This is not a blank CD message when I try to burn a CD-R, what gives?

Question

Level 2

187 points

This is not a blank CD message when I try to burn a CD-R, what gives?

Hi,

Okay I select my playlist and then hit burn disc and load my blank CDR into my drive and then I keep getting the message this is not a blank CD. I've used both Maxell and Memorex and get the same message and these are blank CD's.

Why does this keep happening? How do I get around this message?

M.

GHz PowerPC G4 512 MB DDR SDRAM, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Oct 29, 2006 4:06 PM

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Answer 1

SDIllini

Level 6

16,675 points

Oct 30, 2006 8:24 AM in response to spiralgirl

Hi spiralgirl:

Read this from Apple:

You're unable to burn a CD in iTunes
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61102

Sue

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Answer 2

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 30, 2006 9:22 AM in response to SDIllini

Sue,

I've read all that before and gone to my help in itunes and looked up everything on this subject and nothing works.

So now I've tried Memorex, Sony, and Maxell CDR's in my drive and then last night I tried a Memorex CD-RW which worked and it shouldn't have so now I'm really stumped. Why can't I use CDR's?

I have no problem burning DVD-R's.

M.

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Answer 3

Ricktoronto

Level 6

11,560 points

Oct 30, 2006 9:49 AM in response to spiralgirl

Try a name brand CD from Verbatim. I wouldn't rest a coffee cup on Memorex.

It is possible the CD/DVD burner doesn't see the CD status. They are not all that great quality. Your details in your post do not say what exactly you are running but a G4 tower might just be too ragged to burn CD's. I don't use the internal burner in my G4 or G5, just too slow right from the factory, especially the G4

Can you burn CD's in finder for example? To test the drive itself.

In that case a faster, newer and better external CD/DVD from LaCie (the D2 one comes with a full version of Toast as well) might be the ticket. Or a new internal, they are pretty cheap if you can remove the bezel.

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Answer 4

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 30, 2006 10:02 AM in response to Ricktoronto

Rick,

Thanks for your input here.

I'm on a Powerbook G4 using itunes 7.0.1 and the Safari OX10.4.8. The Memorex CD-RW doesn't take that long to burn.

I just don't get why I can burn a Memorex CD-RW with no problem which is what I'm doing right now. I have about 30 CD-R's I bought awhile ago Memorex and Maxell which I'd like to use if possible and then I'll switch to Verbatim. Today I'm going to buy a single Verbatim CD-R to see if that works.

How do I burn a CD-R in the finder? Maybe I'll give that a try.

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Answer 5

Ricktoronto

Level 6

11,560 points

Oct 30, 2006 10:52 AM in response to spiralgirl

The PB G4 drives are even worse than the ones in the G4 towers.

I have a similar problem with DVD's in that it chokes on the better ones, thinking 16X means ONLY 16X and not 1X to 16X. So I have a few older 2X and 4X DVD's just for the rare times I encode, preferring now to just make disk images on an external drive and do the burning at home.

Honestly, buy either the LaCie D2 (free Toast 7 full edition comes with it) or the laCie Porsche version (a little cheaper if you have Toast now).

I have never burned anything in the finder but IIRC, you select an item or two or ten, CTRL/right click and select send to a burn folder or something like that then you burn from the folder. With Toast I cannot imagine using something as kludgy as that.

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Answer 6

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 30, 2006 11:50 AM in response to Ricktoronto

Rick,

I tried burning at a lower speed like 4X since the Memorex CD-RW was that speed and it worked. My CD stayed in a little longer but then ejected and said this is not a blank disc.

Just bought a stack of Verbatim's so I'll give that a try.

Hey I see your from Toronto. I'm originally from there.

M.

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Answer 7

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 30, 2006 1:03 PM in response to Ricktoronto

Rick,

Now I have Toast Titanium 7 and it still will not work with Memorex, Sony, or Maxell CD-R's. It says the disc is not writable under the status. Then when I try to do it the disc ejects and says please insert a recordable disc.

I thought for sure they would work with Toast.

M.

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Answer 8

Ricktoronto

Level 6

11,560 points

Oct 31, 2006 9:50 AM in response to spiralgirl

You have a problem with the drive, not the disc at this point. The hardware(drive) reads the disk ID and reports to the software the type and capacity of the disk -CD vs. DVD, +R vs. -R, RW or not, etc. Even how made it. Toast will even let you click a link to a web site that tells you what people think of it.

It doesn't know how to read the disk ID for CD-R's now so unless you got the 3 year Applecare you may be out of luck.

However unless you really need to do a lot of on the road burning, even if it did work, because the performance is so annoyingly slow, I'd suggest you buy the cheaper LaCie FW DVD burner, the Porsche model as you don't need the software.

Burning DVD's at 16X you realize how slow the 1-2X PB models are. And they offer DL DVD burning, lightscribe labelling and you will notive extermely fast CD and DVD ripping speeds. I do travel a lot and were it not for my plan to get a macbook pro I'd carry a DVD burner with me.

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Answer 9

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 31, 2006 10:09 AM in response to Ricktoronto

Rick,

Thanks for all the information, you have been really helpful. I figured out that the 3 CD-R's I was using were the ones I had tried over and over again over the past 6 months. It dawned on me that the drive must be fine as DVD-R's (really cheap brand called C2Tech) worked for burning and so did CD-RW's (cheap Memorex) then the CD-R's must work.

Instead of opening my brand new pack of Verbatim's I tossed the 3 bad ones aside (Sony, Memorex, and Maxell) and went to my stack of new Memorex and Maxell's and burned with no problems on both. So I'm really happy I can use the 27 CD-R's I have left.

I'm so happy nothing is wrong. I'm gonna give the bad CD-R's to my sister to see if she can use them on a PC. If not I'll trash them.

M.

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Answer 10

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 31, 2006 10:12 AM in response to spiralgirl

I tossed those 3 ones aside I had been using over and over again and went to my new stack of Memorex and Maxell CD-R's and had no problem at all burning. Guess these ones had been tried to many times.

M.

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Answer 11

Ricktoronto

Level 6

11,560 points

Oct 31, 2006 1:27 PM in response to spiralgirl

You were trying and retrying literally the same 3 blank CD-R's or three brands of CD-R's and they all acted the same? Had you said the former I would have said once you get an error on one there is no point retrying the exact same one.

Still my advice stands, the drive itself is pitiful.

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Answer 12

spiralgirl Author

Level 2

187 points

Oct 31, 2006 2:00 PM in response to Ricktoronto

Rick,

Yeah I was shocked too and so stunned it worked. Someone else told me that maybe these 3 CD's I was trying had already been written on. I don't know maybe they had gone in the drive too many times. I've now burned about 5 CD-R's so far, 4 Memorex and 1 Maxell one with no troubles and I've been using Toast for those. The bottom line is I never give up on a problem. Literally I will spend hours until I figure out something and then I get so excited when something works for me.

I just didn't want to put any extra money out right now. I'm just burning CD-R's for music for myself. If I needed it for a job I would definitely upgrade and I appreciate your advice.

M.

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Answer 13

Ricktoronto

Level 6

11,560 points

Nov 1, 2006 12:28 PM in response to spiralgirl

Tip - after a failed burn regardless of what Toast or the system says, toss out the CD-R. It may have been partially burned and anything is dead meat onward. And rally, even if not it already said , not this one, thanks.

I guess had you said that, the first tip would have been to buy and try new CD-R's, I'd still say Verbatim though.

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