Hi,
For the past few months I have begun having major issues with my internal DVD+R burner. Prior to the problems, I had successfully backed up my data numerous times over the course of a year and a half. I had done this using various types of media with few problems.

Unfortunately, for no clear reason, I began having problems (the only slight possibility was could be that my HD broke although I replaced it with an identical model and reinstalled and then reupdated all the original software). For about a month or two I could burn to 33% (exactly) and then receive the "illegal medium" message. Now, I receive that error message before any burning occurs.

I have unsuccessfully tried using nearly every type of DVD+R media on the market (of various speeds, too). I have also successfully re-installed windows again. From what I can tell, my firmware and drivers are as updated as possible.

I should note that I have absolutely no problems watching DVD's, getting data off of a DVD, burning a CD, or listening to music on a CD. I have tried using most of the various burner software although before this issue arose I only used NERO (an older version that came with my computer but I have also tried, unsuccessfully, the newest version).

Also, my computer has 1 gig of ram, 4.73 gigs HD free, ati mobility 9700 and centrino pentium m 1.7.

I have read everything I can find on the subject and tried various fixes to no avail.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Here is my nero info tool logfile:

Windows XP 5.1
IA32
WinAspi: -
ahead WinASPI: File 'C:\Program Files\Ahead\nero\Wnaspi32.dll': Ver=2.0.1.59, size=160016 bytes, created 1/29/2003 3:37:36 PM
Nero Version: 5.5.10.56 (Nero Express)
Recorder: < DVD+RW RW8165> Version: 1.03 - HA 1 TA 0 - 5.5.10.56
Adapter driver: HA 1
Drive buffer : 8192kB
Bus Type : default (0) -> ATAPI, detected: ATAPI
CD-ROM: < DVD+RW RW8165> Version: 1.03 - HA 1 TA 0 - 5.5.10.56
Adapter driver: HA 1
Bus Type : default (0) -> ATAPI, detected: ATAPI

=== Scsi-Device-Map ===
DiskPeripheral : TOSHIBA MK6022GAX atapi Port 0 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : DVD+RW RW8165 atapi Port 1 ID 0 DMA: On
=======================

AutoRun : 1
Excluded drive IDs:
CmdQueuing : 1
CmdNotification: 2
WriteBufferSize: 83886080 (0) Byte
ShowDrvBufStat : 0
EraseSpeed : 0
BUFE : 0
Physical memory : 1022MB (1047536kB)
Free physical memory: 424MB (434964kB)
Memory in use : 58 %
Uncached PFiles: 0x0
Use Static Write Speed Table: 0
Use Inquiry : 1
Global Bus Type: default (0)
Check supported media : Enabled (1)
Wizard: On

7.8.2006
ISO compilation
10:10:15 PM #1 Text 0 File Isodoc.cpp, Line 7604
Iso document burn settings
------------------------------------------
Determine maximum speed : FALSE
Simulate : FALSE
Write : TRUE
Finalize CD : TRUE
Multisession : FALSE
Burning mode : DAO
Mode : 1
ISO Level : 1 (Max. of 11 = 8 + 3 char)
Character set : ISO 9660
Joliet : TRUE
Allow pathdepth more than 8 directories : TRUE
Allow more than 255 characters in path : TRUE
Write ISO9660 ;1 file extensions : TRUE

10:10:15 PM #2 Text 0 File Reader.cpp, Line 115
Reader running

10:10:15 PM #3 Text 0 File Writer.cpp, Line 125
Writer DVD+RW RW8165 running

10:10:15 PM #4 ISO9660GEN -11 File geniso.cpp, Line 4571
First writeable address = 0 (0x00000000)

10:10:15 PM #5 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 3773
Turn on Disc-At-Once, using DVD media

10:10:15 PM #6 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 672
Setup items (original item values)
0: TRM_DATA_MODE1 (CTransferItem)
2 indices, index0 (150) not provided
original CD pos #0 + 6880 (6880) = #6880/1:31.55
relocatable, CD pos for caching/writing not required/required, no patch infos
--------------------------------------------------------------

10:10:17 PM #7 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 229
Last possible write address on media: 2295103 (510:01.28)
Last address to be written: 6879 ( 1:31.54)

10:10:17 PM #8 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 234
Write in overburning mode: FALSE

10:10:17 PM #9 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 1703
Recorder: DVD+RW RW8165, Media type: DVD+R

10:10:17 PM #10 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 824
Prepare recorder DVD+RW RW8165 for write in cue-sheet-DAO
DAO infos:
==========
MCN:
TOCTYPE: 0x0 Session Closed, CD fixated
Tracks 1 to 1:
TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048/0x0, ISRC "", FilePos 0 307200 14397440

10:10:17 PM #11 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 672
Setup items (after recorder preparation)
0: TRM_DATA_MODE1 (CTransferItem)
2 indices, index0 (150) not provided
original CD pos #0 + 6880 (6880) = #6880/1:31.55
relocatable, CD pos for caching/writing not required/required, no patch infos
-> TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048, config 0, wanted index0 0 blocks, length 6880 blocks [ DVD+RW RW8165 ]
--------------------------------------------------------------

10:10:17 PM #12 Phase 24 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Caching of files started

10:10:17 PM #13 Phase 25 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Caching of files completed

10:10:17 PM #14 Phase 36 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Burn process started at 4x (5,520 KB/s)

10:10:17 PM #15 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1978
Verifying CD position of item 0 (relocatable, CD pos, no patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

