How to Troubleshoot CD or DVD Burning

Burning CDs on a computer is a simple process that allows you to back up files and burn music and DVDs. To burn files, you need a CD-burning program that allows you to write data at speeds of 8X to 12X and up depending on the type of disc and the manufacturer. There are, however, times you run into errors before or during the burning process. With a few troubleshooting guidelines, you can resolve these problems quickly.

Reboot your computer if you are having trouble burning CDs or DVDs. Sometimes rebooting resets communication between the DVD burner and the computer motherboard and resolves many of the problems. Once your computer has restarted, try burning the disc again.

Check your disc and make sure that it is a format that can be read by the CD/DVD burner on your computer. If the format you have is not accepted, try another disc. Make sure that it is a new disc.

Check your disk and make sure that it is not a read -only or a full disc. Read-only discs such as CD-R, CD+R, DVD-R, DVD+R are non-rewritable, meaning if information is already saved on it, you cannot add to it or delete it. If you want to save and delete files multiple times, use CD-RW or DVD-RW discs because they are rewritable (RW).

Reduce the rewritable speed to a lower speed than that recommended on the disc you are using. Some discs have maximum rewritable speeds of 12X or 16X. When burning a file, try using a lower burning speed (e.g., 8X) on the CD-burning program that you are using. This can be effective in solving some burning errors.

Check the data or files that you are trying to burn and make sure they do not exceed the maximum space allowed on the disc. If it does, remove some files and burn them on a second disc.

Try using a different program if you are still running into burning errors even with a blank disc. There are many reputable programs you can checkout such as Nero Burning ROM and Roxio Creator

Check your connections if you are using an external CD/DVD burner. Make sure that the burner is firmly connected to the computer and that it is powered on.