dbminter

I would guess what you'd see is the same sort of "temporary" "residue" you'd see if you used some kind of 90% isopropyl alcohol that you'd get if you used it to clean off the data side. As far as I'd know, there would be no particles because the actual label that is being burned is contained underneath that top clear layer on a Lightscribe disc.

Another thing that concerns me about those scent particles. Would they eventually start collecting within the container holding the disc? If so, if they start to get to the bottom of the disc, could they corrupt the data surface?

I am NO longer the Lightscribe convert I once was! It's not even 6 months and the labels are already starting to fade on my Lightscribe discs! What use are the labels if they fade away?

I use the Sony/Optiarc AD-7260S. Have used it for a few months now. The last external drive I had, well, still have it, was a Sony DRX drive.

Discovered another reason why I would have needed to switch away from Acronis Disk Director. DD Version 11 Build 2121's boot disc does not recognize the 3 TB USB 3.0 Seagate GoFlex HDD; Partition Master does recognize it.

Yes, but if you installed the software on Vista and then upgraded to Windows 7, the only way to update your boot disc would be to restore down Vista first and then install the new version of Disk Director to create the updated disc. I know this by heart as I used to do it.

I had to migrate away from Disk Director 10 because updates wouldn't install on Windows 7. (Maybe even Vista, too, I forget.) So, first, I tried the trial of DD 11 then couldn't migrate to that because it broke TrueImage 11. Then, I discovered Partition Master. PM does one thing slightly differently than the way DD does. DD has a Hide partition option. To do the same thing in PM, you must use the Change Drive Letter and select No Drive Letter. I also do NOT recommend moving over to DD 11 because the trial I tested out had several features that "run" but don't do anything. The trial version is supposedly not crippled in any way except for the time trial limitation. I remember that the Convert Partition Type from FAT to NTFS "ran" but the partition was still FAT once it was completed.

Sometimes, they don't make it easy in terms of deciding to upgrade. I couldn't update Disk Director to Version 11 and still use Version 11 of TrueImage. Both programs cannot be installed together. TI stops working if you reboot after installing DD 11 and attempting to uninstall DD 11 after installing it on a TI 11 installed system will cause a BSOD and can only be fixed by booting into the recovery environment and letting it attempt a fix. Of which, I think it just does a System Restore of the latest backed up data. I tried EaseUs's imaging software, but didn't decide to use it because if I remember correctly, there was no way to monitor a backup that was actually running. You'd have to wait until it finished and then check the log. I did, though, migrate from Disk Director to Partition Master. It's free and the only thing the paid versions do that the free doesn't that I would want is provide a bootable recovery disc.

My only problem with ATI 11 was that it would periodically return that backups had not been run when they had in fact been run. The only way to fix it was to completely reinstall the software. A big deal when you have to recreate the jobs and the schedules. Well, it is possible to copy over the jobs from a certain directory, which one I forget, but, you do have to manually reset each job's scheduled time. My problem with TI 2009 and 2010 was their restore CD's were useless. They were fine right up until you start the restore. Then, the discs would suddenly lose their ability to detect USB drives. BUT ONLY after the software has already deleted the target partition if it exists, of course. I tested my 3 TB USB 3 GoFlex last night with a restore in Reflect. The only issue I came across was one I would expect. Images made by Version 5 would not restore under Version 4's PE environment. I had asked their tech support if V 4's disc would restore V 5's images, and they told me it would. But, it doesn't. Logically, I wouldn't expect it to, anyway. The Next button that would start a restore never became selectable. I had no problems with Macrium 4's Linux disc. V 5's, though, I could not get to work on either my last PC or this Dell one. When a restore is started, it shells out to Linux to do something, but, gets stuck at what I'm guessing is an attempt to find a network connection. At least, unlike TI 2009 and 2010, it doesn't do the actual deletion of an existing partition until it actually starts. I use the PE version because, like you say, you can create partitions in it outside of full Windows. I like to make factory default partition backups before I start a new computer for the first time. In case I ever need to restore to a virgin partition to test something. Or if I end up returning the PC for whatever reason, I can return to factory default condition.

