Help! LaCie52x24x52x FW400 Misbehaving!

[MrCommunistGen]

Hey everybody! This is my first post so excuse any of my stupidity/ignorance about posting, I try to learn quickly.

Anyway,
in Jan 2003 I purchased a new LaCie 52x24x52x Firewire Burner for my iMac G3 400Mhz and it was AWESOME! Problem is that arround July I could no longer burn any faster than around 32x to CD-R and now I can only burn @ ~12x to CD-R, but when the disc is finished it says it failed to write the directory and thus I end up with yet another drink coaster. Whenever I try to burn faster the drive starts to spin up, then makes a weird beeping noise and then spins back down... indefinately! I then have to unplug the drive to regain functionality. For some reason I can still burn to RWs, and even @ 12x they're functional every time (I have 10x certified RWs, but Toast 5.2 lets me burn them @ 12x). I've burned fewer than 150 discs so the drive shouldn't be bad yet, right? I've tested the drive on my dad's 500Mhz iBook with the same results, and I own and use a 20GB iPod regularly so I don't think its my FW Bus. Could it possibly be the cable or the fact that I burned the RWs faster than recommended?

I've run on 10.1.X and currently am running 10.2.8(6R73) since I got the drive, and as I mentioned, have Toast 5.2. I've also tried iTunes and Apple's Built-in app. I know I could get a new drive (52x32x52x) for like $99, but I want to know if this one's really dead since I'm saving for a G5 RevB when it comes out.

Any advice is much appreciated!
-MCG

 

[OutThere]

Have you tried any different media? My only guess here is that in July you might have bought some bad media. You might want to contact the LaCie tech support as well, I've found them helpful in the past. Good luck with your drive and I hope that you'll be back to 52x soon!

Best Regards,
OutThere

 

[MrCommunistGen]

Hmmm...

I've tried several types of media TDK, Maxell, Verbatim, HP (wonder who really makes these?), and a couple generic brands...
But for some reason I never thought of calling tech support!
Thanks, I'll be sure to do that!
-MCG

Have you tried any different media? My only guess here is that in July you might have bought some bad media. You might want to contact the LaCie tech support as well, I've found them helpful in the past. Good luck with your drive and I hope that you'll be back to 52x soon!

Best Regards,
OutThere

 

[Sparky's]

I agree with Outhere, check the media to make sure it's 52X compatible, then cahck to make sure you don't have any other programs running, Keep in mind the RAM allocation scheme in OS X. Maybe restart and check the "About this computer" to make sure and to also clear the Buffer. I have run across that issue in the past with a Sony on OS 9. Everytime I tried to burn a CD at the end of the day (back up files) I'd get all kinds of "Drink coasters" until I re-booted and freed up everything- then all was well.
but if all does fail then tech support is the way, though I caution you, my personal experience with LaCie (I now have a 2DVD-R CD-R burner) was not as friendly. I guess you need to get them on a good day

 

[Jo-Kun]

I have the same drive, and I only use it up to 24x because sometimes I can only read it in this drive only when I write at 52x...

but for the rest I never had problems, it might be a media problems as sorted out here... and the RW issue, indeed even with toast 6 its true that it tends to allow faster rates than mentioned on the disk itself

greetings Jo