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If fingerprints or scratches are present on your recordable disc, you may receive CD creation errors. Please check your disc for fingerprints and scratches and then refer to the information below if needed.

Scratched discs

If scratches are present on the disc, try using a new disc.

If you no longer receive CD creation errors, discard the scratched disc and check your discs for scratches each time you burn a CD.

Fingerprints

If fingerprints are present on your disc, wipe in a straight line from the center of your disc to the outer edge with a soft cloth. You may add CD cleaner to the cloth if needed. CD cleaning kits are also available at most computer electronics stores.

Warning: Never clean a disc using a circular motion. This will damage the disc.

If you no longer receive CD creation errors, check your discs for fingerprints and clean your discs if necessary each time you burn a CD.

Your CD-RW drive must be connected directly to your computer, not a hub. If your drive is currently connected to a hub, disconnect your drive and then connect it directly to your computer's USB or FireWire port.

If you no longer receive CD creation errors, ensure that your drive is connected directly to your computer before you burn a CD.

Check all of your CD-RW drive's cable connections, especially the data cable, to ensure that they are secure.

1. If you no longer receive CD creation errors, always ensure that your drive's cable connections are secure before you burn a CD.
   
   

To help prevent CD creation errors, you should close all open programs before you burn a CD. Please use the following steps.

Select your operating system

Windows® 98/Me

1. Press and hold down the CTRL, ALT and DEL buttons (in the order shown). This should open the Close Program window.
   
   
2. Click a program to highlight it.
   
   

   Note: Do not select Explorer or Systray.

3. Click End Task.
   
   
4. Continue using steps A through C until all of the programs, except for Explorer and Systray, are closed.
   
   
5. Try burning a CD.
   
   

   If you no longer receive CD creation errors, ensure that all open programs and applications on your computer are closed before you burn a CD.

Windows 2000/XP

1. Press and hold down the CTRL, ALT and DEL buttons (in the order shown).
   
   
2. Click the Task Manager button.
   
   
3. Click the Applications tab.
   
   
4. Click a program to highlight it.
   
   
5. Click End Task.
   
   
6. Continue using steps D and E to close all applications running on your computer.
   
   
7. Click the Processes tab.
   
   
8. Click a program to highlight it.
   
   

   Note: Do not select Explorer.exe or taskmgr.exe.

9. Click End Process.
   
   

   Note: Windows 2000 and Windows XP will not allow certain processes to be closed.

10. Continue using steps H and I to close all of the processes Windows allows you to close. Remember not to close Explorer.exe or taskmgr.exe.
    
    
11. Try burning a CD.
    
    

    If you no longer receive CD creation errors, ensure that all open programs and applications on your computer are closed before you burn a CD.

You may receive CD creation errors if you are connected to the Internet while burning your CDs. Always close all open Internet connections before you start the CD creation process.

If you no longer receive CD creation errors, always close all open Internet connections before you burn a CD.

Different brands of CD-R and CD-RW discs come with different write speed ratings. You must use a recordable disc that is compatible with the write speed you select when you create your discs. If you are burning a CD at a 4x write speed, you must use a disc that has a 4x or higher write speed rating. You cannot burn a CD using a 4x write speed if the disc only has a 1x or 2x write speed rating.

Depending on the manufacturer, the write speed may be located in a number of different areas.

The write speed for your CD-R or CD-RW disc may be listed:

1. Directly on the disc
   
   
2. On the documentation that came with the disc
   
   
3. On the disc's packaging, container or case
   
   

If you cannot find a write speed for your disc, please contact the manufacturer for more information.

If the CD write speed was not compatible and if you do not receive CD creation errors after you use write compatible media, ensure that you check your media for write compatibility each time you burn a CD.

You can help prevent CD creation errors by selecting the option to test the burn before you create a CD. Please use the following steps.

Select the software you are using:

Please use the following steps to find the data and/or audio extraction rates for your CD-RW and CD-ROM drives.

Select the software you are using:

You can help prevent CD creation errors if you copy your data and/or audio files to your hard drive and burn your CDs using your hard drive as the source. Please use the steps below to burn a CD using your hard drive as the source drive.

