CD Writer Fails

Win2000/SP4 and B's Recorder Gold CD writing software (came with my Sony CD-RW drive).

CD-R originally worked under Roxio EasyCD5 then, after a break with not being used for a few months, it stopped. Couldn't get any response from Roxio so uninstalled it and put in the B's software that came with the drive. This worked only if I put the write speed down to 8x, but at least it worked. Upgraded to their latest version (to get some of the utilities I'd lost taking out Roxio) and it's stopped working, even at 8x.

The error that keeps coming up is aa030c00 - which translates as the data not being delivered to the drive fast enough. Same code I get from the original B's software setting it to maximum speed. With an 800MHz PIII and a 7200rpm IBM HD with >16GB free there shouldn't be a problem (and both HD and CD-RW are set to DMA mode). Packet writing is fine, so I'm not suspecting the drive, nor are there any other PC problems suggesting a HD fault.

B's helpdesk have said to remove ASPI drivers and cdr4_2k.sys - doing this and the PC loses the CD-RW and its SCSI DVD drive; putting the cdr4_2k.sys file back restores the drives but, with or without ASPI, I still get the fault. I've currently got ASPI 4.6 installed (suggestions elsewhere suggest this is the most stable version) - but no difference to CD-R behaviour.

Any ideas?

 

Have you tryed cleaning the CD writer drive itself with a CD-Rom cleaner? I had the same problem awhile ago and I cleaned it, and it worked fine. When it sits unused for months at a time, dust gets caked on the lens and inside the motor...try blowing in it also. That should work.