After reading some beautiful tips on keeping the CD-Writer safe, I taught of giving my own tips for those who are needy.
Selecting a Drive:
01. If you are purchasing the drive, try to get those writers which has advance features like buffer underrun technology and auto writing speed adjustment technology.
02. Try to use separate drives for Reading and Writing the CD’s.
Installation:
03. If it is an IDE connecting drive, try to use separate data buses for your Hard Disk and for your CD-Writer.
04. Put your Hard disk on IDE-0 and your CD-Writer at IDE-1 slot.
05. If possibly try to connect your CD-Writer on Primary master and CD-ROM as Secondary slave slots.
Read the User Manual:
06. Always read the user manual before installing the drive and burning the CD’s
Software Used:
07. Preferably try to burn your CD’s with the OEM software which is supplied with the writer.
08. If it is the latest writers, now a days they are coming with Live Firmware Update Tool. Try to keep your writer updated.
09. It is good to burn ur CD’s with any one software only.
Burning the CD’s:
10. While burning the CD’s try to avoid running back ground applications/jobs.
11. Turn off your Anti virus software/screen savers/ internet/mp3 player applications etc., while burning CD’s.
12. Put the computer Power Scheme in ’’Always On’’ mode.
13. Before burning the data to CD check for viruses to the data which are to be burned.
14. Try to put the data in one folder that is to be burned, such that it is easy to give the software single path from where to be burned.
15. Never try to eject the drive while burning.
16. Always burn the CD’s at low speed (at 16X or below), since writing at low speed CD’s will last long than that burned at maximum speed.
17. Try to burn the CD’s with at least 12MB less size than that on actual CD capacity(because burning to the maximum means burning the CD till the edge of it and they are prone to get scratches in handling mostly in edges.
18. Never over burn the CD’s. This will reduce the life of CD and also the Cd-Writers.
19. Try to burn the CD’s in single sessions.(Maximum of 2 sessions are RECOMMENDED)
20. Re-Login the system before you are burning the CD.
21. Allocate more RAM space for burning CD.(Do it by shutting down unnecessary services, applications etc., )
22. Always use good CD’s but not cheap CD’s.
Maintenance:
23. Keep your writer tray clean without any dust particles.
24. Wipe the CD surface with dry, clean cloth in circular fashion.(wiping CD’s in circular fashion last longer)
25. Always put your CD’s away from DUST/HEAT/MOISTURE.
26. Try to hold th CD at the edges.
27. Never put weights on the Writer Tray.(The tray is the delicate part.)
28. Never try to pull the tray out forcible.
29. Use of manual ejecting method with the pin as last resort when eject button does not work.(Make sure you have turned off your computer before attempting to eject the drive tray)
30. Never ever try to close the drive tray by pushing it manually.(I find many people don’t use eject/close button for closing the tray. This causes the tray teeth wheel destroyed)
NOTE:It is good to have an Un-interruptable Power Supply connected when you are burning CD’s
Hope these simple useful steps make your Drive last longer.
bye
Srinivas.