Originally posted by: Rotten Johnny
I have Nero 6.0 , I just got off the phone with guy who put my computer together and he had the same problem with the freezin, so when Windows updates it blocks somethin in Nero and I have to download some kind of update for Nero or upgrade to 7.0, hopeful that fixes it.

I've always read that if you burn below the disc's rated speed, you can get a worse burn. The disc's dyes are designed for a certain laser strength. OTOH, some manufacturer's burners do a good job of adapting to the way the disc is responding to the burn. If the disc is rated at 4X, then it will probably burn better at 4X if you're having problems. Often, you can burn higher, without a meaningful increase in errors. You're shooting in the dark if you can't test for errors, though (which most drives can't).

"Verify data on disc after burning" is an option on the 2nd page of the burning dialog, in Nero. Other burning proggies tend to have it, too. But there are more thorough tests (see below).

If you are having technical problems, and you can't cure them, PM me, and (more importantly) Go Here: CDFreaks Forum Most of these guys bleeping experts, and those that aren't tend to get corrected. And, its a freindly place to go. (As long as you read the FAQ's first). You can find out stuff that's as technical as you want, or you can go for simple answers. The search function is fairly useless, but the faqs are excellent. (Always read the FAQ's before you ask. They get tense about that)(And try to search, so you can say you tried). Start off by testing your system with Nero.

There are two kinds of Fuji: the ones that say "Made in Japan" on the box (Excellent), and the ones that say "Made in Taiwan" (Horrible).
The same is true for all other brands, to my knowledge, except Verbatim. Verbatim owns its own plants, so the Made-In isn't important.
But many people find Verbatims to give variable results. (There might be another/other brands that have their own factories, so don't quote me on that). In many people's emphatic opinions, Verbatim makes the best Dual-Layer discs.

If you can't find good ones locally, and you live in the US, Rima is an oustanding online source (Taiyo Yuden are particularly excellent).

Also, most burners are picky about which disc-manufacturers they like. But each firmware upgrade makes them less picky.

Many burners have an issue either with +R discs, or -R discs. (It generally depends on if the maker backed -R or the development of +R

).

Keep in mind that any brand, er, manufacturer can have a bad disc or a bad batch. Quality control is by statistical sampling. (And sometimes that warehouse in Pheonix will have an air conditioning breakdown in July; or the truck will be parked in the sun too long).

Use Nero's CDSpeed's "Transfer Rate Test" (Test Disc -> F2) to test your discs. If the Transfer Rate Curve has dips in it, it will be more likely to have problems in a player.

While you are in CDSpeed, look in "Extras" - if the "Disc Quality Test" is not grayed-out, you are the lucky owner of a drive that can test for the different kind of read-errors on a disc. The "Quality Score" will tell you how good the result is. For BenQ's (aka Phillips), test at 8X speed, and for others (LiteOn, and whatever else) use 4X.

If you have an OEM Nero that forgot to put CDSpeed on the disc, you can download it from CDSpeed2000. It doesn't conflict with other burning software, it only tests.

For people considering a new burner, BenQ/Phillips is currently the best choice, for many reasons, in the majority opinion at CDFreaks (and in my own opinion). It is best used in conjunction with CDFreaks (to get the most of its benefits).

Edited: fixed a link that I wrecked by overuse of the delete key.

Belatedly edited: qualifed a media opinion I can't claim to be expert on, expanded on something, and added a caveat.