CD Burner won't write

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elkins_guy04

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I have Mac OS X 10.4.11. with an internal Pioneer DVR-106D CD/DVD burner. I "capture" opera performances on-line, edit them with CD Spin Doctor 2, send it to Toast where it is then burned to disc. I have been doing this for years with no problems. This past week I started receiving the following message "sense key=medium error. Sense code= OX73, OX03". I tried several different CDs and had three different brands which always did work but stopped working...Philips CD-R, TDK, Memorex Black CD-R. I had two Maxell CD-Rs and they worked. I purchased a cleaning disc hoping that cleaning the lens would correct the problem. Still none of the previously mentioned CD-Rs would work and I was unable to purchase additional Maxell discs locally. At Sam's Club I purchased Verbatim CD-R, placed one in the computer.....and it worked. For almost a week I've been able to burn CDs once more, until tonight. Again, I used the cleaner disc plus retried some of the other brands of CD with the same results...no burn. When I tried burning a disc with iTunes, I received the following message "The attempt to burn a disc failed. The device failed to calibate the laser power level for this media."
Not being a computer person, I have no idea what has gone wrong or how to correct the problem. Can you give me some guidance please? Thank you.
 
It would help if you gave us more info like what kind of machine it is (macbook, macbook pro, iMac, etc..)? But regardless, it's most likely going to need a new optical drive.
 
djackmac said:
It would help if you gave us more info like what kind of machine it is (macbook, macbook pro, iMac, etc..)? But regardless, it's most likely going to need a new optical drive.
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Macosx.com posted my initial message here. What they didn't post was the second one that states that when the computer (Imac OS X 10.4.11) is first turned on, I can burn up to five CDs before I start receiving the "medium error" message and it no longer will burn discs. This makes me inclined to believe that the problem is with the computer heating up (?) The fan definitely is making more sound than it did when it was new. The computer will play CD discs and will copy information from a disc but will not burn that information to another disc after the burner had been use to create 4 or 5 discs.
 
Does the fan run in your iMac G4?
Check the inlet vents (basically all around the bottom edge of the case) to make sure they are not plugged up.
Interesting job to replace the burner in one of those...
When you replace the burner, you can also take some time to clean out all the dust. I've seen some of those 'domes' that were just loaded up with lint/dust/pet hair/unidentifiable stuff...
 
DeltaMac said:
Does the fan run in your iMac G4?
Check the inlet vents (basically all around the bottom edge of the case) to make sure they are not plugged up.
Interesting job to replace the burner in one of those...
When you replace the burner, you can also take some time to clean out all the dust. I've seen some of those 'domes' that were just loaded up with lint/dust/pet hair/unidentifiable stuff...
Click to expand...
Yes, it has a fan which sounds like it's running, but there is no doubt in my mind that there is plenty of dirt inside the dome. Not being a computer tech, I've wondered if it was safe to take the hose from my vacuum cleaner and suck out whatever dirt is in there. If not, how does it open and how should it be cleaned out?
 
elkins_guy04 said:
Yes, it has a fan which sounds like it's running, but there is no doubt in my mind that there is plenty of dirt inside the dome. Not being a computer tech, I've wondered if it was safe to take the hose from my vacuum cleaner and suck out whatever dirt is in there. If not, how does it open and how should it be cleaned out?
Click to expand...

The vacuum is not as effective as a take apart cleaning would be with an air compressor or leaf blower. But if you have no idea on how to disassemble one or have never done any electronics repairs, its best not to try to take it apart. But if you do feel like taking it apart, get some thermal paste because you will need to add new paste to the heatsink once its been opened and cleaned.
 
here are three likely causes, two of which you can do something about and the third needs a repair.

One possibility is that the drive needs replacing, another is that the particular brand of media you are using don't work reliably with that drive. Try using exactly the same ones as you have used before.

The other possibility is that the laser lens is mucky. It might be worth getting one of those CDs with brushes that clean the laser. If there are smokers using that computer, smoke can leave deposits on the laser lens - so can ordinary dust from the atmosphere, but smoke gets drawn in to some Macs because of the fan.
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Post by mcitp
 
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Do you think that the dirt is keeping the fan from cooling and there for once the burner gets too hot, it stops burning? If not, what other possibilities are there for my burner to stop working after burning only 4-5 discs when the computer has not been running for awhile?
 
A computer (and burner) that's 6 or 7 years old will be ready for some cleanup in any event.
Cleaning out the 'crud' is a Good Thing™, and may improve the burner use (or not). It's a challenge to open up your iMac anyway, and a large selection of replacement burners (with much faster burning!) are available for less than $50 for the drive - some are less than $30. The biggest task is the replacement of that drive.
 
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