error 206: PB G4 combo drive

[msantos]

Just updated to Retrospect 5.0 desktop so I could use my new PowerBook G4 with combo drive

 

to backup itself and another PowerBook. It is able to erase CD-RW discs I've used before,

 

but always gives error 206 when it starts trying to write to them. (The discs were previously

 

written with Retrospect 4.3 on a different machine and CD-RW writer.) Those discs were Comp USA

 

brand, so I tried using some brand new TDK CD-RW media -- same deal. As soon as Retrospect

 

starts to write to the disc, it kicks it out complaining about error 206.

 

 

 

The drive in the PB G4 is supported without qualifacation, so what gives? An older version of

 

Retrospect worked fine with both the Comp USA and TDK media, and the PB G4 works fine with

 

Toast and Apple's Disc Burner.

 

 

 

Has anyone else used this configuration successfully, and if so, with what type of media?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

System details:

 

 

 

PowerBook G4 667 with DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive

 

OS X 10.1.3

 

512 MB RAM

 

Retrospect 5.0 Desktop upgrade

 

 

[IrenaS]

What is the exact mechanism in the drive that you are using? (Find this from Configure > Devices > Device Status.)

 

 

 

What version of Retrospect?

 

 

 

Does this happen with new CDs? Also note that certain Apple drives do not work with CD-RW media:

 

 

 

http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=osx_apple_opt_compat_dev

 

 

 

Irena Solomon

 

Dantz Tech Support

[msantos]

The PowerBook's mechanism is:

 

 

 

Matshita CD-RW CW-8121 Version AA12

 

The driver is: Panasonic CD-RW (1.50)

 

 

 

It is the Apple-supplied drive which the page you referenced says is

 

supported without qualification. I tried both old CompUSA-branded media and *new* TDK-branded

 

media with the same results. As I had mentioned, the old media was used without error under

 

Retrospect 4.3 with a different computer/CD-RW drive.

 

 

 

I think the Retrospect version was 5.0.201. I've already updated to today's release of 5.0.203, so

 

I can't find out what the old version was.

 

 

 

Let me know if you need anything else. I can try running with 5.0.203 if you think

 

the update might have fixed it.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Mike

[msantos]

I should have reiterated: the TDK and CompUSA media were CD-RW discs.

 

 

 

On a different note, I just tried a Verbatim CD-R with 5.0.203, and that, at least is getting further.

 

It is actually writing to the CD-R. Guess I'll have to go buy a bunch of CD-Rs for now...

 

 

 

Also, I don't know if this matters... The CD-R that it is writing to is rated 1x-24x. I'm pretty sure the

 

CompUSA CD-RW is rated at 4x, and the TDK CD-RW is rated at 8x. I don't have them in front of me,

 

though, so I can't be sure.

 

 

 

-- Mike

[msantos]

I tried running with 5.0.203 and, although the release notes don't seem to indicate that my problem

 

would have been fixed, it seems that is has. I was able to reuse my CompUSA CD-RW to do a partial

 

backup. The same CD-RW disc had failed with error 206 under the previous 5.0 (5.0.201?) release.

 

I didn't have time to run a full backup, so I won't know for sure, but it seems that 5.0.203 may have

 

fixed more than it claims.

 

 

 

-- Mike

[msantos]

As it turns out, the error 206 problem just occurs less often with

 

5.0.203, but it *does* still happen. In a possibly related issue, when

 

I tried to burn a series (5 or so) of CD-R's with Toast in rapid succession,

 

I also hit media errors. Usually quitting Toast and restarting it would

 

resolve the problem. Maybe there's something wrong with OS X?

 

 

 

Mike