I stopped using Acronis TrueImage. The last version that worked right was TI 11, NOT 2011. Absolutely NOT 2011! 2011 is so full of bugs, bad programming choices, and a user interface that no one on the forums seems to like, and I agree with them. I've not tested trying to restore a Macrium Reflect backup made to the USB yet. I used to get IOMega drives because they had worked right. I only ever had to replace 1 drive because it stopped working, and that was the last IOMega one I got. The drive itself was all right, but, apparently, the USB bridge was the fault. Every other time, I only had to replace USB HD's because my space needs required more space. I shouldn't have a space problem now. Hence why I got the 3 TB version. I shouldn't run into a 2 TB partition problem because I've already partitioned it off into multiple partitions. The largest one is the 1 TB one where Macrium Reflect system backups go. All the other remaining partitions are 100 GB each, and only 1 of those is almost full at around 96 GB. I've got like 1.4 TB of unallocated space sitting there waiting to be redistributed someday.

Actually, with apparently unlimited continues, it is somewhat easy. I am from the old school where there were no such things as continues or respawning where you died. For my generation, something like the ending stages of Xevious was a challenge because of the sheer amount of exploding bullets that appeared near the end.

I needed to get a larger size USB HD to store my daily backups of Windows and my partition that basically serves as my My Documents. I had a 1 TB drive, and the only larger sizes I could find in Office Depot here in town (Staples had roughly the same choices.) that were larger than 1 TB were a 1.5 TB USB 2, 2 TB USB 3, and 3 TB USB 3 drives. I went with the largest one because it was on sale for the largest margin, off $70 from its $199 regular price tag and I knew that 3 times the size would probably hold me as however long the drive lasts before it goes tits up. I don't think I've ever had a Seagate drive before. My USB HD's have consisted of IOMega drives and the 1 TB Lacie I needed to replace. So, I wanted other people's opinion, even though I've already bought it and mitigated the Lacie contents over to the Seagate. Does Seagate make a good product? Thanks!

I'm glad you mentioned the F12 option. I'd probably have never thought about trying it. I tried it and there is a booting option for my USB flash drive when connected to the front left USB port. So, that one is probably not a USB 3 or it's not on a third party controller. So, there is the boot option in the BIOS; there just isn't an option for automatically booting from a USB flash drive.

There is an F12 boot screen option. I've never tried it before. I'll try to remember to try it someday. As for USB 3 ports, I've wondered about that. I believe the website for this model lists USB 3 ports, but, I've no idea which ones are 2 and which are 3. If there even are any 3, or any 2 and that they're all 3. I've no idea.

Actually, as it turns, my BIOS does NOT support booting from USB flash drives! What was in my BIOS were settings from booting from "USB Hard Drive" and "USB CD/DVD." Apparently, a USB flash drive does not qualify as a USB HD because I tried booting from it and it didn't boot.

That seems to have worked. I haven't actually tested it by booting and seeing if Q&A runs from it, if it even boots. But, I don't expect to ever need to test it any time soon.

I don't think I'll end up doing it. Either the easy solutions require (an admittedly small) fee to get the utilities, or appear to be to overly complex. I was thinking about having it as a way to access Q&A under DOS. But, the DOSBox way works, just requires some extra steps each time I want to run it. Trying to minimize it. I wish DOSBox had a macros type function in it for commonly used ASSIGN type commands. But, it doesn't as far as I can tell.

Inferring that the PC BIOS supports booting from USB drives, which mine does, can a USB flash drive be formatted to boot into DOS?

