Plextor DVD Burner giving me heartache...

I think the model number is 708A to the Plextor.
Using Nero 6.0 to burn.
WinXP Pro (SP1 I think)
1.0G RAM
Athlon 2700+
Using Verbatim DVDR blanks (max write is 4x, I think)

I am trying to back up some game files from FFXI (MMORPG), so if something happens to my HDD I can at least have the files and not have to download the patches for 36+ hours on dialup. So I divide up the folders in order to fit the files onto 2 DVDRs, and burn them at 4x using Nero to put the files together....
After the first DVDR I test it out by trying to move the files back to my HDD from the DVDR and about 600MBs in it gives me a "Cannot Copy [insert file name here] : Data Error (cyclic redundancy check)", so then I go through several folders on the DVDR and realize that some files can still be copied and some cant...

So I got online and read about CRC checks on CDR/DVDRs, and it seems that the errors can happen when burned too fast, so I redid the DVDR at 1x... When I tested the DVDR after the 1x burn it gave me a CRC error on the very first file...

I have no clue what I am doing or if the burner is dying on me... it wont even read CDRed music CDs... but regular music CDs load fine...

Another note: When I try to do a CD Boot with the PC the burner errors out and it wont boot the CD (the LED on the drive blinks to show it errored), and then boots into Windows like normal.

I have looked on Plextor's site for LED warning/error blinks and it says, "Failure reading PMA, TOC or ATIP" for the amount of blinks it gives me... and I have tried doing their "solution", but there are so many times I can reboot the PC in a day

I am not sure if there is something in Nero that I am not checking that should be checked or if it really is time to get a new DVD burner...
I am going to try out the program Deep Burner from Majorgeeks.com and see if that does anything...

What are your opinions on this?

 

I had to RMA my plextor drive TWICE ... that blinking means your drive is defective

I do not have a high opinion of plextor drives now that I own one

 

Fellas fellas, im recieving my Plextor DVD+DL burner tommorow! Dont breaka-my heart!

 

I've never had a problem with my lite-on drive.

Sheesh, may the drive manufacturer war start!

 

Had 2x lite on both sucked hardcore, had one Nu and that one was bad from the get go, their filmware update software stalled my pc while updating, drive never properly worked again.

 

Never had a problem here. Perhaps my hardware is better than yours!

 

Hardware buying is sometimes a hit-or-miss, I remember blindly buying an asus mobo, you know since asus is great blah blah; turned out to be one of the worse mobos they produced.

 

Quit hijacking my thread!!!111one


I will probably end up getting a new DVD burner with dual layer capability... I saw one at Walmart for $90... it was a Sony... it should be OK.

 

If you are not that firmiliar with DVD burning...it can make you crawl into the closet and cry!!!! otherwise you are probably firmiliar with all that I have to say below!!

Provided that you can determine that the DVD drive isn't bad...then maybe the following info might be of help!!

First of all....Make SURE you have a good quality media!! There are ooooodles and gobs (and I mean that literally) out there, even the name brand ones, that are crap!! And when you use one of these crap ones...it just SIMPLY DOESN"T WORK!!!! I don't know where you are located...but, after fight this over 4 different brands...I found the Maxells at Walgreens are excellent!!!! Just because it say sony or TDK or Hewlett Packard on them doesn't mean that is who made them!!!! I know it sound strange but that's the way it is and I would be typing forever to fully explain why and how that is!!!! Give me some time and I will see if I can find my list of known quality dvd media!! It is also kind of the same thing with CD-R, but to my knowledge the CDR media world isn't near as problematic as the DVD media market!!

As far as burning with Nero...If you want to burn a bootable disk you have to specify that...you don't just simply burn the files onto the disk!! It's been awhile since i've used Nero, but...i believe there is also an option if you want to make a disk autostart when you are burning it...so forth and so on...Like I said...it isn't as simple as just putting the disc in and burn the files to disk!!

Sorry if I rambled too much...didn't mean to be confusing!!

Roger