LG DVD burner problem

CD, DVD and (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Writers LG burner
#1

Have been using my LG HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4082B for quite a while with no problems. i burn a lot of DVD data disks. Just yesterday i started having problems doing this, i always check ‘Verify data’ because every now and then you get a bum disk. Now the burns are taking at least twice if not three times as long and the Verify Data tool always comes back with quite a few errors. If you are familiar with the burn screen in Nero, the Buffer Level panel now continuosly drops off and then goes to 100%, every half second or so (makes an attrractive continuous pulsating sound), while the Used Read Buffer panel essentially stays at 100%, before the Used Read Buffer panel would empty a bit and build back to 100% but just every so often. Any ideas? Not very technical

Running XP Home, using DVD+R disks, Nero 6 to burn

Cheers

#2

Welcome to the forum

It seems a DMA problem. Check if DMA is active

#3

Thanks

I ran Nero info tool and it says that DMA is off for the LG drive. Should it be on? and if so how do you turn it on?

#4

Yes, should be on

Go to device manager, expand item “IDE ATA/ATAPI” and double ckick on IDE channel to which is connected your burner (I think secondary). Activate DMA from here, and restart computer to activate correctly

#5

ill give it a try and let you know

thanks

#6

You’re welcome

#7

I tried that but when i run Infotool it still says DMA is off for the LG drive. In Device Manager -
Secondary IDE Channel - Properties:
Device 0: Transfer Mode - DMA if available; Current Transfer Mode = PIO Mode
Devide1: Transfer Mode - DMA if available; Current Transfer Mode = Ultra DMA Mode

Not sure what all this means…?

#8

Setting is correct then.

It’s important how good quality the discs are you are using…

#9

Its the same quality ive been using for about a year now with about a 2-3% fail rate, but since this started ive burned about 8 coasters in a row. Certainly not the best quality but really havent had any problems until now

Nero InfoTool still says DMA is off for the LG drive?

Cheers

#10

What IDE drives do you have installed? Standard microsoft or other (nVidia or intel or other)?

Some mainboards set DMA also in BIOS: check if DMA is enabled in BIOS

#11

Like i said im not very technical but ill include a portion of the log from Infotool, is this the info you are asking about?

Adapter 2

Description : Primary IDE Channel

Driver
Description : System32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys
Company : Microsoft Corporation
Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver

Attached Devices
Description : Master: MAXTOR 6L080L4
Type : Disk Drive
DMA : On

Adapter 3

Description : Primary IDE Channel

Driver
Description : System32\DRIVERS\atapi.sys
Company : Microsoft Corporation
Version : 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Description : IDE/ATAPI Port Driver

Attached Devices
Description : Master: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4082B
Type : CD-Rom Drive
DMA : Off
Autorun : On
Description : Slave: HP CD-Writer+ 9300
Type : CD-Rom Drive
DMA : On
Autorun : On

Cheers

#12

Are you really sure about that?
The problem is that the quality of the media is always changing, regardless if it’s the same brand/mid etc or not. :rolleyes:

#13

I bought them all at the same time so I suspect that there would not be this dramatic change in quality

#14

In the good old time when a CD Burner was a cool thing I had an similar problem. Never problems burning CDs and from one day I had problems, burning CDs. After a verfy I had verification errors in almost every media. It took a longer time to find out. I changed the cable to the burner, changed drivers… the problem was still there.
I changed the memory and the problem was gone. I could reproduce the problem. I checked both changed memory modules with a memory checker software and found out, a small memory area of one module was defect…

#15

Upgraded the firmware and DMA is now on… doers this make sense?

#16

Enabling DMA surely is a good thing. Without DMA there is a very high probability that burner don’t receive enough data to burn correctly.

Also upgrading firmware can solve many problems.

To verify if all this improved things try to burn a rewritable. If you obtain a coaster, is possible to erase it without waste media.

#17

Would like to thank all the people who responded

#18

You’re welcome.