I think I figured out why I had thought the drive was "stuck" at 16x. I was burning small image files, small even by a CD's max space standard, and the burn never lasted long enough to get to the point where the burn switched from 16x to go higher all the way up to 24. Kind of like 8x DVD+RW's on LiteOn drives. They start at 6x for a while and only get to 8x after a set period of time writing at 6x. So, my test DVD image, being about only 1 GB, was such a short burn that it appears as if the drive is only writing at 6x to them. I've encountered that problem before on the LiteOns, so, that's probably why I thought the drive was stuck at 16x on 24x CD-RW's.

It makes sense that some drives don't always write at the maximum speed at first. The LiteOn's I've had started 8x DVD+RW discs at 6x then after like 2 minutes, bumped up to 8x.

I performed the exact same burn as in the log, only difference was to a different 24x CD-RW sample disc. It wrote at 16x max for 36% of the burn, then dipped, but it would be expected because it was getting ready to increase to 24x, as it did. Actually, it even reached 24.1x.

That's weird. I never saw that. I only ever saw it say 16x. I didn't actually see what the log said. I'll try to remember to actually watch the totals next time I burn a 24x CD-RW.

I've noticed this now on two computers and on 2 different SATA drives and 1 USB drive. I have some Memorex MCC CD-RW's. Normally, I'd call the CMC card, but, these are MCC discs so they have actually performed well. But, the discs are rated 24x but never burn beyond 16x. Can anyone think of anything? Here's a log, though, I doubt that will help much, but, I don't want to get chaired! I 16:30:26 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium x64 Edition (6.1, Build 7601 : Service Pack 1) I 16:30:26 Total Physical Memory: 8,370,632 KB - Available: 6,132,532 KB W 16:30:26 Drive F:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 Drive G:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 Drive I:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 Drive M:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 Drive O:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 Drive P:\ (FAT32) does not support single files > 4 GB in size. W 16:30:26 AnyDVD can interfere with ImgBurn's ability to verify accurately, please ensure it's disabled! W 16:30:26 Duplex Secure's SPTD driver can have a detrimental effect on drive performance. I 16:30:26 Initialising SPTI... I 16:30:26 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices... I 16:30:27 -> Drive 1 - Info: ATAPI iHAS422 8 4L18 (K:) (ATAPI) I 16:30:27 -> Drive 2 - Info: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7260S 1.03 (S:) (ATAPI) I 16:30:27 -> Drive 3 - Info: BKHC 7C1Y3K9EJ 3.5Z (L:) (SCSI) I 16:30:27 -> Drive 4 - Info: BKHC 7C1Y3K9EJ 3.5Z (N:) (SCSI) I 16:30:27 -> Drive 5 - Info: BKHC 7C1Y3K9EJ 3.5Z (R:) (SCSI) I 16:30:27 Found 2 DVD±RW/RAMs and 3 BD-ROMs! I 16:30:34 Operation Started! I 17:44:46 Device: [0:2:0] Optiarc DVD RW AD-7260S 1.03 (S:) (ATAPI) I 17:44:46 Media Type: CD-RW (Disc ID: 97m34s24f, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.) I 17:44:46 Media Supported Write Speeds: 16x, 24x I 17:44:46 Quick Erase: Yes I 17:44:46 Erasing Disc... I 17:45:03 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:17 I 17:45:04 Operation Started! I 17:45:04 Source File: Hiren's.BootCD.14.1.iso I 17:45:04 Source File Sectors: 268,999 (MODE1/2048) I 17:45:04 Source File Size: 550,909,952 bytes I 17:45:04 Source File Volume Identifier: HBCD 14.1 I 17:45:04 Source File Application Identifier: MKISOFS ISO 