LightScribe Media Support
If you are looking to buy some LightScribe CDs or DVDs take a look at this article:
LightScribe CDs and DVDs to Buy Now
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When it comes to (apparent) problems with LightScribe Media there are really two culprits:
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1: The LightScribe Media
2: The LightScribe System
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You see the biggest cause of what appear to be media problems are in fact issues with our good old friend the LightScribe Software – Either the System Software or the Labeling Software.
However you can not rule out the media itself, and often this is a simple fix.
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Media Problems
These fall once again into two camps…
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1: Faulty Discs
2: Dirty Discs
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Faulty Discs
The errors that show up with either problem appear to be the same – and they are basically reading errors.
The disc is just not recognized by the drive and often this results in the software you are using, (or the LightScribe control panel) showing that there is NO media present in the drive.
I have found that the most reliable discs (free from manufacturing errors) are Verbatim…
I am by the way, not affiliated with, nor compensated by Verbatim, for saying that… 🙂 I wish I was, as I’m sure I have sold thousands of discs for them over the years… 🙂
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Verbatim Update:
Since it has become more difficult to get Verbatim discs, If you can’t get them, try Philips or Memorex – Both brands I use now…
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Often if you have bought a spindle of say, 25 discs, and one proves faulty, you will often get may off that spindle that are (batch errors)…
People often blame the system, the software and their drive when the problem is simply a bad batch of discs…
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Dirty Discs
Let me show you something…
LightScribe Data Control Ring
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This is what is what makes a LightScribe disc different (OK, apart from the LightScribe coating of course…) from normal discs. This is how the drive with it’s added sensor circuitry makes sure the disc is correctly aligned when burning a label.
This is also very sensitive to grease and dirt.
If you are having reading problems (disc not recognized) chances are it is because this data ring has been contaminated.
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The Solution
Clean it!
Take a slightly damp lint free cloth and gently wipe the data ring. make sure it is thoroughly dry, then try it in the drive again.
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Ah But…
I can here you screaming from here… “Steve, these are brand new discs and I have not touched them…”
This is an all to common problem with ‘cheaper discs’…
There is a fine ‘film’ left on the discs after manufacturing, and this renders the disc useless until it is gently removed. The problem is it is hardly detectable, so if the first cleaning procedure has not worked
I would like to let a customer of mine, ‘Bill L’ to explain the procedure as he was the one to point this out to me about 3 years ago…
Hi Steve,
I buffed the face of the new CD with a dry cloth, reran the Diagnostic (“Media Imaging Parameter: 119”), and ran the labeling software … Voila !
The batch of CDs that I bought have some sort of patina on them that the drive doesn’t like, or my drive is more sensitive to the thin covering on the face of CDs than other drives.
By the way, when I say that I “buffed” the face of the CD, I mean that literally: holding the disk face up in one hand (by the rim), I used enough pressure with one finger wrapped in a layer of cloth to bend the disc with the circular swiping of the entire facial surface.
The result was easy to see, as the face actually shined when I was done.
And if that all fails, it’s time to look at the culprit of most of the LightScribe issues ever encountered… Problems with software…
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Please Note:
For the latest up-to-date news on where to buy LightScribe Media take a look at this post:
LightScribe DVD & CD Discs
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All my best…
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