AMJF

Thanks for the reply. One other thing I'd like to ask is: ISO images can't be easily modified, can they? WinRAR for one, can't rename, move or delete anything in my ISO files, which makes me feel happier.

I've discovered that ImgBurn is a great method of "zipping up" files in a form which can be retrieved with a program such as WinRAR or 7-Zip, and which is also useful for burning to DVD there and then. The thing is, I like to use Archive and Read-Only attributes on my files as a form of protection from accidental editing, the R attribute for files and the A for everything. BUT, I find that if I apply these attributes to a set of files that I then put into an ISO with ImgBurn, then afterwards I extract with WinRAR or 7-Zip, that the attributes have all gone. So, does the ISO image format retain attribute information or not? My guess is that if all ISO files are to be burned on ROM optical media, there's no need for A or R attributes.

It's been a while since I posted here, but I want to ask: So sometimes if I do the above, there will be a difference in size, but basically, will all the data be the same, identical, on both ISO image and disc? And is it trailing zeroes that make up the difference? If so, that's not so bad and I can live with NOT recreating the ISO from the freshly-burned disc, but simply verifying the disc instead. So will it be the same?

Would explain a few things, like why there's a "size" and a "size on disk" for file size reports in Windows, eh? Well, it's no effort to burn the disc and then recreate the ISO from the disc, it just takes time. Thanks for the info, anyway

If I create an ISO file for a DVD, burn the ISO file to said DVD and then lose the ISO file, will I get exactly the same ISO file contents back if I create it from the burnt DVD? Or is there a difference in content?

Sorry, but when I burnt the TDK discs, I kept the same Imgburn session on for ages, and everything was fine. But when it came to the Verbatims, the discs just got worse and worse as each burn was completed. When I restarted Imgburn, burns got better then worse again. I'm thinking it's more than likely a bug with Imgburn with certain brands of discs.

Why should I clean or replace the drive when TDK discs work absolutely fine? Only they're hard to come by in my town, and I'm too impatient to wait for Amazon. I need them right there, right then!

I actually said a fib before, as not all the discs I burnt were coasters, but most were, and the uneven burn pattern made it more likely. However, I decided I wasn't about to give up on those discs quite so readily, and just now succeeded in burning six of them at just 4x, after a fresh reboot and only stopping certain processes and leaving the Imgburn priority as normal. I've just recopied the burnt discs to the HDD to see if they would read, and they have, fine, there are no uneven burn marks and as of now I'm testing the files with a separate utility, but they should turn out fine. I also had to close Imgburn after each burn process as I noticed that before, as each subsequent disc was burnt, the errors would get worse and worse. So it seems that it wasn't a total waste of money after all, I just have to treat Verbatim in my burner with kid gloves.

I'll just have to see if I can get a refund, even though almost half the discs in the 25-pack have been used (all coasters).

I have used Imgburn for a while now, and find it quite useful, except for when it comes to trying to burn Verbatim DVD-Rs or DVD+Rs, it will always mess up in one way or another. The problem I find is that the write speed fluctuates a lot during burning, and results in an uneven burn pattern across the disc which is unsightly and is a sign that something's wrong. But the killer is that the Verify procedure almost always produces an I/O error. Even when I don't verify discs, not all burnt discs will work correctly. The curious thing is, Verbatim discs USED to work fine on my system a long time ago, but I cannot figure out what's changed. And I tried TDK brand discs as an alternative, and they have worked flawlessly! The only trouble is that Verbatim is more or less the only brand of disc sold in my local area, and TDK is quite rare, only sold in dodgy-looking mobile phone shops where the staff have placed them in the shop window to be roasted by the sun - but they still work fine. Verbatim, on the other hand, are now quite awful for my Samsung burner. I have tried disabling Verify, and closing other apps and doing a restart and changing Imgburn's priority to high, etc, but the problems still persist. Any ideas?