Didn't they promise us it'd be easier than analog?

October 17, 2005 8:50 PM

Why can't I burn a music CD?

Help! So many great playlists to burn, and this problem arises. I'm running Windows XP on a Dell desktop. When I first got this computer, it burned CDs with no problem. There have been some changes, and now when I try to burn audio onto a CD, I get non-specific error messages during the 'initializing' phase (2122 and 2123, if it helps) and the disc ejects. I've poked around on the horrendous Windows support sites, but I just can't make sense of half of what I'm reading there.

Here's what's changed since I got the machine:
1. I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled Windows because the machine became loaded with adware and spyware. I also reinstalled all the drivers, etc., that the system came with.
2. The computer's been free of ad/spyware since the reinstall.
3. I used to use Windows Media Player, and I just switched to iTunes.
4. But I can't burn in WMP either.
5. Oddly, I can burn text files and picture files to CD.
6. I've run the normal diagnostics and gone through the Windows troubleshoot, to no avail.
7. I thought it might be memory, and I defragged and ran Disc Cleanup. Didn't help.
8. I tried several different burn speeds, even the lowest, and that didn't help.

So I'm kind of at a loss. I can't fathom what's wrong, and I'm in over my head on those techie Windows pages. I'm hoping maybe someone here has some insight before I have to go to the computer doc. Thanks.

posted by Miko to computers & internet (9 comments total)

So, does it burn at all, do you get coasters?
posted by Dean Keaton at 8:58 PM on October 17, 2005

I don't even hear it starting to spin. Again, it does all that as normal with text files, but when I try to burn audio it pops right back out.
posted by Miko at 9:00 PM on October 17, 2005

are you trying to burn audio cds from mp3s? ... some machines have trouble handling the translation from mp3 and doing the burn all at once

it's my experience that audio cds are harder to burn, anyway ... i've had cd burners that would burn data disks fine, but wouldn't burn a music cd with any consistency

you might want to try using a program like nero or cd archetect and see if that helps ... or try other disks ... or try another burner

this tends to be a black art and often it's impossible to tell just why it isn't working, but it's usually either the disks or the burner
posted by pyramid termite at 9:00 PM on October 17, 2005

I'm not sure who your computer doc is, but it is rather easy to replace a cd-drive. If you're so inclined, you can pick one up super cheap, pop it in, and see if your hardware has crapped out. It happens! If you're encountering the same problem, then you should be left with very few things left to troubleshoot.
posted by AllesKlar at 10:49 PM on October 17, 2005

Might want to read this thread on the apple forums, looks like your not alone.
posted by squeak at 1:33 AM on October 18, 2005

Oh and if you have XP's system restore on you might want to try rolling back to a time before you installed iTunes, it might solve the problem.
posted by squeak at 1:40 AM on October 18, 2005

check out winamp. has a music cd burner in the media library, itll burn audio cds of whatever codecs you have plugins for (everything) at 2 speed and rips aac/mp3 for free, reccomended in the classic skin. tends to be fast(er) if its still bugging you might have to hack the device manager or reverting type stuff. and check to see if you have or can enable DMA, everest home edition will tell you about your computer if you have dma and stuff for free and you can enable it in the device manager. also Other apps running in the background can cause problems with most cd burning programs esp crap printer drivers and stuff that sits around always waiting for some non existent command, i usually have to shut down lots of stuff when i burn a disc unless im jinxing to make some toasters, i cut out all the bloat with ccleaner, might fix up any reg issues you have and get rid of lots of temp stuff and shutdown startup
posted by psychobum at 1:57 AM on October 18, 2005

I would try in this order:
1) A different brand of CD
2) upgrading your drive's firmware if one is available
3) Getting a new drive

I agree with pyramid termite, it's usually the disks or the drives. I once wasted two days of my life troubleshooting a problem like this...installing and reinstalling programs, doing a system restore on and on and on. Turns out the drive was just going bad (they'll do that). I wish I had those two days back.
posted by Otis at 5:30 AM on October 18, 2005

It looks like Squeak has it. The Apple forums are full of people with the same problem -- apparently it results from downloading v6 of iTunes. Wish I hadn't done it, since it was working fine with v5. Also, now I can't restore because as part of my disc cleanup last night I eliminated a lot of early restore points. Oy.

It doesn't explain why WMP wouldn't burn. I think I'll go back tonight and try that again. If it's an iTunes problem, some other program should be able to burn a disc. It's too bad, because I like iTunes, but it looks as though there's no fix available for this at the moment.
posted by Miko at 7:06 AM on October 18, 2005