couple on
the window-sill! But if they are indeed sensitive to UV (which makes
sense), then I'd have thought that sunlight would scramble them even
more <g>.

Hi Terry. (OT)Roxio Dragtodisk will erase your RWs
(OT)Neros` equivalent might be InCD but I`m not sure, I don`t use Nero.
I know CDBurnerXP (free) can erase a disk as well, but don`t know
whether it only does it whilst reburning.

 

[The Seabat]

If memory serves me, the glass in the window will filter the UV rays.
You would have to leave the window open to get much benifit from those
rays. On the other hand, depending on your temperate zone, you are
going to have a problem with heat! Even with the UV rays being
filtered, the sun is going to produce a whole bunch of heat radiation.
Think of the top of the dashboard in your car!

And then there is the dubious value of letting the UV rays at your
disks. The suns rays could be amplified by imperfections in the glass
or drops of rain (like a magnifying glass) and perform like a lasar
and burn something onto your disks, like an encoded message from
aliens. Hey.....it could happen!!

 

[beenthere]

If memory serves me, the glass in the window will filter the UV rays.
You would have to leave the window open to get much benifit from those
rays. On the other hand, depending on your temperate zone, you are
going to have a problem with heat! Even with the UV rays being
filtered, the sun is going to produce a whole bunch of heat radiation.
Think of the top of the dashboard in your car!

And then there is the dubious value of letting the UV rays at your
disks. The suns rays could be amplified by imperfections in the glass
or drops of rain (like a magnifying glass) and perform like a lasar
and burn something onto your disks, like an encoded message from
aliens. Hey.....it could happen!!

Good job you thought of that S. <g>. Just imagine getting a message
from ET.

 

[Zaphod]

While experimenting with writing my own DVDs I use DVD-RW until I'm
ready to call the project 'finished'. But increasingly many of these
no longer work. These include relatively fresh discs, of what I
believe is a 'good' brand (Verbatim). So far, 7 of my current stock of
18 DVD-RW discs are unusable. DVD Identifier reports 'ERROR : Unable
To Initialize Disc In Time : Not ready - Logical unit not ready
[02/04/01]', which its author confirms simply means the drive cannot
initialize them.

Hi Terry

Things have not improved much since the early days as far as writing to
ReWritable disks and packet writing on writable disks... I've lost
many disks that contained programs and information that I so wish I had
not lost...and have now thoroughly given up on RW and packet writing
altogether..

however .. if your burner can write to DVD-RAM your in luck.. DVD-Ram
has been stable and re-liable for me so far... ... at the end of the
project you could copy it accros to a standard DVD.. then reformat the
DVD-Ram disk and re-use it .
trying to recover the data from failed cd/dvd's with blind read is
"possible"...but you can only hope

 

[Terry Pinnell]

While experimenting with writing my own DVDs I use DVD-RW until I'm
ready to call the project 'finished'. But increasingly many of these
no longer work. These include relatively fresh discs, of what I
believe is a 'good' brand (Verbatim). So far, 7 of my current stock of
18 DVD-RW discs are unusable. DVD Identifier reports 'ERROR : Unable
To Initialize Disc In Time : Not ready - Logical unit not ready
[02/04/01]', which its author confirms simply means the drive cannot
initialize them.

Hi Terry

Things have not improved much since the early days as far as writing to
ReWritable disks and packet writing on writable disks... I've lost
many disks that contained programs and information that I so wish I had
not lost...and have now thoroughly given up on RW and packet writing
altogether..

however .. if your burner can write to DVD-RAM your in luck.. DVD-Ram
has been stable and re-liable for me so far... ... at the end of the
project you could copy it accros to a standard DVD.. then reformat the
DVD-Ram disk and re-use it .
trying to recover the data from failed cd/dvd's with blind read is
"possible"...but you can only hope

Thanks Zaphod, I'll give DVD-RAM a try.

Half an hour's googling so far hasn't found me 'Blind Read' or
'BlindRead'. Several links took me to VSO, but they seem to supply
only a program called BlindWrite.

