bradm Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 My five-year-old CD-R/W drive has been having a lot of problems lately: burning discs takes a long time, the software that was installed with it (Roxio CD Creator, I think) throws pouty hissy fits (even to the point of locking my system up completely once), and even Windows Explorer (which I switched to for data discs due to the hissy fits) will say a CD gets burned successfully (or not; sometimes it just waits a while, then says it can't burn the CD, but ejecting/re-insterting will start the burn), but the resulting disc usually has an unreadable track of two (or six).Given that it's five years old, and has (I'm guessing) burned around 500 (maybe 'way more) discs, is it dead, or can it be resurrected? Are there "head cleaners" that will help, or should I just get a new one? Time is of the essence, as my hard drive is really full, and I need/want to back some of it up to CD-R to free up space for upcoming recordings.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I also need to mention that I'm using the same brand of CD-Rs I've always used (Memorex), and, while I occasionally (as in once or twice a year, maybe) saw problems before, it's never been as bad as it's been this past week or so.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I would suggest you bite the bullet and drop a hefty $30 or so on a brand new burner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I would suggest you bite the bullet and drop a hefty $30 or so on a brand new burner. I'll probably end up doing that. Would I have to take it to a shop to have it done, or can I buy one and install it myself? I know squat about what all the acronyms mean (while I speak geek, it's more ancient geek), and wouldn't want to get one that used/required a type of interface/plug that my system (from late 2002) didn't have. (If the plugs aren't a problem, I'm pretty confident I can remove the old one and install a new one, though.) I've considered getting an external/USB unit, which I assume should be a breeze to hook up, but how does the speed of a USB burner compare to an internal? I also figure that a plain CD-R/W-only burner will be hard to find, and that I'll have to go with a DVD-R/W burner (which would be OK, even if I don't plan on burning DVDs). Are there any drive brands (or keywords or features) to look for or avoid? Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 If you have the time head over to Sprint Computers on Somerset and explain the situation. My computer is even older than yours and they've been great helping me upgrade it over the years.I also recommend you invest in an external hard drive. I finally got one last month and I no longer have the "shrinking hard drive" headache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 If you have the time head over to Sprint Computers on Somerset and explain the situation. My computer is even older than yours and they've been great helping me upgrade it over the years.Actually, I bought the unit at Sprint, but (having gone back there when my power supply went poof! back in April) it's a minor logistical hassle for me to get there and back with it (while there, the service I got was top-notch, though).I also recommend you invest in an external hard drive. I finally got one last month and I no longer have the "shrinking hard drive" headache.I've considered getting another one, and probably should, but that'll come later, I think.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Evil_Mouse Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I had problems very similar to the ones you've mentioned. They went away one day when I opened it and a spider decided no longer to make it its home (true story). It's an external, too, USB(2) and all, and works nice and quickly (I've always used Nero with it, without problems; the computer it's hooked up to is another story). I forget what make it is, but will look and say when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Thanks, guys. I guess the first thing I'll try (tonight) is to open the case up, slay whatever dust bunnies happen to be inhabiting it, and wiggle stuff around to see if that helps. (I actually got an error once during a burn from Roxio CD Creator that it had no "help" info for, something about a power problem. If that doesn't work, I'll bite the bullet and head to Sprint tomorrow night.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberdinghy Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 You might want to get a can of compressed air and just blast the shit out of everything...sometimes that can fix problems... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now