Unknowen burn phase

kduffy101

hi all,
when trying to burn a dvd/cd i keep getting an error..UNKNOW BURN PHASE. it was burning ok at the weekend,but today i keep getting this error.
any help would be great.
thanks

GeoffX

Which software are you using? I suspect it's Nero. If so, have a look at this page at Nero's site. Regardless, you should make sure you've updated your software to the latest stable version.

kduffy101

i STUPIDLY removed nero from my pc,now after reading your post i tried to reinstall nero from the cd i have,but when i put the disc into drive nothing happens,how do i intall the disc again???
thanks

kduffy101

i should have mentioned this in my first post....this also happens when i use convert x to dvd.this is the error message convert x to dvd...
write error at 0 (16)-code 037303 (medium error,)power calibration fail (cd-burner is dirty)...
thanks

GeoffX

It could be the DVD burner itself. Is it very old or has it had a lot of use? There are usually a number of small plastic pieces inside that can wear out.

It could be the disks. What type ( +R or -R ) and brand of DVDs are you using?

kwikbreaks

The text of the error message suggests that the lens is dirty.

If you have a CD/DVD cleaner giving that a go may sort it. If you don't have one then they can usually be found in pound shops. If it still fails then it's either a case of taking it to bits and trying to clean it with a moist cotton bud (water or better the alcohol from a cleaning disk kit).

Failing all that a new one shouldn't set you back more than ~ £20-£25 if you hunt around.

kduffy101

managed to reinstall nero with system restore
tried a cd again+still getting same error,
it might be the cd/dvd drive its 2 year old+had a fair bit of use,my father inlaw has a new cd/dvd drive in the house,i will try that.
thanks for all your help.

GeoffX

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a lens cleaner, I'd open up the drive and clean it manually. Dust can accumulate on the rails that the lens travels on and in the cogs and gears that make it and the tray move. Newer ones seem to have far fewer components and are much less fiddly to rebuild. If your replacement drive works it might be worth giving it a go.

A replacement drive shouldn't cost more than £20. You just need to make sure it has the correct connectors - either IDE or SATA. If you have an IDE drive but have some spare SATA connectors on your motherboard, then get a SATA drive.

kduffy101

ive tried about 3 other cd burner programes,but still get the unkown burn phase or the programe says error needs to end....