But I suppose *any* program is not going to be able to weave any magic
unless it can actually *initialise* the disc ;-(

Before I dump this batch entirely, are there any cleaning methods I
might try please, with any particular solvents or other materials? My
few attempts so far just seem to risk scratching the otherwise
apparently clean surface, but...

 

[Kittie Spit]

For recovery, I'd highly recommend trying ISOBuster at
www.isobuster.com. It's freeware/shareware. I've found it does an
excellent [and very fast] data recovery from CD-DVD [or any sort of
disk/disc]. Not only that, but it does a good job of retaining oroginal
filenames where possible. [So, not the FILE1.XXX, FILE2.XXX as with
some apps.]

This page will tell you differences between shareware & freeware
version:
http://isobuster.com/freeshareware.htm

Note that UDF recovery, I believe, is only available in the shareware
version. tho I believe you may still have the trial period to test this
out.

I'd recommend testing your DVD's out to be sure they are actually from
Verbatim. There are a couple of freeware apps that can tell you actual
disc mgr & basic info. [Some DVD burners can tell you this as well.]
Too, you might want to contact the seller you bought the discs from and
let them know you've run into a bad batch [this happens sometimes that
a particular batch run is less that their best]. One thing you could
check is to go to videohelp.com and simply search under your disc mgr
and the ID/product number. You will typically get a bunch of reviews
from various users and some good burning advice.

Again, if the retailer isn't reliable or one you haven't purchased from
before, I'd recommend Supermediastore.com. I use it for virtually all
of my discs and cases, etc.

 

[Daniel Mandic]

Hi Terry!



http://www.freeware.org.uk/cdr.htm



Maybe this 'File Identifier version 1.0.6 308KB' can help.



Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic

 

[Terry Pinnell]

For recovery, I'd highly recommend trying ISOBuster at
www.isobuster.com. It's freeware/shareware. I've found it does an
excellent [and very fast] data recovery from CD-DVD [or any sort of
disk/disc]. Not only that, but it does a good job of retaining oroginal
filenames where possible. [So, not the FILE1.XXX, FILE2.XXX as with
some apps.]

This page will tell you differences between shareware & freeware
version:
http://isobuster.com/freeshareware.htm

Note that UDF recovery, I believe, is only available in the shareware
version. tho I believe you may still have the trial period to test this
out.

I'd recommend testing your DVD's out to be sure they are actually from
Verbatim. There are a couple of freeware apps that can tell you actual
disc mgr & basic info. [Some DVD burners can tell you this as well.]
Too, you might want to contact the seller you bought the discs from and
let them know you've run into a bad batch [this happens sometimes that
a particular batch run is less that their best]. One thing you could
check is to go to videohelp.com and simply search under your disc mgr
and the ID/product number. You will typically get a bunch of reviews
from various users and some good burning advice.

Again, if the retailer isn't reliable or one you haven't purchased from
before, I'd recommend Supermediastore.com. I use it for virtually all
of my discs and cases, etc.

Kittie, Daniel: Thanks very much for the follow-ups. However, as
mentioned, I cannot *initialise* these discs! So no program has a
chance to get started on them. And several of the DVD-RW discs lock up
my PC. When I say 'recovering', I mean recovering the ability to *use*
these discs (i.e. write to them again) - not recovering whatever data
is on them at present.

I have IsoBuster (registered version), and various other programs.
None work with the spoiled discs. An unspoiled 'Verbatim' disc is
reported by DVD Identifier as being from:
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Kagaku Media]
Manufacturer ID : [MKM 01RW6X01]

Does that seem OK? The case carries 'Verbatim Lifetime Warranty', but
does say 'Made in Taiwan'.

 

[Daniel Mandic]

Kittie, Daniel: Thanks very much for the follow-ups. However, as
mentioned, I cannot initialise these discs! So no program has a
chance to get started on them. And several of the DVD-RW discs lock up
my PC. When I say 'recovering', I mean recovering the ability to use
these discs (i.e. write to them again) - not recovering whatever data
is on them at present.

I have IsoBuster (registered version), and various other programs.
None work with the spoiled discs. An unspoiled 'Verbatim' disc is
reported by DVD Identifier as being from:
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Kagaku Media]
Manufacturer ID : [MKM 01RW6X01]

Does that seem OK? The case carries 'Verbatim Lifetime Warranty', but
does say 'Made in Taiwan'.

