dbminter

Discovered a few time savers. Found that Windows Media Player has a lossless WAV option for ripping. So, no need to rip to MP3, convert MP3 to WAV, then convert merged WAV to MP3. I can just rip to WAV, merge the WAVs into one WAV, then convert the merged WAV to MP3.

That's my fault. I don't think I specified selected tracks. I just used the phrase multiple tracks. Looks like I've found something called WaveCat that will join multiple WAV files together. I can try ripping to MP3, converting the MP3's to WAV, merging the WAV's into 1 WAV, and then converting that WAV back to MP3.

TDK is good when TDK actually makes them. I've seen TDK CD-R's which were CMC's, the worst optical media manufacturer out there. TDK makes Verbatims BD-RE DL which seem to be okay. TDK also used to make a good DVD+R DL but I haven't used those in 5 years plus. I've not used TDK DVD-R to my knowledge and if I did, my experience would only apply to those in the United States.

I'm afraid that still won't be ideal for what I want. I only want a few selected tracks from a CD. What you describe sounds like it reads the entire CD to a WAV file. I'd have to edit the WAV to remove what I don't want and editing WAV is a pain in the ass!

Is there a software that can rip multiple CD tracks to one big MP3? MusicMatch Jukebox used to do this, but that software would no longer run on Windows starting with Windows Vista. Barring that, is there any way to merge multiple MP3's into one MP3? Roxio's Sound Editor can do it but it adds a pop/skip where the tracks are merged. It will do in a pinch, but it's not a desired solution. Thanks!

I would say your problem lies here: I 12:15:36 Destination Media Type: DVD-R (Disc ID: MBI 01RG40) The Disc ID is not one I recognize. Usually, when I can't recognize it, it's probably a cheap manufacturer. Cheap media is the most common cause of write errors. Did you buy these DVD-R's from a brick and mortar store? If so, they're most likely junk media as you can't find good stuff in stores anymore. You'll want to get stuff from Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim to get the best possible results. However, TY is not sold in stores usually, only online. And you can't trust the Verbatims bought in stores as they're CMC Magnetics junk. If you get Verbatim, get them online and only get media labeled DataLife Plus. Also, I can only speak from a United States point of view. In other countries, MBI might be good media. Who knows? Plus, you might actually be able to find good media in foreign stores. I don't know.

I know DVDReMake says it can supposedly do this. I have that software, but I've never tried to do that before, so I can't say how well it works.

Well, I ran the test again on a different CD in my collection that I know, years ago, I was able to copy on a different computer with different software. I mounted the image to see if the errors were in the file. There were only skips, hisses, or pops in the last 3 tracks! There were pops at the change of tracks in WinAmp, but it did the same thing in WinAmp when I played the source CD in the same reader. So, I don't know WHAT to think!

I ran a test and ripped MP3's of the last 3 tracks from my test CD. I played all 3 tracks and there were NO audio errors. No skips, hisses, pops, or repeated audio. So, what issue can possibly affect only reading CD's to image files from either SATA or USB drives, writing images to either SATA or USB HDD's and yet NOT effect ripping those same tracks to MP3?!

Yeah, only .VOB, .IFO, and .BUP files should be put in VIDEO_TS. I've never seen anything ever in any AUDIO_TS folder so I'd say leave it alone. I don't know what would happen if you put a folder in VIDEO_TS but I wouldn't recommend it. I thought ImgBurn ignored adding files and folders to VIDEO_TS that weren't standard DVD Video compliant, but I've never tested it to be sure. I know some DVD ripping utilities couldn't properly handle a VIDEO_TS if it had something other VOB, IFO, and BUP files or extra folders. DVD players and software probably wouldn't have an issue, though. You could also just place all the photos in the root directory. That way, you don't have to navigate to a sub folder in Windows Explorer. That, too, is something I wouldn't recommend and just suggest you continue using a sub-folder you create in the root directory on the disc for storing photos. However, it's something that should still work.

Yeah, I was going to say if you put the photos in VIDEO_TS, wouldn't ImgBurn be ignoring those files for input into the job? I don't see why you need advanced root settings. I just create a new folder in the job and put things like DVD cover art in them without having to change any settings.

I had run ImgBurn in Safe Mode before booting back into Windows normal mode. Does ImgBurn store what the last returned Operating system version was when it shuts down?

After restoring to a factory default, I appeared to have no skips and pops when reading from USB, writing to USB HDD, and then writing to USB CD. When reading from SATA CD, writing image to SATA HDD, and writing to SATA CD, I had no skips but a few pops. So, it seems the issue is a hardware problem I've got to live with! I couldn't take it in for a diagnostic because I've no idea what to tell them! It's a read issue that occurs on both USB and SATA or do I tell them it's a write issue that occurs on both SATA and USB? Or both? Or neither?! My only option is to go with USB read, USB write to image, and USB write to CD. That gives me the fewest errors with the fewest possible chances of something going wrong. I've had this Dell for 8 months and I don't think I'll get another one. The first Dell was difficult to work around inside. I had to remove the graphics card to insert a 2nd SATA cable! I had to have the bezel off in order to get drives in and out or to access manual eject holes. This 2nd Dell was better to work around inside but it's been more of a chore to work with. The bezel still has to stay off. With my Windows Vista Dell updated to Windows 7, I had to rarely restore a system image to fix a system problem. With this Dell, I can't even count how many times I've restored a system image to fix a problem or troubleshoot an issue. So, Dell goes on my list.