Select the software you are using:

1. Please have a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc ready.
   
   
2. Place the source CD, which contains the information you want to record, into your CD-RW drive.
   
   
3. Click Start, Programs, Iomega CD-RW (ZipCD), Features and CD Copier.
   
   
4. Read the Welcome page and click OK.
   
   
5. Under Copy from, select your CD-RW drive from the drop-down menu.
   
   
6. Under Record to, select your CD-RW drive from the drop-down menu.
   
   
7. Click the Advanced tab.
   
   
8. Choose the settings you desire from the options list.
   
   

   Note: If you would like to keep your settings as the default settings, click the Set as Default button.

9. Click the Copy button.
   
   

   Note: CD Copier will now copy the information from your CD to your hard drive.

10. When prompted, place a blank recordable disc into your CD-RW drive.
    
    
11. The disc will eject when the CD creation process is complete.
    
    

    If copying the CD to your hard drive first helps prevent CD creation errors, ensure that you do this in the future while burning your CDs.

Please use the following steps to disable the DMA (Direct Memory Access) settings for your source CD-ROM drive and CD-RW drive.

Caution: The troubleshooting steps below walk you through disabling DMA on your computer's CD-ROM drive. This may enhance performance, however, some older CD-ROM drives cannot use these settings and problems may result. Before disabling DMA, check the documentation that came with your computer or CD-ROM drive to see if the drive supports DMA. Do not try to disable DMA on your computer's CD-ROM drive if DMA is not supported.

Select your operating system

1. Click Start, Settings and Control Panel.
   
   
2. Double-click the System icon.
   
   

   Note: Windows Me users, select 'View all Control Panel options' if the System icon is not present.

3. Click the Device Manager tab.
   
   
4. Click the plus (+) sign next to CD-ROM.
   
   
5. Double-click the icon for your source CD-ROM. If your CD-RW drive is the only CD-ROM drive on your system, proceed to step I.
   
   
6. Click the Settings tab.
   
   
7. Click DMA to disable the option and remove the check mark.
   
   

   Note: DMA is disabled when a check mark is not present.

8. Click OK.
   
   
9. Double-click the icon for your CD-RW drive.
   
   
10. Click the Settings tab.
    
    
11. Click DMA and remove the check mark to disable the option.
    
    

    Note: DMA is disabled when a check mark is not present.

12. Click OK.
    
    
13. Try burning a CD.
    
    
    1. If disabling the DMA settings help prevent CD creation errors, ensure that DMA is disabled each time you use your source CD-ROM drive and CD-RW drive.
       
       

1. Click Start, Settings and Control Panel.
   
   

   Note: Windows XP users, click Start and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.
   
   
3. Click the Hardware tab.
   
   
4. Click the Device Manager tab.
   
   
5. Click the plus (+) sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.
   
   
6. Double-click the Primary IDE Channel or Secondary IDE Channel icon where your source CD-ROM drive is located. If your CD-RW drive is the only CD-ROM drive on your system, proceed to step J.
   
   
7. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
   
   
8. Under Device 0 (master) or Device 1 (slave), depending on where your CD-ROM drive is located, select PlO Only from the drop-down box next to Transfer Mode.
   
   
9. Click OK.
   
   
10. Double-click the Primary IDE Channel or Secondary IDE Channel icon where your CD-RW drive is located.
    
    
11. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
    
    
12. Under Device 0 (master) or Device 1 (slave), depending on where your CD-RW drive is located, select PlO Only from the drop-down box next to Transfer Mode.
    
    
13. Click OK.
    
    
    1. If disabling the DMA settings help prevent CD creation errors, ensure that DMA is disabled each time you use your source CD-ROM drive and CD-RW drive.
       
       

Your system may not be configured to burn at higher speeds or the media may not be able to handle high speed burning if you experience CD creation errors while burning your CDs. Please use the following steps to burn your discs at a slower speed to help prevent CD creation errors.

Select the software you are using:

If you start experiencing CD creation errors after successfully burning multiple CDs, you may need to let your drive cool down before you burn any more CDs.

If you no longer receive CD creation errors, ensure that you let the drive cool down between multiple CD burning sessions when you burn your CDs.

Disabling the read-ahead optimization on your hard drive can help prevent CD creation errors. Please use the following steps.

1. Click Start, Settings and Control Panel.
   
   
2. Double-click the System icon.
   
   

   Note: Windows Me users, select 'View all Control Panel options' if the System icon is not present.

