CD-R Capacities

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CD-R Diagnostic

• People with a CD recorder that occasionally have problems with recorded CD's.
• People involved in the production of CD-ROMs.
• People that have had problems with CD-R or CD-RW discs and have discs with inaccessible files
• People that are curious about the construction of CD's in general

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Avoid Burning Coasters

• When using Win95 OSR2 or Win98 change the workstation Typical Role from: Desktop computer -> Network server

  This must be done here:
   

• [START] -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Performance -> File System -> Typical role of this computer

This will increase the system file-system cache settings from 32/677 paths/files to 64/2729 paths/files. This will be very helpful for burning On-The-Fly.

• Disable the Auto insert notification for the CD-Writer & CD-ROMs).
  This is done here (read the note below):
   
• [START] -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> CDROM -> Device Name -> Settings
   
• When having problems burning On-The-Fly, just use CD-Writer software, like Nero or CDRWIN, to first create a CD Image on harddisk and then to write the CD-R from the image.

• Use a separate disk partition/harddisk to burn from as this partition can be formatted to avoid fragmentation. If there is only one partition then regularly defragment the harddisk, containing the files which are to be burned.
  Right-Click on the disk-icon and select Properties. Click the Tools tab and click Defragment Now. This can take some time to complete depending how often this has been done and how big the drive is.

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The "X" Factor

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Buffer Underrun

Possible Causes of Buffer Underrun:

Hard Disk

• Extremely fragmented hard drive.

• Not enough space in temporary directory.

• Hard disk compression may cause buffer underruns. We do not recommend writing from a compressed hard disk or disk partition.

• "Dumb" thermal recalibration (only on very old hard drives).

Other Hardware

• Spindown of CD-ROM drives you're copying data or audio from.

• Slow source devices.

• Source devices that transfer data in bursts.

• Incorrect recorder controller settings.

• Inability of the devices to sync properly.

• Overall system configuration.

• Computer unable to allow fast enough data transfer.

• Conflicts with old device drivers. Do not use 16-bit (real-mode) device drivers in Windows 95 or 98. REM out any old CD-ROM drives you may have in your CONFIG.SYS file. (You don't need them anyway.)

• Setting hard drive read ahead optimization to "none" may cure buffer underruns in some cases. (Go to the Start menu | Settings | Control Panel | System
  | Performance | Advanced Settings/File System | Hard Disk and set "Read-ahead optimization" to "None.")

Networks

• Recording across the network (a network may be too slow to maintain adequate throughput speed).

Files to Be Recorded

• Recording many small files.

• Damaged source files (data loss).

• Trying to record files in use by the system or other applications.

Other

• Copying from a CD that is scratched, dirty, or damaged.

• Recorder malfunction.

Checks / Prevention

• Defragment your hard drives at least once a week.

• Do not record across a network. Copy the desired files to your local hard drive.

• If your source hard disk is more than five years old, make sure it does smart thermal recalibration.

• Record at a slower speed.

• In any operating system, always using the newest drivers from your SCSI controller card manufacturer.

• It may be necessary to write audio at slower speeds than those you can achieve for data, since writing CD-DA audio requires streaming more bits per second to the recorder.

• Keep the CDs, the recorder, and your source CD-ROM drive free of dust.

• Make sure your SCSI card is FULLY ASPI-compliant.

• Do not try to copy empty directories, zero byte files, or files that may be in use by the system at the time of recording.

• If your data includes more than 10,000 very small files, create a disc image first, or record at a slower speed.

• The temporary directory should always have space free at least twice the size of the largest file you are recording.

• The entire computer, from the motherboard bus to the recorder itself, needs to be configured properly for faster recording and highest maximum sync transfer rate.

• Change the DMA transfer rate for the SCSI card being used.

• Try a different brand of recordable disc.

This tip brought to you by:  Adaptec

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How to create a Bootable CD

1. Create a boot DOS diskette with FORMAT A:/S, then copy the CD-ROM device driver, msCDex.exe, sys.com and xcopy.exe (see note A 2) create a simple config.sys with the line: lastdrive=z device=my_CDrom_driver.sys /d:restore Also create a simple autoexec.bat with MSCDEX.exe /d:restore /l:z (where z is the drive letter of the cd) and copy it to the boot disk.
2. Launch Easy CD Creator.
3. Add all of your hard drive's contents to the Data CD layout page.
4. Select File | CD Layout Properties | Data Settings.
5. Check "Bootable CD."
6. Select "ISO 9660" and click on the Properties button. Select "Any MS-DOS 8+3 name."
7. Proceed with creating the CD. You will be asked to insert a bootable diskette; insert the disk you created in steps 1 & 2.
   
   NOTE A:
   1. If you wish, you can add: the keyboard files you need for your country (copy the same entries you find in the C drive Config.sys and Autoexec.bat without any paths on the new diskette Config.sys and Autoexec.bat, and the requested files); you might also want to include Fdisk.exe and Format.com to clear up or modify the partition (especially useful after a virus attack).
   
   2. If you're using SCSI CD drivers, you will need the SCSI driver too and the line in the config.sys for the SCSI controller device driver (note that not all SCSI-controllers and motherboards can be used to boot from CD-ROM).
   
   This tip is brought to you by: Adaptec

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Precautions before recording

• Do not touch the recording surface while keeping dust and fingerprints off the disk.
• To remove dust or debris use canned air.
• To remove fingerprints, smudges or other surface contaminants, use a lint free cloth (lens cleaner) and wipe the disk from the center hub ring to the outside of the disk, using a motion perpendicular to the tracks. Never wipe in a circular motion around the disk as this will imbed the contaminants deeper into the surface.
• Do not expose the disk to sudden changes of temperature or humidity. This may cause the disc to warp or condensation to appear on the surface.

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Precautions after recording

• Do not write on the surface of the disk using a hard tipped pen or pencil. If you must write on the surface of the disk use a water based pen that does not contain any chemical solvents. These solvents can damage the dye layer of the disk and render the disk unusable. Writing must only be done on the protective layer surface.
   
• If you will be using any adhesive labels or stickers, some precautions should be taken: 1) Labels must be perfectly adhered to the disk surface. Any bubbling or creasing will imbalance the disk which can cause tracking errors or noisy spin ups. 2) Never attempt to remove an adhered label. This can damage the protective layer or the reflective layer causing permanent damage to the disk. In addition, as with writing pens, insure your labels adhesive does not contain any chemical solvents that can become absorbed into the dye layer.

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Storing your CD

• CDR's should always be stored in their original jewel cases or caddies to minimize contaminants and surface damage. Never store CDR's one on top of another, without a jewel case.
   
• Always keep CDR's away from direct sunlight or extreme heat. This too could possibly cause damage to the dye layer which is sensitive to light.

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Principles of Writing / Reading

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Labeling your CD

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Stick-on Labels

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Scan at the Right Resolution

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Enable DMA Mode

1. In Windows 95/98/Me, go to Start> Settings> Control Panel> System and click the Device Manager tab.
2. Double-click CD-ROM and select the model for your CD-RW drive. 
3. Click Properties and then click the Settings tab. 
4. Look for the DMA check box under Options and click it to put a check mark in the box. 
5. Click OK and your PC should reboot. 

• You may also need to enable DMA mode in your BIOS settings. To learn how to do this, refer to your system's documentation. 

Note: If you're having trouble formatting CD-RW disks, disabling DMA may solve the problem.[Top]

What the X factor means

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Autorun stopped functioning

Autorun.zip

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