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User Rank: Newbie
Joined: 5/26/2011
Posts: 3
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I have a deadline looming and I'm only
about 25% of the way completed with the number of discs I need to burn
and I've encountered this problem... to get a jumpstart on my project (I need to create about 100 discs), I decided to start doing the labels first using LightScribe.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/dharatakamiya/Discards/IMG_0245.jpg
[img]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/dharatakamiya/Discards/IMG_0245.jpg[/img]
my first 20 or so copies came out
consistently well, like the disc on the right, the last 3 are completely
unusable. I've given the drive 24 hrs to rest since it started with
this issue, but that hasn't helped. the first image I tried to burn
this morning was the same, and this is being burned using the BEST
quality (not normal or draft). I've tried burning it multiple times,
but the image quality doesn't improve, doesn't darken.
I'm using:
Windows7 - 64bit, TSSTcorp CDDVDW
TS-653R 0301 193 Drive (it came with my HP machine, purchased around
this time last year), Memorex Light Scribe discs, and the newest
download of the LightScribe Template Labeler.
Again, it was working fine after 20 or so
copies and now it's unusable. I have not tried burning data onto a
disc. I'm really hoping it's not the drive itself and burning DVD data
becomes impossible because my video project is on this computer and
moving the project itself would mean having to re-do it all.
Anyone experience anything like this before?
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User Rank: Power User
Joined: 8/3/2008
Posts: 1570
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2 things:
- You should make sure the LS Control Panel is set to use the darkest setting - This will add some time , but the disks should be darker.
- For the number of disks you are trying to do, you should be using a Duplicator!
The second may be too late if you can't get one from a store!
It may take some time to come up to speed with a duplicator, but you can do 2 or more at a time.
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User Rank: Newbie
Joined: 5/26/2011
Posts: 3
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Thanks for the reply! Following your advice, I went ahead and changed
the setting in the LS Control Panel (yes, I hit 'apply' and then "ok"),
it did extend my burn time by about 3 minutes or so on the "BEST"
setting. However, the results, unfortunately, were the same.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/dharatakamiya/Discards/IMG_0246.jpg
Ignore
that black smudgey streak thing, that was the result of a previous burn
gone wrong... dunno what happened there. I re-used the disc so not to
waste more just on a test.
A duplicator is something I may look
into in the future, but this isn't my business, or something that I plan
to continue doing, at least not in the forseeable future. It may be a
good investment if I do decide to continue on, but anyway, it wasn't
something I considered. I would have to mail order something like this
as there's no way any store on Maui, Hawaii carries stuff like this. We
only have maybe 1 or 2 computer shops, and these are small
family-business type companies, nothing remotely like Best Buy or Fry's
or any other big box. Typically computers here, if not mail ordered
(and paying $100+ for shipping), come from Office Max, Costco, or
WalMart... or we fly over to Oahu and then carry them back with us as
baggage/cargo from an airline.
But anyway, the contrast setting adjustments didn't work.. so any other ideas?
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User Rank: Power User
Joined: 10/19/2010
Posts: 435
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Unfortunately there is no accurate or practical method for a user in the field to test the drive's functions accurately. It's pretty much a try and see diagnosis:
1) Try your poorly printed Lightscribe discs in a a different functioning Lightscribe drive equipped PC or laptop
2) Try a known good Lightscribe disc (use one of the ones you successfully printed with an image or text added in a blank area) If it prints ok it's the media that has the problem...if the same poor result occurs it's probably drive related.
3) See if a CD prints any better than a DVD....DVDs have an extra clear coating that can interfer with etching a label on some brands.
4) Some users have experienced Lightscribe labeling problems with some brands of media that the data side was burned first but that doesn't seem to apply to you.
5) Depending on the outcome of the previous tests try a different brand of Lightscribe blanks. (Verbatim is pretty much a highly respected brand of Lightscribe blanks)
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User Rank: Newbie
Joined: 5/26/2011
Posts: 3
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Thanks for the additional suggestions. At this point, I think it's the drive that's failing, more specifically, the laser.
I did take home the remaining discs and started burning them on my lightscribe drive at home. Same media, same image, comes out fine.
Again, I didn't think it was ever a media issue as I was burning discs fine until I got to around 20 or so, then the quality went from good to unusable.
I do have an old HP PC lying around that I've pulled parts out of before that has a LightScribe drive in it. I may just end up swapping this failing one for that one and seeing how it goes. I did find a local retailer that sells replacement LightScribe drives for $49, so that's another option.
This is all for my son's preschool fundraiser, so I really don't want to incur any more costs as it is. I'll do the swap a little later and hope for the best.
Oh, I tried to just burn some data onto a DVD disc on the current drive, the drive spits out the discs and keeps advising me to insert a blank DVD... tried this with 4 different known blanks (they were from a previously unopened batch), same issue... so yeah, probably going to toss this drive.
Thanks all.
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