error 102 on IMac internal CD-RW drive-2nd request

[dhfraz]

This is my second try with this post. Is anybody out there?

 

I have been using Retrospect Desktop v4.3C for about a year. I backup a small network of Macs (4 total) to the CD-RW internal drive in a 500Mhz G3 IMac running OS 9.2.2. The drive is a Matshita CW-7121, version AH36. The driver is listed in the Retrospect devices window as a Panasonic CD-RW (1.50). There are no other devices connected and I'm pretty sure this machine has a USB bus, not a SCSI bus. I run a normal scheduled back up Monday thru Thursday and a recycle on Friday to the same CD. I rotate 3 CD's using the same schedule.

This setup has worked quite well for over a year until about a month ago. I started getting 102 errors occasionally then more often until now I cannot backup at all. I can't even do a manual back up of the hard drive that Retrospect is installed on. Retrospect recognizes that there is a CD in the drive (it shows up in the Storage Devices window) but can't communicate with it to back up. Strangely enough, I can restore from the CD. The drive burns both CD-R's and CD-RW's fine from the desktop. I have tried a new CD-RW of same brand (TDK) and CD-R's of two different brands (Memorex and Imation) with the same result.

Another wierd clue: After trying and failing to do back up, the drive won't recognize any CD (music or data) until I restart.

The only change to the system recently was an upgrade fron 9.2.1 to 9.2.2 but the problem wasn't coincident with that upgrade.

I had the CD drive checked at a service shop and they found no problems with it.

[AmyJ]

Make sure you have a current copy of the Retrospect Driver Update. This drive has a minimum requirement of 2.2. Current version is 2.5.

 

 

 

Try new preferences to rule out corrupt configuration files. Temporarily remove the System:Preferences:Retrospect folder.

 

 

 

Make sure you're using quality, name brand CD media, such as TDK, Sony or Verbatim.

 

 

 

Quote:

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I had the CD drive checked at a service shop and they found no problems with it.

 

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Did they check it for packet writing ability or just track writing? Retrospect uses an industry-standard method - packet writing, also known as the MMC-3 command set - to write data to CD-R/RW media. This method was chosen because it allows for file-level writes at variable speeds without wasting 10+ MB of media space per session written, and buffer underruns aren't an issue. Retrospect does not employ any special commands, but it does require that a device be able to execute standard packet writing commands correctly. Drives may perform reliably with track writing, yet fail with packet writing - or vice versa. Most CD burning programs on the Macintosh use track-at-once. The drive may not have been tested with packet writing.

[dhfraz]

Amy,

 

Thank you for your response. I tried your suggestions to no avail. I still get either an error 102 or an error 100-device rejected.

 

I already had the Retrospect Driver Update 2.5 but I downloaded and reinstalled it anyway: no help. I don't know what it means but in the Devices window of the Configure menu, when I click on Device Status, it still says in the driver column "Panasonic CD-RW (1.50).

 

I tried removing the preferences file and trying a simple backup script: same result.

 

I've tried several brands of both CD-R and CD-RW media (Imation, TDK, Memorex): same result.

 

I talked to the service tech who looked at the drive. He said he is unaware of any diagnostic that looks specifically at the drives packet writing ability. Do you know if there is such a test?

 

It seems likly that the problem is the drive. If so, do you have a recommendation for a replacement drive. Are any brands more reliable than others with packet writing vs track writing?

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

[AmyJ]

Sorry, I'm not aware of any utilites that test packet writing ability. Regarding a replacement drive, the best source of information is the hardware search engine.

 

www.dantz.com/hardware

 

We are also working on a new method to write to CD drives that may allow support for previously unsupported drives, or improve support for currently supported drives. This ability is expected in our next release, for which there is no ETA at this time.