10:10:17 PM #16 SCSI -1066 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1243
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0, buffer 0x029ED000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x24
Sense Qual: 0x00
CDB Data: 0xAD 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0C 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0C
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x24 0x00

10:10:17 PM #17 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 1393
Set Booktype to DVD+R (10), set mode 'drive EEPROM' (0) on DVD+R media, return: 0 -> OK

10:10:17 PM #18 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 474
Start write address at LBA 0
DVD high compatibility mode: Yes

10:10:53 PM #19 SCSI -1046 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1447
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0, buffer 0x02950000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x30
Sense Qual: 0x05
CDB Data: 0x2A 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0C
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x30 0x05

10:10:53 PM #20 DVDR -1046 File Writer.cpp, Line 333
Illegal medium

10:10:53 PM #21 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 222
all writers idle, stopping conversion

10:10:54 PM #22 Phase 127 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Generating DVD high compatibility borders

10:10:54 PM #23 SCSI -1066 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1243
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x24
Sense Qual: 0x00
CDB Data: 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x71 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0C
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x24 0x00

10:10:54 PM #24 Phase 129 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Generating DVD borders completed successfully

10:10:54 PM #25 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 1393
Set Booktype to DVD+RW (9), set mode 'drive EEPROM' (0) on DVD+R media, return: 0 -> OK

10:10:54 PM #26 Phase 38 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Burn process failed at 4x (5,520 KB/s)

10:10:54 PM #27 Text 0 File Scsicmd.cpp, Line 406
SCSI not using temporary buffers
20 out of 20 temporary buffers allocated


Existing drivers:
File 'Drivers\CDRALW2K.SYS': Ver=7.5.0.50 , size=24960 bytes, created 9/7/2005 1:32:58 PM
File 'Drivers\PXHELP20.SYS': Ver=2.03.28a, size=20640 bytes, created 5/31/2005 6:36:01 PM (Prassi/Veritas driver for win 2K)
File 'Drivers\atapi.sys': Ver=5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158), size=95360 bytes, created 8/4/2004 1:59:42 AM (Adapter driver for rec)

Registry Keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\AllocateCDROMs : 0 (Security Option)

Clean the drive, try better media, even forget this OBSOLETE Nero version.
Better use an other tool, even cdburnerxp is better.

chef,
when you say clean the drive, do you mean literally clean the optical laser? how else do i clean the drive - compressed air?

as for the media, i have tried all types (from the best to worst) and none are working anymore.

i will try the other burning tool you recommended but i have already tried a few others and received the same error messages.

chef,
just tried burning with cdburnerxp and here is the error message i received:

CDBurnerXP Pro 3 - Critical
Writing Error: (3) Error occurred writing data to disc.
Unknown error - use extended data for more information (1051).
Error Sense Data: SENSE KEY: 5 ASC: 30 ASCQ: 5

Also, as a side note, the CDBurnerXP reads the DVD fine as the correct media type and as empty.

Could be a connection problem.
Can you run some tests using nero cd dvd speed with the drive?

i ran the test and everything seems to be fine. what sort of data do you want me to post?

4.7 GB of free hard drive space doesn't seem like much. You need 15% free to defrag. If your hard drive files are badly fragmented, that could cause burning problems.

yea...ive thought about that too and want to free up more space...

of course that is difficult when my external hd is full and i cant burn dvds...hmmm

anybody else have any thoughts on this extremely perplexing problem? i am starting to think that my dvd+r is slowly dying.

At the end of the log I saw... (Prassi/Veritas driver for win 2K) is that some sort of packet writting SW ??

I have known that to cause problems before, and get a trial of perfect disk v7 it does not need any room to de-frag, I have done a 100GB partition with 400 MB free, did take a long time granted, but did it, best de-fragger.

100GB with only 400mb free - oh well. This probably had freaked and maxxed out the hdd...

Yes, drivers like CDRALW2K.SYS can create issues.

It was when I first joined and had my DVD problems and could not stop downloading stuff

I have 2 100GB partitions that I use for dumping stuff in and encoding/editing from and to, did not check how much room was on them, with a de-frag task that runs every week or so, and going thru the log and saw that it had spent all night doing this partition, because of the lack of room I 'spose

Two questions: 1. Is there firmware for a different Ricoh DVD+R that I could install that would be more up to date than my current firmware (last revised in 2003 or so)? In other words, could I use firmware from a different and newer (albeit similar) burner or would that be inherently dangerous? 2. Could I delete the Prassi/Veritas drivers and reinstall them (or whatever Windows recommends)?

Okay so that is three questions...sorry.

Those cdcreator/roxio drivers can easily interfere other system drivers. Just delete it/them. (CDRALW2K.SYS)

I think there is no similar drive to yours and RICOH is the original manufacturer.

i deleted the cdraww2k and ran perfect disk. now my computer cant find the burner. says it does not exist. the device status is: "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)"

I tried to let windows auto find the driver and it said it could not find a better match. therefore, i still have this issue. CDrawl2k is still sitting in my recycle bin. should i restore it? is there somewhere else i can find the driver?

any other ideas/thoughts?

thanks

almost good news...
i deleted roxio using this tool from another post i read: You have Roxio installed, it clashes with Nero, to remove run this zapper http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/U...oxio-Zap.shtml

the burning started fine and no illegal disk messages occurred!!!

BUT, i am now receiving focus tracker errors. i am going to try a few different things but in the meantime...thoughts?