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CD Writer Frequently Asked Questions
Author: Eldon Martin
Updated:  01-05-06

Q: I’m wondering what kind of discs I should buy for my new CD Writer.  What is the difference between CD-R and CD-RW discs?

A: Both disc types have their advantages and disadvantages.  A CD-R can be written only once.  When the disc is full, it cannot be erased or rewritten.  However, CD-Rs can be read by nearly all CD drives, and can be used on audio CD players as well. On the other hand, a CD-RW can be erased and rewritten when it becomes full, and can be formatted so you can read and write to it as you would a floppy diskette.  However, a CD-RW cannot be read by most CD-ROM drives or audio CD players. 

Q: What is a buffer-underrun error, and how can I avoid it?

A: Under usual circumstances, a cd-writer must have a steady stream of data to write a disc.  If the data flow to the drive is interupted during writing, a buffer-underrun error occurs.  When this happens the disc will either need to be rewritten(if it is a CD-RW), or even discarded and replaced with a new one(If it is a CD-R).  To avoid this type of error, you should refrain from using other programs during the burning process.  If you still encounter errors, try lowering the writing speed of the drive to make sure your computer can keep up to it.


Q: I'm having trouble performing a disc-to-disc copy.  What could be the problem?

A: Disc-to-disc copies are troublesome for several reasons. First of all, buffer underrun errors can occur if the source drive cannot read as fast as the target drive can write.  In this case, lower the write speed of the target drive.  You may want to try burning at the slowest speed and then increase from there.

Copy protection can also prevent a particular disc from being copied correctly.  Since software venders are constantly developing new forms of copy protection, the software may give a different and incorrect reason for the failure.

Lastly, compatibility problems can cause the copy to fail.  Some computers simply will simply not perform a direct disc-to-disc copy.  This is usually a compatibility problem between the mainboard and one of the drives. 

Many disc-to-disc copy problems can be solved by using the option of copying the contents of the source disc to the hard drive before writing the target disc.  Most cd-writing software provides this option when doing a disc-to-disc copy.  You may even find it helpful to use the cd-writer as both the source and the target drive.  The software will prompt you to insert the source disc, and then prompt again for the target disc when it has copied the contents to the hard drive.

 

Copyright(c) 2005 by Eldon Martin