Total Noob: How to erase DVD-RW?

[GoofyElf]

Hi! I'm having big troubles to erase my dvd-rw discs, using nero I go to recorder - erase rewritable, but it doesn't work. I've tried two different brands of discs, TDK and Maxell, but none of them can be erased. I have a LG GMA-4020B mounted as master on the same ide-controller as a cd-rw drive mounted as slave. Can that be the problem? Any help appriciated, and thanx in advance.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Well if you stick the disc in your burner whilst in DVD Decrypter and right click on the dropdown box where you select the source device, you'll get a little menu. On there you'll find 'Erase'.


If it errors out, tell me what the error is and I'll try to help you rectify the problem.

[GoofyElf]

Thank you for answering, Lightning.

I tried both quick and full erase in DVD Decrypter (great program by the way), but nothing happends, it goes to 100% in a split second, and tells me it's ready, but the disc is 'untouched'. No error message or anything...

Using nero I get an error saying 'Internal Target Failure'.

Erasing a cd-rw works, but not a dvd-rw. :confused:

[Kb_cruncher]

Just a thought.I presume you have formatted the disc for use(you must have since you want to erase it so there is something on it to be erased?).Also if you have any packet writing software installed it can play havock with burning and erasing dvd-rw.

[GoofyElf]

I have burned a movie on one of the discs, and data on another, but none of them can be erased. I have no packet writing (it's for using drag and drop to burner, isn't it?) software installed.

Im using Windows XP with administrator rights, and cd-rw can be erased, but not dvd-rw?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Hmm interesting...you get no errors at all?

Do me a favour and try both erase methods again, this time enable I/O Debug mode in the settings first.

Post me the entire contents of the log upon completion of both quick and full erase operations.

Thanks.

[GoofyElf]

I've enabled I/O debug, but where is the log file saved, can't seem to find it?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I meant the log window, not a log file as such.
You could of course save the contents of the log window to a file.

[GoofyElf]

Ok, got it... Here goes:

Quick Erase:


I 17:21:07 Operation Started!
I 17:21:07 Device: [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:)
I 17:21:07 Quick Erase: Yes
I 17:21:07 Erasing Disc...
I 17:21:07 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 23 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0C 00
I 17:21:07 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: BB 00 FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00
E 17:21:07 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: B6 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C 00 - SENSE: 21 00
I 17:21:07 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: A1 11 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
E 17:21:09 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 25 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - SENSE: 44 05
I 17:21:10 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 25 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:21:10 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 00 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:21:11 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 1E 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:21:11 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:04


Full Erase:


I 17:22:51 Operation Started!
I 17:22:51 Device: [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:)
I 17:22:51 Quick Erase: No
I 17:22:51 Erasing Disc...
I 17:22:51 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 23 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0C 00
I 17:22:51 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: BB 00 FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00
E 17:22:51 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: B6 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C 00 - SENSE: 21 00
I 17:22:51 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: A1 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
E 17:22:53 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 25 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - SENSE: 44 05
I 17:22:54 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 25 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:22:54 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 00 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:22:55 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 1E 00 00 00 00 00
I 17:22:55 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:04

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I 17:21:07 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: A1 11 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
E 17:21:09 [1:0:0] HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4020B A108 (G:) - CDB: 25 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - SENSE: 44 05

Ok well the actual 'Erase' command worked ok.
What bothers me is the SENSE: 44 05 that comes after it.

That basically means the drive had some sort of internal failure.

Is there a bios update available for the drive? That might fix the problem.

[GoofyElf]

It came with firmware A108, and what I can understand it's the latest:
http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_firmware.php?category=4&manufactor=16

Maybe I should return it to the store?

I'll try to disconnect the cd-rw drive and see if that helps first, as they are mounted on the same ide-controller.

Anyway, thanx a lot for taking time to help me, Lightning UK!

[GoofyElf]

UPDATE:

Got it replaced at my store, installed it, and it STILL won't erase my dvd-rw with the movie on. (Burned using CloneDVD.)

The other disc with data on it could be erased though.

I tried switching place, making it slave on the primary ide controller, and slave on secondary ide, but no difference. It is now mounted as master on secondary as it was from the start. Disconnected the cd-rw drive... No luck...

I guess I'll have to try erasing a movie-dvd burned with nero, but right now I'm out of discs...

//EDIT

Made an iso of the same movie on the harddrive, and then burned the iso to disc with nero, and that disc could be erased, so I guess the problem is with CloneDVD.

The first drive I had must have been faulty anyway, because it wouldn't read some discs either.

End of story :)