CDRW (9500) can't create Music CD's

[Chris Gaebler]

I have the same problem as everyone else with an HP CDRW (mine is a 9500). I can create data CD's no problem, even at x12. But I have no end of problems with music CD's. This is a brand new drive, straight out of the box.

I'm using Windows 98 (first edition) on a Pentium 2 333MHz with 96Mb RAM and an EIDE hard disk.

I have tried the following, and more:

Every possible IDE configuration, different cables, etc
HP My CD and Record Now software
Installed, uninstalled and re-installed many times
Removed conflicting VXD's listed by HP
Checked for real mode drivers and resident programs
Defragmented and optimised the hard drive
Standard and bus mastering IDE controller drivers
Limited the maximum writing speed (tried all values)
Virus scanned with latest virus definitions
Tried many different source CD's.

I'm using HP 74 minute CDR media. I always use the CDRW as the source drive, so I don't believe it can be under-run. DMA is on and even if I turn it off, it is always on again after the reboot.

When the program goes to the write speed test, it fails with Response: -20 - Open Write Failed. The help file talks about scratched media etc, but it's not because I never have a problem creating data CD's. If I use the Make an Exact Copy option, the test always fails at 4%. If I use the Make a Music Disc from other CD's option, the test always fails at 100%.

Anyway, finally I'm using the only solution that seems to work. Turn off the test option and set the write speed to x4. This works. Even so, right at the end of the copy I get an error, but the CD's play just fine. The error can be either of these:
Response: -10 - Command:1B Sense:02 ASC:00 ASCQ:00
Response: -10 - Command:2A Sense:02 ASC:00 ASCQ:00
But the CD's play just fine.

I find it's best not to use the Make an Exact Copy option because when it fails there is no option to try again with a different CD ? the program says ".. please try again with a different disk", then deletes the image file and goes back to the menu. To try again you have to start over and wait for the source CD to copy to the hard disk all over again, which is terminally frustrating. Also using that option, the program sits doing nothing for a couple of minutes before it actually starts copying the CD to the hard disk. So now I use Make a Music Disc from other CD's, and just select all the tracks from a single CD. When the program has saved all the tracks to the hard disk as WAV files, I use Explorer to make them Read only so that the program can't delete them. The program crashes if it tries to delete the files while they are read only, but at least you still have the files and you can use the Make a Music Disk from Audio Files option to have another go.

There are other problems with the software, like the amount of stuff it leaves lying around when you uninstall it. All in all, it doesn't inspire confidence.

I hope this is a temporary workaround and HP will eventually come out with a proper fix. Mean while I have paid for a x12 CDRW but can only use it for music at x4. I'm a technical software developer with a computer systems degree and 22 years experience, with 7 years writing Windows device drivers. I've been working on this problem for weeks and I'm stumped. I think I'm qualified to say there is a real problem here that HP needs to address.

P.S. This thread has been moved from Disk to Optical Jukeboxes & Drives. -HP Forum Moderator

[Matt_19 · Accepted solution]

Chris,

I had the same problem with Windows 98 (second edition). I purchased Nero Burn CD and it works great. Aparently there is a software problem with Record Now. So, if you don't mind spending a little cash, I recommend getting another program besides Record Now.

~M@tt~

[Chris Gaebler]

Many thanks Matt. I got Nero and it works fine. It writes music CD's at x12 in simulate or burn mode with no errors.

This prooves that the problem is with the HP software. It's not the hardware and it certainly isn't underrun. The way Nero displays the buffer status during the write shows that it is nowhere near to reaching an underrun situation.

I hope other people don't spend as much time as I did trying to get the HP software to work.