Superdrive hardware or software error?

Question

Superdrive hardware or software error?

While trying to burn a 3.8g video file, the superdrive came up with the following error:
"The drive reported an error"
"sense key = hardware error"
"Sense code = 0x03"

It then came up with the following:

"Sense key = illegal request"
"Sense code = 0x30, 0x05"
"cannot write mdium - incompatible format"

I tried several times with the same result, although subsequently the drive successfully burned a cd and a smaller video file to dvd on the same dvd blanks as before (dvd+r).

Is my drive at fault or something different?
regards,
Phil Cutting

mac mini 1.43, 512mb, superdrive, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Feb 12, 2006 12:40 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 13, 2006 7:44 AM in response to Philip Cutting

Phil,

While we know that the discs are the same type, are they the same brand? Sometimes drives cannot burn with certain dyes used on certain brands, etc.

If this is a DVD brand that you've successfully recorded to before, I recommend that you run the hardware test CD, and check to see if it picks up anything unusual.

Good ways to check for software problems are to try using various pieces of software to see if you can duplicate the error. Try to download some freeware burning utilities like BurnX Free or check out the demo of Discribe.

Brian

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Answer 2

Feb 13, 2006 4:21 PM in response to Philip Cutting

I also have this exact error, but while using Toast 5. My disc is 3.2GB. It will burn once in a while, but mostly turns out coasters.

How can it actually burn almost half of the content and then decide that it is the wrong media?

I have tried blank media that worked fine before, and also Sony brand media.

The old iMac G4 800 will burn these all day long.

Frustrating...

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Answer 3

Feb 14, 2006 1:36 AM in response to Philip Cutting

Thankyou for your comments.

The dvds are all from the same batch, same type, same manufacturer. I burned about ten, all of the same video programme, burnt with both idvd and toast, all with the same error. I am beginning to suspect software rather than hardware since the smaller file burned OK. I will try other files as soon as I get some more blanks in.

Curiously, when I printed to tape, using FCE-HD, the replayed file eventually slipped seriously out of lipsynch. There is more research to be done I can see.

Where do I find this hardware test CD?
Phil

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Answer 4

Feb 14, 2006 12:40 PM in response to Philip Cutting

Philip,

The CD/DVD should have came with your Mac when you bought it. If it didn't, you may want to contact Apple at this number: (800) 275-2273.

I hope this helps.

Brian

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Answer 5

Antom

Level 1

0 points

Feb 19, 2006 6:26 AM in response to Philip Cutting

Hello, I've had my mac mini (super drive) for a week when I tried to burn a data cd I got the error message "Sense Key=Medium error
Sense code=0x0C
Write Error".
After that:"The Drive Reported an Error
Sense Key=illegal Request
Sense Code =0X30,0X05
Cannot write medium,incopatible format
After that i tried to burn a cd in Finder but i had this message:
Disk Unit is not supported.error code"0X80020025
After rebooting i write the cd,but at the second copy i have the same problem

Any ideas of what the problem could be? I suspect the drive has gone bad but I'm not sure how to troubleshoot it. I have tried different types of recordable cd's with the same result. Any help would be appreciated. Desperate!!!

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Answer 6

Will-Hi

Level 5

4,307 points

Feb 19, 2006 2:38 PM in response to Brian Reading

Actually, there may be no separate Apple Hardware Test CD. It would then be located on your Mac OS X Install disc 1. To run the hardware test, you will need to insert the Install disc, then reboot and hold the Option key during startup. It will bring you to the Startup Manager, which is a screen (with a purple background) where you can choose your startup volume. There you should see at least three volumes :

Macintosh HD (as well as any other external drive you might have added),

Mac OS X Install disc,

and Apple Hardware Test. Select the Hardware Test, click on the arrow and it will boot to the hardware test. There you are given two options : Standard Test and Extended Test. Obivously the Extended Test is longer; I know it will make a more thorough test of your memory, but I have no idea whether it will have a closer look at your optical drive.

If all the attempts have been made with the same file, and that a smaller file burned OK, then I would suspect neither a hardware nor a software error but rather an issue with the file/video itself.

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