CD-R burning: power calibration error

adaadat

Windows XP, SP2
[Primary IDE connector (PRI IDE) (Master): hard-drive]
Secondary IDE connector (SEC IDE) (Master): Samsung SH-R522 CD-Re-writer
[Secondary IDE connector (SEC IDE) (Slave): DVD-re-writer]
Nero Burning-ROM (Nero Ultra Edition 7.10.1.0)

Hi,

I can't seem to burn CD-Rs using either Nero Burning-ROM or Windows' own basic burning utility.

I have tried Verbatim "Extra Protection" and Maxell "XL-II 80" discs and get the following:

Nero Burning-ROM:
- TSSTcorp CD-R/RW SH-R522C Superlink activated
- Caching of files started
- Caching of files completed
- Burn process started at 52x (7,800 KB/s)
- Power calibration error
- Invalid write state
- Could not perform EndTrack
- Burn process failed at 52x (7,800 KB/s)

Windows
- Cannot Complete the CD Writing Wizard
- There was an error in the writing process
...................................................................................

I ensured the DMA mode was enabled:

Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System > System Properties > Hardware >
or...
Start > [Right-click] My Computer > Properties > Hardware >
then...
Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers > [Right-click] Secondary IDE Channel > Properties > Advanced Settings > Secondary IDE Channel Properties > Current Transfer Mode: Ultra DMA Mode 2

I disabled DMA, by selecting the only other option - PIO - in the Sec IDE Ch Properties, but got the same results.
...................................................................................

Problem with the firmware:

Using Nero Info Tool 4, my firmware is listed as TS05, although the latest firmware available for my CD-writer model is TS04 - according to a Google search.

Could the curent 'wrong' version be the cause of the problem?

I gather you can't 'uninstall' firmware as such? Do I simply install TS04 and it'll automatically take precendence over the curently installed version?
...................................................................................

Should the CD-writer and DVD-writer drives be connected in series (as they are curently, i.e. Master and Slave) or should they be connected to separate IDE connectors?

I've checked all the internal cables are correctly connected.

Both drives play CDs and DVDs and CD-Rs and DVD-Rs perfectly well.

I haven't tried burning DVDs.

Can anyone help?

Wayne3765

Can you burn CD's on the DVD writer ?

I kept getting power calibration errors on an old writer that I had and that turned out to be a faulty drive.

spud17

I don't know if it makes any difference, but I'd have installed the DVD rewriter as the master and the CD writer as the slave.

banger9365

i have not see this error for a long time, download the aspi driver ,this fixed a lott off problems a long time ago with burning cd's (before dvd came out).
dvd master,cd slave should not make any difference now adays on a modern pc if a very old one then yes it will .
silly question how old is the cd COMBO, mite on it's way out ??

adaadat

Sorry for taking so long to reply.

The P.C. and, hence, everything within it, is brand new, so the age of the CD-re-writer shouldn't be the cause of the problem.

I haven't tried to burn CDs in the DVD-re-writer; only the CD-re-writer.

I appear to have the 'wrong' firmware installed so should I simply install the correct firmware (TS04)? Do I need to do anything first such as uninstalling the current firmware?

I've just looked-up "aspi" and it seems to be a 'driver' and not the correct firmware I thought was the problem. Will this still solve the problem and do I install it without first uninstalling anything?

Thanks.

banger9365

it could also be bad disks (bad media)was alway the main cause and the aspi drivers always helped the writer work how it should , put we are talking about years ago when this problem was common .
how do you get 'wrong' firmware installed ,the firmware is the writer program thats built in to the writer not some thing thats in windows or burning programs and ts05 is the latest firmware for the writer so changing will not help much.
try with different media it's the only thing i can think off

Alfie_E

adaadat wrote: »

Using Nero Info Tool 4, my firmware is listed as TS05, although the latest firmware available for my CD-writer model is TS04 - according to a Google search.

Could the curent 'wrong' version be the cause of the problem?

The latest firmware version is TS05. It’s available on this Samsung ODD webpage. (TSST stands for Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology.) If ever there’s a problem with firmware, it’s because it’s too old, not too new.

“Power calibration error” could be correct. It means exactly what you think it might mean. The drive cannot take enough power reliably from the computer’s power supply unit (PSU). This can happen if you have a lot of components inside the computer and the PSU is too small and underspecified to cope. It could also be that the PSU is slightly defective. The problem could be so slight that it’s only the CD re-writer that’s noticing. Burning can take significant power. If the power drops during the burning process, you can end up with a ‘coaster’. So, the drive will calibrate and complain if it thinks there will be a problem, before the burn starts. If you have lots of unexplained crashes and machine lock-ups, this could also be due to a PSU problem. As you’ve already been inside the case, can you disconnect the power supply from any devices that aren’t necessary in testing the CD re-writer and remove any unnecessary expansion cards, before trying again?

I’ve had exactly the same sort of problem with a Samsung SH-W162C. Although, in my case, it’s in an old, stuffed computer, so knew it could be a genuine problem. The error seemed persistent. I wasn’t inclined to investigate it, at the time. A few days went by. The machine had been powered down and back up a few times. When I did go to investigate, the problem had gone. It has never come back.