DVD-R problem

[Hawkmoon]

As part of upgrading my desktop computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10, I decided I would also upgrade from a 500 GB hard drive to a 1 TB SSD drive. First step in cloning the hard drive to the DVD is to make a rescue disc. I tried twice with one app and failed, then a third time (using a different app) and that also failed. All three attempts were using Verbatim discs. Then I dug out a Memorex, went back to the first app  , and it worked.

So I have a stack of about 20 Verbatim DVD-R discs that I can't trust. Local Walmart only has Verbatim on the shelves. Where can I buy Memorex and be sure I'm getting Memorex?

[Brad Johnson]

Slow down the write speed. Some disks don't react well to the ultrafast write speeds of current DVD-R drives.

Brad

[Hawkmoon]

Slow down the write speed. Some disks don't react well to the ultrafast write speeds of current DVD-R drives.

That wasn't an option. I wasn't using a typical burning app -- these were specific programs for cloning a hard disc, and they offered a built-in utility to create a rescue disc before starting the cloning operation. Neither of them had any settings for write speed.

[zxcvbob]

Can you connect the new SSD to the computer at the same time as the original HDD?  (either a spare SATA connector inside the case, or an external USB to SATA adapter)  Use Clonezilla to clone the old drive directly to the new one.  Just make sure you are certain which is the source and which is the target, and you don't need to do anything with DVD-Rs.  That USB adapter costs less than $10.  I just cloned one this morning (250GB internal drive to temporarily external 2TB drive)  As long as you're going to a larger target drive it's really easy.  It is possible to clone from a larger drive to a smaller one (if the large drive isn't full) but I haven't gotten there yet.

[Hawkmoon]

I have a SATA-to-USB umbilical cord, and I have software to handle the cloning (which is now completed, but I haven't physically swapped the drives yet). The DVD wasn't part of the cloning operation, it was for making a rescue disk in case the cloning operation went tango uniform.

[dogmush]

Best Buy lists Memorex brand DVD-Rs.  You will pay Best Buy prices for them, but that's probably a non counterfeit source.  That or an online "industry" supplier. Given the decline in optical disc as storage I suspect that there will be a billion versions of low quality offerings made to the minimum price point, and a few boutique makers that sell expensive disks to folks that still use them in industry.

A quick google shows folks on other forums having this same issue with Memorex discs, which tells me that this commodity may have already crossed the "all made in one cheap factory and rebranded and sold as name brand" Rubicon.

That same google gave me this site: https://bestseekers.com/best-recordable-dvds/  Which claims to have tested the best DVD-R's in 2020, and provides purchase links.  (Most seem to be Amazon.)

I personally am getting out of optical media, because I can read the writing on the wall, and I suspect that disks and readers are going to be expensive and hard to find before too long.

[zxcvbob]

I read somewhere (maybe here) that DVD+R media is better.  Or more archival.  I tried reading some CDRs that I burned 20 years ago and they are blank now.

[Hawkmoon]

I read somewhere (maybe here) that DVD+R media is better.  Or more archival.  I tried reading some CDRs that I burned 20 years ago and they are blank now.

I considered DVD+R, but when did that come into being? I don't think my computer is new enough to have a DVD+R writer.

[WLJ]

I considered DVD+R, but when did that come into being? I don't think my computer is new enough to have a DVD+R writer.

Highly doubtful there are any burners made in the past 15 or so years that won't do both.

[WLJ]

Do you know the model of your burner?

If not and you're running w10
Right click the start button
Left click device manager
Expand dvd/cd rom drives

[Hawkmoon]

Still on Windows 7 until I swap the drives, but Win 7 has Device manager:

"TSST Corp DVD+RW SH-216DB SCSI Cdrom Device"

How 'bout that? Today isn't a total loss -- I learned something.

[WLJ]

Manufacturer
Samsung

Part #
SH-216DB

Manufacturer
Samsung

Form Factor
5.25"

Interface
SATA 3 Gb/s

DVD+R Dual-Layer Speed
8X

DVD+R Speed
16X

DVD+RW Speed
8X

DVD-R Dual-Layer Speed
8X

DVD-R Speed
16X

DVD-RAM Speed
5X

DVD-RW Speed
6X

CD-R Speed
48X

CD-RW Speed
24X

[lee n. field]

Highly doubtful there are any burners made in the past 15 or so years that won't do both.

Also quite possible a DVD drive just sitting in the computer has crapped out and is unreliable.

[WLJ]

Also quite possible a DVD drive just sitting in the computer has crapped out and is unreliable.

That or could be a bad batch of blanks.

[zxcvbob]

Also quite possible a DVD drive just sitting in the computer has crapped out and is unreliable.

Good point.  The DVD drive in my HP desktop doesn't get used much at all, but the computer is powered-on all the time doing World Community Grid workloads.  Lately it has gotten noisy and unreliable when I do try to use it.  (probably from dust, even tho' I blew it out)  So I use my portable laptop drive with it.  I should swap out that drive with another one from my parts pile.

[Nick1911]

Might also be a bad DVD drive.  But yea, probably amazon some new DVD's first. They are probably becoming less common in physical stores as optical media dies out.  I waffled on tossing out a half full spindle of DVD-R discs and a full spindle of CD-R discs when cleaning out my computer crap last year.  Just not sure when I'll ever use them again.  Pretty much just use thumb drives and microSD cards now.

Personally, if I was moving disks and changing the OS, I would install the new blank disk and load the new OS directly on that.  Afterwards, install the old disk as well, and copy over your data.  I recently did exactly that, although it got a little more complicated due to some issues with an LVM2 partition.

[Hawkmoon]

Personally, if I was moving disks and changing the OS, I would install the new blank disk and load the new OS directly on that.  Afterwards, install the old disk as well, and copy over your data.  I recently did exactly that, although it got a little more complicated due to some issues with an LVM2 partition.

The downside to that is having to reinstall all the programs I use. I have a bunch that I don't use often but, when I need them, I NEED them. And each one has to be configured to work the way I have them set up, which is rarely the default settings.

[Brad Johnson]

Can you not make a recovery boot "disk" on USB?

Brad

[zxcvbob]

I think just the Windows install DVD or USB can be used as a rescue disk.  Press Shift-F10 to get to a command line, then there are tools available like DISKPART.