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General discussion

aren't CD burners suppost to burn CDs?

Feb 19, 2004 5:52PM PST

yeah well thats what i thought too. i am completly clueless about anything computer related. i do know this i have a gateway pc, and i am running XP PRO. My cd burner worked just fine for about 2 years but now when i hit record it gets stuck on "preparing audio data" and wont burn any of the songs. i dont have any of the restore disks for my pc anymore so if thats even an option chalk it up a loss. if anyone can help i would greatly appreciate it. i may need step by step instruction..... so my screen name for AIM is cEaCsUe, and my e-mail adress is cda0811@mail.ecu.edu
thanks, casey

Discussion is locked

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Re:aren't CD burners suppost to burn CDs?
Feb 19, 2004 9:34PM PST

The highest failure rate we see on computers these days is the failure of the CD drive. It is very common. When they break the low prices of new ones make it less painfull than it used to be when they were $100+. You can get a new CD-RW for as little as $25-50 these days, that is what you probably need to do now. You can try cleaning yours with a cleaning kit, but that usually doesn't work.

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Re:aren't CD burners suppost to burn CDs?
Feb 20, 2004 2:04AM PST

I purchased a new 52x cdrw at Office Max recently for
$4.95 after rebates. Check it out.

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Right Ernie....
Feb 20, 2004 3:53PM PST

That was a special sale that is no longer valid. I had to go to 3 different OfficeMax stores to find one.
However, I thought the price was $9.95+tax after the instore discount and mail-in rebate.

On another special had to go to 4 of their stores the 1st morning offered to find a Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM 8mm cache Internal Hard Drive for $19.95 + tax after instore discount and mail-in rebate.

JR

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Re:Right Ernie.... For what it's worth,
Feb 21, 2004 2:59AM PST

It's true. Over the past few months I have purchased 5 different cdrw drives at Office Max from $4.95 to $14.95 + tax, after rebates. I keep an extra on hand just for backup. At these prices, you can't go wrong. It's also very true that the failure rate of these drives is high. The average life seems to be approximately one year, under moderate to heavy use. That's my experience, for what it's worth.

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The list I use.
Feb 20, 2004 2:26AM PST

1. CD Lens cleaner.
2. Different make of media.
3. Update the flash of the CDRW. Please don't ask me how since you just follow how the maker tells you to. My answer can't apply to the bazillion models out there.
4. Update the CDRW software.
5. And the LAST SECRET KILLER TEST I do if the user thinks the CDRW should work and doesnt?

I get a KNOPPIX CD, boot that and try K3b to record the CDR. More about that at http://tips.oncomputers.info/archives2004/0401/2004-Jan-11.htm

Or you just get a new CDRW...

Bob