I altered my test a bit. I decided to see if I could isolate if it was the SATA issue by eliminating the SATA issue entirely from the equation. I read, wrote the image to USB HDD, and wrote the image from USB HDD to USB CD. Skips and pops returned, this time in new locations in the first track. So, it's on the SATA and USB. So, now to restore factory default image, install ImgBurn, read from USB, write to USB HDD, and write to USB CD and test again.

Well, this is irksome. The problem wasn't as persistent. There weren't any skips but there were hisses and pops in the audio not present on the source when I read from the USB drive. This indicates to me a problem present across ALL SATA connections. Including the internal HDD. Or the problem is with the HDD itself or on the SATA. Since it occurs across any SATA or USB connected source drive and since the problems are present in the image files themselves, maybe the HDD is not being written to properly. The SATA HDD as the target source is the constant variable in this scenario. Now I'll test reading from SATA but writing to a target on a USB HDD.

When I booted into Safe Mode, booted back into normal Windows mode, and started ImgBurn, I got a notification saying Operating system has been changed. Would booting into Safe Mode cause this?

It appears to be an issue on the mobo. Damn it! I entered Safe Mode and tested again. Though it was in different spots again, it was again in the same track, the 2nd of the 3 test tracks. So, now, to test and make sure the USB actually works. It seems to be the SATA on the mobo because it happens on both SATA drives. Then, after that test, I will perform one more test. Restore the system to factory default, install ImgBurn, and retest.

Well, it's not Reflect 6. I restored 03-21-2015. While it skipped at different parts, it did skip in the same track again, the 2nd of the 3 I was testing. This was a known working image. The last CD's I made weren't delivered until March 30th, after 03-21-2015, and the images I made and burned from these worked fine. So, the next step is to boot this image into Safe Mode and rerun the test. MAYBE I didn't test ALL 3 tracks and the skipping had moved to a different track and it wasn't tested. IF it fails on any of the 3 tracks in Safe Mode, it's a hardware issue on the mobo as it happens on both SATA drives. IF it doesn't fail, then what could possibly be the cause? Safe Mode would be a software issue, but I restored to a known good point BEFORE the last working CD's were made. Given this, it seems to me the issue is on the mobo.

I have a terrible feeling I know the culprit. I restored to 04-13-2015 and ran the test again. The skips were in a different track this time, hence why I test the last 3 tracks. The major change from 04-13-2015 and the previous image was I updated Macrium Reflect from version 5 to version 6.

My current theory is a borked Windows update. I THINK when I restored one of my last working images, I ran a test on CD's it worked. Then after I updated everything, it returned. This updating included about 50 Windows Updates. So, it's going to be a long process to test each and every one of those if that is indeed the problem. First things first, restore 04-13-2015 image and see if the problem is there without updates. If it is, restore 03-21-2015 and see if it's there without updates. If it is, restore 09-17-2014 and see if it's there without updating. It was definitely NOT there with the 09-17-2014 image without any updates.

Well, this puts the dying LG drive theory to bed. It's not the LG drive dying. I tested another SATA Pioneer read and got even worse results than my test that worked last night!

ALTHOUGH, this current dying LG theory does NOT explain why booting into Safe Mode seemed to fix the problem.

Ah, I think I'm narrowing down the root. I believe I was wrong in my initial reporting that it occurred when reading CD's in my SATA Pioneer. I think I was only testing with image files that had the error and I was burning in the SATA Pioneer. I believe the issue now is the SATA LG. So, it's either the burner, the SATA cable attaching it to the motherboard, or the SATA port its attached to on the mobo. Or some weird configuration issue of the channel. I have been using the LG as the main reader, except for the USB where I detected no problem. I ran the read test again on the same disc in the SATA Pioneer, burned in the same SATA Pioneer to the same CD-RW, and tested on the same 3 tracks at the end on the same player, the Playstation 3. No detectable issues. I've also been getting some weird results reading in DVD's when the LG is the source drive. Issues where DVD playback just stops. Could be related. I still need to do some more testing. More CD tests with the Pioneer as the read source, because I'm not entirely sure I tested with the SATA Pioneer as the read source. I THINK I did but my last test showed no results. LG drives are rotten readers, anyway. Funny how I just posted in Chat how bad LG drives are as readers. I've had this LG only about half a year and I think, coupled with my results from my previous LG drives, I WON'T get another LG drive. I'll stick with Pioneer. So, I need to rest more with the Pioneer. If I don't get repeatable results, I will swap in my last LG drive which I still have. It was still a good reader when I swapped it out. I only swapped it out because after a year, it stopped writing to DVD+R DL's at all! It was still reading fine as far as I could tell. If I still have problems, then I'll have to swap around the SATA cables. If the LG suddenly starts reading properly, I'll know it's either the SATA cable, the port, or a weird configuration issue on the port in Windows. From all my tests, I don't see it being a software issue. I've tried multiple software and restored known working Windows images. The constant seems to be the SATA LG when used as a read source. But, I'm not testing anymore tonight. I'm tired!

It doesn't matter what software I use to read in CD's either. I used UltraISO to read in the CD and ImgBurn to burn the resulting image. The issue persists. Same skips in the same tracks at the same time. Always within the last 3 tracks on an audio CD.

I've done some more looking into the issue. It's definitely occurring at the read state of CD's in SATA drives. Both the LG and the Pioneer SATA drives when used as the read source cause this issue. It's not a burning issue to SATA drives because I mounted the .CCD/.IMG set and played it in WinAmp at the same spot and the issue is present in the images themselves. I've used the USB to read CD's and the SATA Pioneer to write the image and the issue isn't present.