Roxio and CD/DVD ...

[Mara]

My hard drives for both burning and listening to CDs and DVDs seems to be okay - and I took the computer apart this morning to give it a thorough cleaning 'just in case'.

 

But have been having problems either listening to or burning (not sure which) - using Windows Media Player - as all seems well but the last song (and only the last song) burned on each CD either won't play at all or plays and is really garbled.

 

Assuming it is my Roxio software for burning that is the woe - because of the below 3 little pop-up windows that arrive each time I close the program.

 

I have Roxio Sonic Solutions - Digital Media Audio

Version 2.0.2. (2004) ...

on my VAIO Sony Media Centre with Windows XP.

 

I don't like Roxio anyway (it came with this computer) so wonder if there is a free similar program that others use and like, please?

Edited February 5, 2009 by Mara

[Dalo Harkin]

Mara,

 

I used to use ROXIO a very long time ago and it was always very 'tempremental' you are much better off with NERO, or you can just use WMP

[RandyL]

Mara have you checked your manufacturers site for updates or patches? You probably have a version of Roxio that came bundled with your computer.

 

Research suggest that your version may have come bundled with some Sony and HP computers and that it is related to WMP version 11.

 

If so a patch may be available or a downgrade to WMP10 might also fix it.

[Mara]

Yes, it came 'bundled' within the new computer and while it is free, it is a bit of a pain as one has to re-open the folder for each and every song so they can be added one by one to the disk. (One has to upgrade the version in order to have the fancier/easier version). Out of curiosity the first thing I'll do is head to the Roxio site and search for a patch.

 

This computer has something called 'Click to DVD' luckily, as I can't seem to get the Windows Music Player to burn anything but CDs ... but I'll happily downgrade to V10.

 

And while I like the WMP for playing music, it won't burn anything but music so Nero may be the perfect answer for burning bot data and music - off to check it out as well.

 

Thanks again ever so much!

[iwillbekingin2030]

My 2 Cents

 

This probably doesn't apply, but i'll mention it.

if u're using a cd-rw for audio cd's that may be why it's garbled at the end of the song...it happens when the discs wear out. When my last one wore out i started getting static throughout all my songs. :p

[Dalo Harkin]

Also check that you are not 'overburning' the disk -

some programs will try and compress the songs to fit more on and this results in 'overburning' the disk

[Mara]

Although it doesn't apply in this case because I'd just burned the CDs and was checking them for the first time to ensure they were okay, you're quite right about CD-RWs not having the durability, sadly. I'm constantly burning quick bits onto CD-RWs (because of imagine editing in stages), but learned the hard way that the moment it's full, to burn everything onto a normal CD or DVD.

 

And thanks for letting me know about not using any sort of compression to squeeze extra songs onto discs, Dalo - although my version of Roxio didn't offer this option, I'll remember it in the future.

[Dalo Harkin]

When you select tracks to be burnt (on NERO anyway) if you select too much data size wise - it shows you how far over you are GREEN means its ok and will fit, YELLOW requires compression and RED will not fit.

Most of the modern software apps support overburn as do most CD-RW drives.

You may be overburning without knowing you are doing so.

Hope this helps

[Mara]

It does! And I sincerely thank you once again, kind man.

[Dalo Harkin]

You're more than welcome Mara :)