need slow cd writer program help please

happyhero

Hi I have dug out loads of boxes of old blank CD's and I would like to use them only trouble is if you write them at any speed over 2 they fail, so I need a program preferrably free that can write data to them. Can you help please?

I have Nero but it wont write slow enough although you can select speeds within the program. I have tried to do it in Windows XP which does not seem to let me select a speed and they fail again. I know the CD's are ok as I used them a long time ago at work, and they seemed quite reliable.

I am using Windows XP home and have a LITE-ON writer in case that helps. I really am after a program to write the CD's at 1 and 2 speeds.

Any help appreciated.

Zagu

Try this.

espresso

Are you sure that Nero won't write at x1 (1.385KB/s)? my version does.

happyhero

Zagu wrote: »

Try this.

Does not seem to go below 16X

happyhero

espresso wrote: »

Are you sure that Nero won't write at x1 (1.385KB/s)? my version does.

It seems to write at 1x until the blank CD is in then it does not offer that sort of speed, can't understand why it does that. It only then offers me 16X 24X and 32X.

bat999

Hi
The information about the 'supported write speeds' of a blank CD is 'burned' into a special area of the CD during manufacture. It's known as a 'pre-groove'.

Your burning program is supposed to read this info then give you the available options.

So it seems that either Nero is reading the info incorrectly, or the info that's on the disc does actually say '16x or 24x or 32x'. Or perhaps your version of Nero really won't burn at low speeds, as you suspect.

There's a free program called 'CDRIdentifier' that will read the information for you.
It can be downloaded from here.http://www.filewatcher.com/m/CDRIdentifier.exe.229376.0.0.html

:cool:

happyhero

bat999 wrote: »

Hi
The information about the 'supported write speeds' of a blank CD is 'burned' into a special area of the CD during manufacture. It's known as a 'pre-groove'.

Your burning program is supposed to read this info then give you the available options.

So it seems that either Nero is reading the info incorrectly, or the info that's on the disc does actually say '16x or 24x or 32x'. Or perhaps your version of Nero really won't burn at low speeds, as you suspect.

There's a free program called 'CDRIdentifier' that will read the information for you.
It can be downloaded from here.http://www.filewatcher.com/m/CDRIdentifier.exe.229376.0.0.html

:cool:

Hi cheers for the info, I have just tried that as you suggest but it says minimum speed unknown and same for maximum.

Surely there must be some CD writer programs that give you full power to adjust things like recording speed right down to 1x etc, even if its an old one.

espresso

happyhero wrote: »

Surely there must be some CD writer programs that give you full power to adjust things like recording speed right down to 1x etc, even if its an old one.

What is the model number of this Liteon drive? It may be that it can't write at x1. How did you write at x1 for the CD's that worked?

bat999

It looks as though the info isn't on those discs and Nero is probably just guessing at 16x, 24x or 32x.
So you're back where you started, looking for a burner program that will allow you to force a 2x burn speed.

Conor_3

Are you aware that CDRs degrade over time? If they're only 2 speed, they're ancient and there's a high chance that the layer that the laser burns has started to corrode. I know that I've got some CDRs that are about 3-4 years old which now have small dots of corrosion on them.

happyhero

espresso wrote: »

What is the model number of this Liteon drive? It may be that it can't write at x1. How did you write at x1 for the CD's that worked?

It is 20x LH-20a1h which is also a lightscribe burner and only a few months old. When I used to use these disks it was on a PC at work and I have no idea now what the drive was but probably used an early Nero software to do it. However this has given me an idea as you may be right about its minimum write speed I have another drive which is only a CD writer which I have only ever used to play audio disks, ( I forgot it was even a writer) ie have not burned CD's in a long time but this is much older so I will see if this offers me a slower speed.