Error message despite updates

[gualala]

Hopefully someone can help. I installed 6 Basic, all programs, updated with all possible updates, but still getting the following message each time I try to copy an audio CD, whether in DiscCopier or in Creator Classic. The program partially caches the tracks and then crashes with the following message:

 

D:_NEC DVD+RW ND-3530A ("Seek, synch, ATIP or mechanical positioning error." [03/02/00])

[Brendon]

That's an error from the drive.

 

It means either that the drive can't seek to the area on the disc that it needs to go to, or else when it gets there it can't read that area.

 

A scratched or dirty disc could give that error. So could dirty drive optics.

[gualala]

Thanks so much, Brandon. I'll bet it's the disk--it's an old Bert Jansch disc that got trashed in a friend's car. I'll try something else. Although, since I posted this, I found an old message in a Dell support group about difficulties with Roxio and this specific drive.

[Brendon]

I'll bet it's the disk, too. Software problems won't provoke that particular error.

 

The drive was late on the Easy CD Creator's recognition table (Jan '05) which might explain any drive recognition problems by Roxio software before then.

[gi7omy]

I'll bet it's the disk, too. Software problems won't provoke that particular error.

 

There is a gadget I've used that works great (and does exactly what it says) in dealing with scratched CDs and DVDs. It's called 'Skip Doctor' and is basically a DIY grinding machine for buffing down the surface of badly scratched discs. I believe there is a battery operated version but I only ever used the manual one. You will get a very tired wrist if the disc is very bad but it DOES work.

 

http://www.digitalinnovations.com/

 

It has even restored badly scratched Play Station DVDs to usability

[Brendon]

Before you go spending money, it may pay you to check something on the CD.

 

Make sure the damage is ONLY on the clear side of the CD, and not on the paint/lacquer side. Hold the disc up and try to look through it at a light.

 

Scratches in the clear side can be polished/ground off, but if something has damaged the paint/label side and the damage extends through the thin layer of paint to the silver reflector layer, then the disc cannot be repaired. The data layer lies just under that thin film of paint.

 

It's interesting that people take great pains to protect the shiny side of a CD, yet treat the very vulnerable paint/label side very badly. Luckily DVDs are much more robust, because their data layer is between two strong plastic discs.