8 replies to this topic

[bds1958]

What are the benefits of "verifying" disc burns?

It virtually doubles the time taken to burn a disc.

[james_hardin]

It does less than the name implies… I used it on one large project then wrote my own comparison program and found several errors in the files!

I don't know exactly what it does but I suspect that it compares the file names of the Project with those on the disc and if they match it is happy… In one of the files with an error there was a 1 byte difference in the file size and it missed it!

In my opinion, it is a feel good switch. I don't use it.

[gi7omy]

As was explained to me way back when a CD writer cost a thousand sterling - all it does is tell you you've either had a successful burn or you've made a coaster (by which stage it's too late to do anything about it)

[bds1958]

Thanks for your opinions.

I'll try a few burns without it.

[djay-z]

I think the problem could be that the read/write buffer may not get cleared before the compare starts.  Read requests for data that is still in the buffer are fulfilled by the buffer (which normally is helpful and saves time).  Unfortunately, when doing a compare, you want the drive to always read from the disk.  Other programs (such as Ne*o) automatically eject and re-insert the disk between the burn and the compare in order to ensure that the buffer gets cleared.

james_hardin, on Jan 13 2007, 06:16 PM, said:

It does less than the name implies… I used it on one large project then wrote my own comparison program and found several errors in the files!

I don't know exactly what it does but I suspect that it compares the file names of the Project with those on the disc and if they match it is happy… In one of the files with an error there was a 1 byte difference in the file size and it missed it!

In my opinion, it is a feel good switch. I don't use it.

[james_hardin]

Could be… Although the testing I did goes back to Win95 & NT4 with V5. Same problem there.

[bds1958]

bds1958, on Jan 14 2007, 09:03 PM, said:

Thanks for your opinions.

I'll try a few burns without it.

Everything I've burnt without it has been successfull.

[gi7omy]

As I said - all it does really is tell you if the burn worked or it didn't

[bds1958]

gi7omy, on Jan 19 2007, 11:07 PM, said:

As I said - all it does really is tell you if the burn worked or it didn't

Interestingly enough one burn I did just before disabling verification stopped just before completion of verification, reporting an error in the file comparison.

I thought, "b*gger it", another "coaster".

However when I tried the disc it opened o.k. and the contents were o.k.

Anyway don't forget next Thursday, Jan 25th, all us "Jocks" will be "Burning" without any "verification".


"Should auld acquaintance............................"