MacBook won't burn to DVD+R DL

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MacBook won't burn to DVD+R DL

I'm sorry in advance if this topic has been discussed, but my situation is very specific, so please take the time to read it before flaming me.

I have a 2007 MacBook running OS X 10.6.7, and I'm trying to burn an ISO of Windows XP Pro, but I seem to be having very poor luck this evening. At first I was using Memorex DVD-R discs, and even on 1x speed, and using Disk Utility, BurnX 1.5, and Toast 11 Titanium, it refused to burn the ISO file. After doing some research I determined that MacBook Superdrives apparently hate Memorex discs. So I tried using Verbatim DVD+R DL discs (which most of the problem solvers on the forums I read listed as being one of the best brands, and essentially problem free). My MacBook won't allow me to write to them. Again, I used Disk Utility, BurnX 1.5, and Toast 11 Titanium. BurnX even went so far as to say "Free Space on Disk (mb)- 8152 (not recordable)". I tried multiple blank discs from both brands, using all 3 utilities with each disc to no avail. I'm at my wit's end here, and would appreciate any suggestions on what to do.

Posted on Sep 3, 2012 10:38 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 3, 2012 11:08 PM in response to gvelasquez88

Hi.

That's a 5-year old MacBook.

When was the last time you spun a lens cleaning disc through the optical drive?

EDIT - For example

Just sayin'. 😉

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Answer 2

Sep 4, 2012 6:08 AM in response to gvelasquez88

If the MacBook (or more specifically its optical drive) is an old enough model, it might not support writing to DVD+R DL media.

You can find out by running System Profiler (e.g. via Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info) and clicking on "Disc Burning" under the Hardware category in the left column.

The "DVD-Write" field lists the media types that can be written in the drive. For example, mine (mid 2010 MacBook Pro) says:

DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW

This indicates my drive supports writing to DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL and DVD+RW.

Older drives may be missing support for writing to some variants.

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Answer 3

gvelasquez88 Author

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Sep 4, 2012 9:18 AM in response to David Empson

I have run the System Profiler and my SuperDrive is capable of burning DVD+R DL. That was one of the first things I checked

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Answer 4

gvelasquez88 Author

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Sep 4, 2012 8:09 PM in response to gvelasquez88

I actually solved the issue myself. Despite System Profiler stating that my SuperDrive can burn Dual Layer (DL) discs, it appears it could not. I went out and bought a pack of Verbatim DVD+R discs, and it worked perfectly. Thank you all for your input.

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