CD Writing problems

[cybertrix]

I have a lite on cd re-writer/dvd rom combi and a Pioneer DVD writer. Whenever I try to Copy any type of CD my computer reboots as soon as I hit the copy button. This happens with every writing software I have tried and any type of CD including ones I have made myself. When I make a data cd the computer reboots as soon as it has finished burning. I have few problems with dvd's. So far I have used Nero, Clone CD and a few other free programs but they all do the same thing whichever drive I use.

My system is

Intel Celeron 2.93.ghz
768 mb Ram
Windows XP home edition, Version 2002 - service pack 2

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[tareek]

as it(/reboot) happened with most burning soft then, most likely some other driver in Win XP, or, other soft, causing it .

whenever you insert a cd/dvd in drive, windows gives you an "auto insert" window to choose an action for that cd/dvd . select "Take No Action" . turn auto insert feature off .

then check other software which are setup to run/play cd/dvd, as soon as they are inserted in the drive . turn those auto run feature off (from their option menu, etc) . as soon as those soft gets a readable CD/dvd, they are trying to access it, even before the burn software has a chance to finish its process of releasing the drive mode from read/write to read mode .

[tareek]

also, please check the whole drive, on another virus-free PC, for virus infection . if another clean pc not available, then check the whole drive with your current anti-virus soft, after updating it with the latest virus-definition/signature file . if you're going to use other PC, make sure that the other PC is already loaded with good anti-virus soft and uptodate .

[cybertrix]

Thanks for that Tareek. Both of those make sense and I will try them both and let you know. My virus software is pretty good and is updated regularly, I am quite keen on keeping my computer protected.

Thanks again and I will let you know.

[DVD_GR]

maybe the writer short circuits every time it tries to get the beam to writing lenghts...so maybe your writer is dying..

[cybertrix]

maybe the writer short circuits every time it tries to get the beam to writing lenghts...so maybe your writer is dying..

The writer is new and writes everything OK like a music disc of mp3's etc.

I have followed your advice tareek and it seems to have sorted half the problem. I can copy a cd if I use my DVD writer as the destination drive but I still can't copy to my CD writer / combi drive. That is still more than I could do before. Thanks Tareek.

[tareek]

i was also thinking, it could be drive's fault, like DVD_GR said, but you've ruled that out .

it could be, those drive's jumper and cable settings/arrangement .

as you have two burner , my suggestion is to make the dvd burner a primary/master drive in the 2nd channel of the motherboard . and set the cd burner as secondary/slave drive .

but please make sure, that both drive's (backside) jumpers are not set at "Cable Select", one should be "Master" and another "Slave" . none of them should be kept at "Cable Select", which many ones do, for other advantage, but, in your case, don't set "Cable Select" .

and cable should be also connected properly, like, master/primary drive and the motherboard should be connected at the end of the data cable, and slave drive in the middle connector of the data cable .

those arrangement should help windows (& bios) to allot proper irq, id, mem channel for the drives . without any non-conventional translating/channeling , which may cause those problematic symptoms .

[tareek]

or, put the cd combo burner (if you use this one for most CDs/DVDs) as primary drive (& as only drive) in the 2nd channel of the moththerboard . and make the dvd burner a slave drive in the 1st channel of the motherboard , where your c drive HDD is the master drive .

two separate channel may/should help, CD/DVD to CD/DVD copying process .

[cybertrix]

Thanks for all your help Tareek, I will check the cables and decide which to make primary master and slave etc.

I will let you know how things work out.

Thanks again.