Problem with new Lite-On SOHC 5232k

[Curious]

Greetings to all,

I am a newbie in this realm and would really appreciate any assistance.

My OS is Win98SE.

A couple days ago I bought and installed a Lite-On Combo (SOHC 5232k). It replaced a Phillips CD-RW Model CDD4001/72 (using Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 (Standard Edition) + DirectCD 3. I hooked up the Lite-On in the exact same manner as the Phillips (i.e. jumper pin in the first position). After ensuring, to the best of my ability, that I removed all traces of any Adaptec or related files, I installed Nero Express 6 OEM (updated ver 6,6,1,4) and Incd 4 (updated ver 4,3,23,4). Since then I have turned a couple dozen+ cd-rw disks into coasters. After formatting (regardless of whether the disk was new (Memorex 4x – 700Mb/80 Min), or, whether it was old (I had many of various brands that I’ve been using successfully for ages), I have been left with a disk that ScanDisk reports as being unusable (say, maybe, 3% Good, 97% bad). I have tried copy/cut/paste to the disks but receive messages, along the lines of: - disk is being changed to ‘read only’ to protect copied data; - operation cannot read source files; - etc., etc., etc……

I have tried formating using MRW & non-MRW format.

I am at a total loss as to what the problem is. What am I doing wrong???

[dodecahedron]

hello Curious, welcome to CDRLabs.

DirectCD and InCD are both packet writing programs. which means they're sort of drivers that are installed into the OS, and then you can Drag-n-Drop files from the hard drive onto a CDRW or CDR disc.

a few comments:

1. packet writing is notoriously problematic and unreliable. i would avoid it if i can (and i do!).

2. 2 packet writing programs do not, as a rule, coexist peacefully. haveing 2 installed at the same time is asking for trouble.
now you say "After ensuring, to the best of my ability, that I removed all traces of any Adaptec or related files". well that might not be good enough, you might still have traces of Adaptec's software (DirectCD) in the system and it's interfering with InCD. more specifically, there might be stuff in the registry!
you need to go to Roxio's website (what used to be Adaptec) and find a utility called Roxio Zap, which is supposed to clean up your system from all traces of the DirectCD.

3. you can't use a disc formatted with DirectCD later with InCD. try doing a Full Erase (not from InCD but from Nero!) and only after that Format with InCD.

4. CDRW are sometimes unreliable too (reguardless of the software issues). some won't use them at all. personally, i do, but only Verbatim CDRWs, which are considered the best. Memorex are made by various manufacturers, some of which are terrible CDRWS.
you can use a program such as Nero CDSpeed or InfoTool to find out the ATIP code of the Memorex CDRW and find out who the manufacturer really is. it's quite possible that it's Infodisc, bad!

5. note: DirectCD can work with CDRs, InCD cannot!

good luck.

[Curious]

Many thanks for reply.

I'll check out the Roxio Zap.

Can you, or anyone else, confirm that I have the drive installed correctly (more particularly the jumper pin). As I said I replaced a 5+year old Phillips CD-RW with the Lite-On Combo (CD-RW/DVD ROM) SOHC-5232k. The jumper pin on the Phillips was set in the first postion so I set the jumper pin on the Lite-on in the same (first) position. Now that I have a combo unit, is the jumper setting the same? Other than replacing a RAM stick last year, I have never been inside the computer. I am totally lost in this area.

For what it might matter, my companion CD-ROM is: Lite-On LTN 5291S.

Is there a better burning software program out there????? I'm only using Nero Express 6 (OEM) because it came preinstalled with my other computer (using Lite-On SOHR 5238S) - the new SOHC 5232K came without software.

Inasmuch as I have 2 computers that I share info back and forth between, would I have been better of purchasing another SOHR 5238S, instead of the SOHC 5232K??

Thanks to all for any tidbits of wisdom.

[dodecahedron]

well, jumpers are pretty standard.
tip:usually there's a marking near the jumper block, either on a decal or etched directly into the metal case of the drive, with the markings: MA (master), SL (slave), CS (cable select). the first position (nearest the IDE cable connector) is the master, so it sounds like you had the old drive as master and set the new one as master too, so you should be fine.
you can run Nero InfoTool (Configuration tab) and see if indeed everything is set up that way.

i don't think you would've been better off with the SOHR 5238S.

Nero Express 6 is good enough for elementary usage.
it depends on what you want to do.

[Curious]

Hi, Dodeca, I'm back (sorry to say). Firstly though, thanks for info in your previous posts.

I’ve been offline for abit with computer problems all due to this cdrw problem I’m having (i.e. programs stop responding, system(s) freezing, etc. etc. every time I tried to erase/format; or, even just by merely inserting a disk into either the Rom or burner draw(s)).

At your suggestion, I ran Roxio Zap and it found a few stray files in the Windows/StartMenu/Programs folder.

Just to reiterate, I have 2 computers each running Win98SE and using Nero Express 6 OEM w/Incd 4 (both with recent updates). The Incd Reader is also installed in both systems. As for drive installation, both jumpers for CDROM & CDRW drives on both systems are set at first position - Cable Select. DMA is enabled. Don’t know enough to explain anything else.

I managed to get my hands on (1) Verbatim cdrw (2x-4x, 74min, 650MB) made my Mitsubishi which I formatted in the recently purchased Lite-On Combo (CDRW/DVD ROM) SOHC-5232K and merrily spent the afternoon copying/pasting/deleting files back and forth with the Lite-On (CDRW) SOHR-5238S in my other computer. All was working as it should and I was ecstatic but that was short-lived as reality came crashing in. After copying another set of files from one computer and verifying that they were there and intact, I inserted the disk into the other computer burner drive and was shocked to see that the files were gone….they had been replaced by: 4 files/folders, named: Files; Autorun: MRW(icon) & Open HTML. I erased the disk using Nero (SmartStart) and formatted it using Incd. After formatting, I was even more shocked and dismayed to see that it had turned into an Audio disk. (???) I repeated the erase/format process a couple more times with no success (neither drive on either computer would recognize the disk). On what I considered to be my last attempt, I disabled MRW format in Incd on both computers and erased/formatted it. The disk is performing reasonably well now (?) but I don’t have any great expectations of it’s longevity given the fact that Scandisc reports 3% Good, 97% Bad.

Question(s):

- What makes a disk, that was performing normally one minute, morph into one containing the 4 files mentioned above; or, for that matter, into an audio file????,

- If I am unable to get Verbatim cdrw’s; can you (or anyone else) recommend another brand? Are Sony any good? Given the hardware that I’m using, should I consider 74min/650MB disks, as opposed to 80min/700MB disks; or, vice versa???

I am at a total loss. Can anyone Pleeeez help!!!!!

Oh, BTW, as a matter of interest, the new box (10) blank Memorex disks that were immediately turned into coasters on first format (in the SOHC-5232K) were made by CMC Magnetics. Other disks that I had been successfully using back and forth with my old Phillips drive (Roxio) and the Lite-On SOHR-5238S (Nero) that ended up as coasters after erasing & formatting using Nero & Incd were Cursor (made by: GigaStorage), Staples store brand (made by Sony) and some other Memorex (made by: Harmonic Hall).

Many thanks.