9660/HFS FILESYSTEM BUILDER & CDRECORD CD-R/DVD CREATOR © 1993 E.YOUNGDALE © 1997 J.PEARSON/J.SCHILLING I 17:45:04 Source File File System(s): ISO9660 (Bootable), Joliet I 17:45:04 Destination Device: [0:2:0] Optiarc DVD RW AD-7260S 1.03 (S:) (ATAPI) I 17:45:04 Destination Media Type: CD-RW (Disc ID: 97m34s24f, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.) I 17:45:04 Destination Media Supported Write Speeds: 16x, 24x I 17:45:04 Destination Media Sectors: 359,847 I 17:45:04 Write Mode: CD I 17:45:04 Write Type: SAO I 17:45:04 Write Speed: MAX I 17:45:04 Lock Volume: Yes I 17:45:04 Test Mode: No I 17:45:04 OPC: No I 17:45:04 BURN-Proof: Enabled I 17:45:04 Write Speed Successfully Set! - Effective: 4,234 KB/s (24x) I 17:45:04 Filling Buffer... (40 MB) I 17:45:04 Writing LeadIn... I 17:45:16 Writing Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 268998) I 17:45:16 Writing Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 268998) I 17:48:14 Synchronising Cache... I 17:48:30 Exporting Graph Data... I 17:48:30 Graph Data File: Optiarc_DVD_RW_AD-7260S_1.03_SUNDAY-AUGUST-28-2011_5-45_PM_97m34s24f_MAX.ibg I 17:48:30 Export Successfully Completed! I 17:48:30 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:03:26 I 17:48:30 Average Write Rate: 3,039 KB/s (20.3x) - Maximum Write Rate: 3,634 KB/s (24.2x) I 17:48:30 Cycling Tray before Verify... W 17:48:38 Waiting for device to become ready... I 17:48:44 Device Ready! I 17:48:47 Operation Started! I 17:48:47 Source Device: [0:2:0] Optiarc DVD RW AD-7260S 1.03 (S:) (ATAPI) I 17:48:47 Source Media Type: CD-RW (Disc ID: 97m34s24f, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.) I 17:48:47 Source Media Supported Write Speeds: 16x, 24x I 17:48:47 Image File: Hiren's.BootCD.14.1.iso I 17:48:47 Image File Sectors: 268,999 (MODE1/2048) I 17:48:47 Image File Size: 550,909,952 bytes I 17:48:47 Image File Volume Identifier: HBCD 14.1 I 17:48:47 Image File Application Identifier: MKISOFS ISO 9660/HFS FILESYSTEM BUILDER & CDRECORD CD-R/DVD CREATOR © 1993 E.YOUNGDALE © 1997 J.PEARSON/J.SCHILLING I 17:48:47 Image File File System(s): ISO9660 (Bootable), Joliet I 17:48:47 Read Speed (Data/Audio): MAX / MAX I 17:48:51 Verifying Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 268998) I 17:48:51 Verifying Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 268998) I 17:51:11 Exporting Graph Data... I 17:51:11 Graph Data File: Optiarc_DVD_RW_AD-7260S_1.03_SUNDAY-AUGUST-28-2011_5-45_PM_97m34s24f_MAX.ibg I 17:51:11 Export Successfully Completed! I 17:51:11 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:02:18 I 17:51:11 Average Verify Rate: 4,014 KB/s (26.8x) - Maximum Verify Rate: 5,573 KB/s (37.2x)

I tried EaseUs and don't recommend it. My main problem, if memory serves me correctly, was there was no way to check on the status of a running backup. There may not have even been a way to easily check and see if a backup ran successfully, but, I don't know that for sure. I use Macrium paid. The paid version has a "Windows PE" bootable solution, which I use over the Linux. The Linux disc only restores, where as the Windows PE version lets you make backups, too, in its environment. Plus, the 5.0 Linux disc doesn't appear to work. I tried it on 2 different PC's and the restores just there, doing nothing, where I tried running them. As for the size of the ISO, the only limits would be the maximum file size supported by the disk's file system. Plus, if you're ever going to burn the image to a disc, you'll have to take into account whatever Blu-Ray disc would support it, which I know nothing about the sizes of BR discs.