How to Troubleshoot DVD Burning Issues

When it comes to burning DVDs, the most common issues that pop up include bad DVD media or a busted DVD burner.  Diagnosing bad DVDs are much easier than determining if your DVD burner might be going bad.  Over time, the more you use your DVD burner, the quicker it will become to degrade.  There is only so many times it can burn something before it dies, so the more you burn, the faster that happens.  Bad DVD media generally come in whole packs or spindles.  You may have two or three bad DVDs in a bunch, but most consumers not that their entire spindle is bad when this starts occurring.

The first thing to do when diagnosing DVD burning issues is to determine what is causing the problem. It is either your DVD burner or your DVDs. You can immediately tell if it is your DVD burner, because in most cases, it will begin to act up. Sometimes, your computer will actually slow down, the burning process will take an absurd amount of time or your burner will just not begin to burn at all. You may be able to run a diagnostic program on your DVD burner depending on the software you use, Nero for example lets you do this.

If you are trying to burn a DVD and it fails, it may be a software conflict but in most scenarios the DVD itself is bad. The only way to discover if a DVD spindle is bad is to try and burn the disc again. If it fails, it may be a fluke but you want to try it one more time to determine if the package is bad. Generally if three discs are bad, the whole spindle will be and you will want to return it to the store and get a new one.

If you cannot figure out why your DVD burner will not burn something to disc, it may be time for professional help.  If your computer is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer or service provider to see what steps to take next.  They will usually walk you through some troubleshooting processes on their won before you bring it in.  If the DVD burner has gone bad, they will replace the hardware under warranty and you will be good to go.