Unknown error 4850 when burning to DVDs for Library Back up

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Hunter2001 Author

Level 1

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Unknown error 4850 when burning to DVDs for Library Back up

I am trying to back up my iTunes library to DVDs (back up needs 9 DVDs total). When the burning of the first disc is completed, I get the following error message:
“*The attempt to burn a disc failed. An unknown error occurred (4850)*. If you want to retry the current failed burn, click Retry. If you want to go to the next burn, click on Next. Otherwise click on Cancel.”
I've found questions about this error through Google but no answers. Can anyone help me with this?

Compaq Presario 5SPXE1, Windows XP

Posted on Dec 1, 2009 10:30 AM

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Answer 1

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Dec 1, 2009 11:32 AM in response to Hunter2001

My advice is to not use itunes to make backup DVDs.

Even if you do get past that error 4850, when you go to test your recovery plan (by restoring from those DVDs), you might get a different error message, like a lot of folks here on apple discussions, and not be able to restore at all. This seems especially true when a backup was done in one version of itunes and the restore in a later version.

In my case, itunes burned quite a few DVDs for me, but always failed when I tried to restore them.
I ended up using another burning program (Nero, which came with my PC).
When my library got large enough that burning DVDs was taking too long, I moved to backing up everything on an external hard drive and using Sync Toy from Microsoft to do incremental backups.

Here is a good iLounge article on backing up itunes:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/the-complete-guide-to-backing -up-your-itunes-library/

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