Hi Kittie!




Hmmm, I am not much help. But I would do as I do with CD-Medias - only
using CD-R, respectively DVD-R. Writing, burning at once!
And only temporary data with DVD-RW's.
Also I heard about troubles with the secondary data-layer.

I heard less troubles with DVD-RAM (Panasonic or so..).



Try Cleandisk for wiping your corrupted DVD-RW medias.


Mitsubishi? Isn't it Japanese?

(I saw the most incompatibilities between Silicon Valley and Chinese
Hardware - mostly CD-ROM's which are not bootable anymore, funny)




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic

 

[Duddits]

Kittie, Daniel: Thanks very much for the follow-ups. However, as
mentioned, I cannot *initialise* these discs! So no program has a
chance to get started on them. And several of the DVD-RW discs lock up
my PC. When I say 'recovering', I mean recovering the ability to *use*
these discs (i.e. write to them again) - not recovering whatever data
is on them at present.

Hence the sunlight method I told you about ;-) Once the toc (table of
contents) gets corrupted then nothing I have found except sunshine <g> will
work.

regards

Dud

 

[Al Klein]

None work with the spoiled discs. An unspoiled 'Verbatim' disc is
reported by DVD Identifier as being from:
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Kagaku Media]
Manufacturer ID : [MKM 01RW6X01]

Does that seem OK? The case carries 'Verbatim Lifetime Warranty', but
does say 'Made in Taiwan'.

Verbatim sells disks, they don't manufacture them. You'll see a few
manufacturers under their label (and under various other sellers'
labels).

There's a web site (I'm on the way out the door now, so I can't look
for it) that, among other things, has reviews of various
*manufacturers'* disks. The site has many pages of reviews of
recorders and players, so that might help you find it.

I've found that the name brand disks work. Verbatim, Memorex, Sony. I
currently use Verbatim +RWs and have no problems, but burners and
players vary, so find a combination that works for you, make a note of
what the actual disk is (DVD Identifier will tell you) and stick with
it. Saving money on disks leads to coasters.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Kittie, Daniel: Thanks very much for the follow-ups. However, as
mentioned, I cannot initialise these discs! So no program has a
chance to get started on them. And several of the DVD-RW discs lock up
my PC. When I say 'recovering', I mean recovering the ability to use
these discs (i.e. write to them again) - not recovering whatever data
is on them at present.

I have IsoBuster (registered version), and various other programs.
None work with the spoiled discs. An unspoiled 'Verbatim' disc is
reported by DVD Identifier as being from:
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Kagaku Media]
Manufacturer ID : [MKM 01RW6X01]

Does that seem OK? The case carries 'Verbatim Lifetime Warranty', but
does say 'Made in Taiwan'.

Hi Kittie!




Hmmm, I am not much help. But I would do as I do with CD-Medias - only
using CD-R, respectively DVD-R. Writing, burning at once!
And only temporary data with DVD-RW's.
Also I heard about troubles with the secondary data-layer.

I heard less troubles with DVD-RAM (Panasonic or so..).



Try Cleandisk for wiping your corrupted DVD-RW medias.

Thanks. Do you have a link please? The only Cleandisk I can find is a
HD utility. As I mentioned, I don't think *any* program can work, but
I'm curious to try it for other purposes (as an alternative to
Superblank).

BTW, I'm not Kittie <g>.

 

[David]

Kittie, Daniel: Thanks very much for the follow-ups. However, as
mentioned, I cannot initialise these discs! So no program has a
chance to get started on them. And several of the DVD-RW discs lock up
my PC. When I say 'recovering', I mean recovering the ability to use
these discs (i.e. write to them again) - not recovering whatever data
is on them at present.

I have IsoBuster (registered version), and various other programs.
None work with the spoiled discs. An unspoiled 'Verbatim' disc is
reported by DVD Identifier as being from:
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Kagaku Media]
Manufacturer ID : [MKM 01RW6X01]

Does that seem OK? The case carries 'Verbatim Lifetime Warranty', but
does say 'Made in Taiwan'.

Take them back and claim new ones under the warranty then.