3. Click the Performance tab.
   
   
4. Under Advanced Settings, click the File System button.
   
   
5. Click the Hard Disk tab.
   
   
6. Set the read-ahead optimization to None.
   
   
7. Try burning a CD.
   
   
   1. If changing the read-ahead optimization helps prevent CD creation errors, keep the read-ahead optimization at "none" when creating CDs with your CD-RW drive.
      
      

You can help prevent CD creation errors by installing your CD-RW drive as master on the secondary IDE channel. Please use the following steps.

Warning: Before opening the case on your computer or before touching the internal components, always turn off the power and disconnect your computer's power cord from the electrical outlet. To discharge personal static electricity, touch a grounded metal object such as a metal screw attached to the cover of your computer. A screw that is attached to your computer's chassis is grounded. If you do not discharge personal static electricity, you risk damaging your hardware and possible loss of your data.

Note: If you have questions concerning the terms of your computer manufacturer's warranty or need further instructions on how to remove your computer's casing, please refer to the documentation that came with your computer or contact the manufacturer of your computer system.

1. Remove your computer's cover.
   
   
2. Locate the ribbon cable connected to the back of your CD-RW drive.
   
   
3. Follow the ribbon cable to where it connects to the IDE channel.
   
   

   Note: The connector where the ribbon cable meets the motherboard is the IDE channel.

4. Look on the motherboard for the words pri IDE (primary IDE channel) and sec IDE (secondary IDE channel) to identify which IDE channel your CD-RW drive is connected to.
   
   
5. Connect your CD-RW drive to the secondary IDE channel if it is not connected to that channel already.
   
   
6. Set the jumpers on the back of your CD-RW drive to master as shown in the illustration below.
   
   

Note: If your CD-ROM drive is connected to the secondary IDE channel, you will need to set the jumpers on your CD-ROM drive to slave. Follow the illustrations located on your CD-ROM drive to set the jumpers to slave. If there are no illustrations, please contact the CD-ROM drive manufacturer or refer to the documentation that came with the CD-ROM drive for information on how to set the jumpers.

Please use the following information to check your system for problems that may cause buffer underrun and track write errors.

Hard Disk

1. Extremely fragmented hard drive.
   
   
2. Not enough space in temporary directory (20MB or more recommended).
   
   
3. Hard disk compression may cause CD creation failure. Iomega does not recommend writing from a compressed hard disk or disk partition.
   
   
4. Old hard drives.
   
   

Other Hardware

1. Spin down of CD-ROM drives, data or audio.
   
   

   Note: For information about preventing CD-ROM spin down, please refer to the documentation that came with the computer or contact the CD-ROM drive manufacturer.

2. Slow source devices.
   
   
3. Source devices that transfer data in bursts.
   
   
4. Inability of your devices to sync properly.
   
   
5. Overall system configuration.
   
   
6. Computer is unable to allow fast enough data transfer.
   
   

Networks

1. Recording across a network (a network may be too slow to maintain adequate throughput speed).
   
   

Files to Be Recorded

1. Recording numerous small files.
   
   
2. Damaged source files (data loss).
   
   
3. Recording files in use by your system or other applications.
   
   

Other

1. Copying from a CD that is scratched, dirty or damaged.
   
   
2. Recorder malfunction.
   
   

1. Defragment your hard drive at least once a week.
   
   
2. Do not record across a network. Copy the desired files to your computer's hard drive.
   
   
3. If the source hard drive is more than five years old, ensure that it does smart thermal re-calibration.
   
   

   Note: Contact your hard drive's manufacturer for more information.

4. Record at a slower speed.
   
   
5. Write audio at slower speeds, since writing audio requires streaming more bits per second to your CD-RW drive.
   
   
6. Keep your CDs, recorder and source drives free of dust.
   
   
7. Do not copy empty directories, zero byte files or files that may be in use by your system at the time of recording.
   
   
8. If your data includes more than 10,000 very small files, create a disc image first or record at a slower speed.
   
   
9. The computer's temporary directory should always have space free at least twice the size of the largest file you are recording.
   
   
10. Your entire computer, from the motherboard bus to your CD-RW drive itself, needs to be configured properly for faster recording and the highest maximum sync transfer rate.