DMC Writer Crashing

[^Shyone379]

I have Updated to latest DMC Writer and now find the following during burning to mp3.

The order that tracks are inserted for burning has no effect, (it comes out on disc alphabetical anyway, (very annoying)).

During loading of tracks at 192 bitrate, when a number of about 70 has been reached, the screen reloads them again to show overburn,,, and crashes.

On re starting burner, those reloads (duplicate listings) have gone, and loading can continue til disc shows almost full and ready for burning.

However during this process i have had the writer crash many times, which seems to happen after the writer has duplicated my entries (and I have removed them).

Also, when attemting to create an Auto-Run mp3 disc,,, only 4 tracks of the 129 were burned to disc.

I eventually got the Cd Written, not using the autorun, but continued to have many crashes of the writer during loading.

Are there any ways of fixing this problem?

[xoas]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

The order that tracks are inserted for burning has no effect, (it comes out on disc alphabetical anyway, (very annoying)).

This IS annoying but you can create a different file hierarchy for your mp3 cd.
You basically have to set the file structure for the cd before you start adding tracks. To do this, open CD Writer, on the upper window where it reads Writing Audio, click on the button that reads New. From the screen that opens up click on the button that reads Create New CD. Select MP3/WMA aAudio CD. Select your format (MP#) and bitrate, etc). Where it reads File Naming, Click on the button that reads Set. In this window you can define the file structure you desire. I find I like the bottom of the pre-defined settings ([artist]\[album]\[track number xx] [artist] - [track]). Thiis creates a folder for each artist. Within that folder will be separate folders for each album and tracks will be arranged for each album by 2 digit track number). This is automatic based on filename and tag data, so make sure these are in good shape before you try this.
Also, you are not limited to the pre-defined settings, you can create your own. A little study and I'm sure you can figure it out.

Since my original posting, it has come to my attention that the CD Writer r2 has a slightly different interface than does the beta version I had been using. Click on the New CD button . The rest is essentially unchanged.

Now about that crash and burn business-
Can you give more specifics as to how you are trying to load the files and how many you are loading at once? I just burned an mp3 cd yesterday. Had no problem converting entire albums at once but it sounds like you are trying many more files than that. Perhaps if you limit yourself to trying to add 50 tracks at a time you might get better results.

Best wishes,
Bill

[^Shyone379]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

thanx for the info on file structure Bill, I will slog thru that!

Re Burning: I was loading no more than 30 at a time to make the temp CD file, in most cases only 10-12,, then screen would go "click" and the screen would show that they had been double entered, (i was just using the arrow button to transfer/convert from my files to the temporary CD screen) when I selected to delete those double entries, the writer program would crash. re-starting the program would show the loading as originally done, until next time it decided to double enter and crash

hope i have explained this OK

PS, Is there a reason why we can't simply select track position on CD, as we do when making a Standard CD???? with the Up/Down Green arrow keys ?? or that they are burned in the order loaded ??

[ChristinaS]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

An mp3 cd is not an audio cd, it is a data cd. Essentially it's a folder which just happens to sit on a CD. Data is stored alphabetically in a folder.

[xoas]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

The duplication and/or crashing might come about if you try to convert files of different file types at the same time or it might come about if you get too many folders converting at once (possible if you are accessing through other than CD Writer).
I always open CD Writer first and load my files through there. Is that how you are doing it or are you using other means (Music Converter, File Selector, Windows Explorer)? I ask because it might help me see if I can duplicate the problem.
I take it the duplicate entries are not multiple copies from the hard drive but "hiccups" of certain files and I assume that these appear to occur randomly (although I would urge you to be alert to the possibility that some files may routinely produce this problem or at least be more liable to produce this problem-if you can locate such files it is often very helpful).

As to why you can't re-order mp3/wma discs, it is because these are treated as data files and organized according to data file ordering conventions. I also have Nero and Roxio CD burner programs (and I have used some others as well) and they all have the same issue with mp3 discs.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

The crashing will either be:

Because of the over-burn
or, a 'bad' mp3 file that is just crashing it anyhow.

Are you sure it is not the 2nd possiblity?

[^Shyone379]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

Bill, I was accessing tracks via the CD Writer ONLY, and from 1 folder Only, all mp3 and same bit rate ,,, the duplication occured at about 70 files loaded, which created the overburn notification, to try and manually delete duplicates caused it to crash... a restart of CD Writer showed screen loaded as it was supossed to be and further loadings could continue....... after this overburn/crash happened a couple of times, I eventually completed the loading by restarting each time..... mp3 disc burned Ok and played OK.
No files appeared to be faulty, and they were loaded randomly. there are no duplicate files in music collection Folder, this duplication appears to be caused by CD Writer and they are dropped from screen upon restart.

Cheers

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

>to try and manually delete duplicates caused it to crash...

That is the key, I have seen this mentioned before but have not been able to track it down. How were the tracks duplicated?

[xoas]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

This might not produce any results but can you (in addition to answering Spoon's question above), check and tell us if duplicated files are both the same file size. When duplicates occur, does only one file duplicate per crash or will multiple files duplicate during a crash? When duplicates occur, does the file or files involved create a single duplicate per file or multiple duplicates per file?
Are you playing files in dAP that might be in the group you are trying to convert in CD Writer? I have been able to crash CD Writer doing this but I don't think this has resulted in duplicate files in CD Writer as you describe.
If you click on the options button in CD Writer and click on the DSP Effects button, does the resulting screen show any active DSP effects? If so, which does it show?

Best wishes,
Bill

[^Shyone379]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

dAP was NOT operating or playing any files, DSP settings clear (none in use).

I was loading from a single mp3 Folder, using Writer only to load files largest batch being 30, other wise 10-12 or singularly

When approx 70 had been loaded the screen flicked/clicked and those 70 files had been singularly duplicated identical to each original and in the order that they had been first loaded,, total now 140 files.

A crash occurred if you attempted to remove the dulicates manually.

Without attempting to manually remove the duplicates, if you closed and restarted the Writer,, the duplicates were no longer on the screen or loaded, normal loading could continue til next duplication, which would happen at random intervals thereafter causing Overburn Notifications.

The Writer restart rectified the fault on all occassions.

Thats the best info i can give you guys, hope it helps.

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

How did you add the files? using the CD writer page and clicking the <<--- arrow?

[xoas]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

^shyone-
I have been trying to replicate your problem. So far I have not had success (a few crashes but no duplications). Could you tell us what the settings for your source mp3 files might be and what settings you have set for your mp3 files to be burned at? Settings to check include bits, bitrate, frequency, and vbr/cbr/abr.

Best wishes,
Bill

[xoas]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

Update:
I have been noticing more frequent crashes in dCW than desirable although I have not yet had a crash where track entries get duplicated temporarily. My crashes usually occur well into creating an mp3 cd and the left hand menu seems to go blank and a box pops up saying that dCW has encountered a problem and needs to shut down and asks me if I want to tell Microsoft about this problem. Once I respond yes or no the program shuts down.

I am trying to look at what factors may contribute to these crashes and I wanted to pass on this observation:
Although dCW seems to have successfully converted all the track(s) it was working on at the time of the crash, if I open up dCW right away after a crash and start loading more tracks, it looks like the program is more likely to crash with the very next track(s) I add unless I first delete the last track(s) I added.

I'll keep you posted on the status of any other findings.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Spoon]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

If you can nail it down to being repeatable I should be able to sort it.

[^Shyone379]

Re: DMC Writer Crashing

Selecting files using the arrow<---- Key, from source 320kbps 44100hz cbr high encode, no preset mp3 files to same burn settings, no dsp