Corrupted DVD-RAM disks

[Alexis.happyphoenix]

I have just about reached the point of throwing these disks away.
However, one last shot - I hope someone can help me.

I have a Panasonic DVD recorder that randomly decides healthy dvd-ram
disks are unformatted, and that they are locked, and cannot be
unlocked because they are not formatted - catch 22. Sometimes it is
possible to rescue these using the formatting tools on my Linux box -
however sometimes anything I attempt to do just results in an i/o
error or completion at 0% - it is as though the disk is corrupt at a
very low level. The kind of error I get (with all variants of
ssa=something)is:
computer:~$ dvd+rw-format -ssa=none -blank /dev/scd0
* BD/DVD±RW/-RAM format utility by <[email protected]>, version
7.0.
* 4.7GB DVD-RAM media detected.
* blanking 0.0-:-[ FORMAT UNIT failed with SK=3h/ASC=31h/ACQ=00h]:
Input/output error

In an extreme case a disk caused the drive (external HP940e) to be
unrecognisable!

The info I can read off the disk is:
computer:~$ dvd+rw-mediainfo /dev/scd0
INQUIRY: [HP ][DVD Writer 940d ][3H23]
GET [CURRENT] CONFIGURATION:
Mounted Media: 12h, DVD-RAM
Current Write Speed: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s
Write Speed #0: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s
Write Speed #1: 2.0x1385=2770KB/s
GET [CURRENT] PERFORMANCE:
Write Performance: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s@[0 -> 0]
Speed Descriptor#0: 00/0 [email protected]=6925KB/s [email protected]=4155KB/s
Speed Descriptor#1: 00/0 [email protected]=6925KB/s [email protected]=2770KB/s
READ DVD STRUCTURE[#0h]:
Media Book Type: 00h, DVD-ROM book [revision 0]
Legacy lead-out at: 2314080*2KB=4739235840
DVD-RAM SPARE AREA INFORMATION:
Primary SA: 0/12800=0.0% free
Supplementary SA: 0/0=nan% free
DVD-RAM WRITE PROTECTION STATUS:
Persistent Write Protection is off
READ DISC INFORMATION:
Disc status: other
Number of Sessions: 1
State of Last Session: complete
"Next" Track: 1
Number of Tracks: 1
READ FORMAT CAPACITIES:
unformatted: 2295072*2048=4700307456
00h(800): 2236704*2048=4580769792
00h(800): 2295072*2048=4700307456
READ CAPACITY: 0*2048=0

Though it doesn't mean a great deal to me, on a good disk there are a
lot more lines under the READ FORMAT CAPACITIES heading.

I hope someone can help me if it is possible to do anything with
corrupt disks like this!

Many thanks in advance,

Alexis Phoenix

 

[Arno Wagner]

I have just about reached the point of throwing these disks away.
However, one last shot - I hope someone can help me.

I have a Panasonic DVD recorder that randomly decides healthy dvd-ram
disks are unformatted, and that they are locked, and cannot be
unlocked because they are not formatted - catch 22. Sometimes it is
possible to rescue these using the formatting tools on my Linux box -
however sometimes anything I attempt to do just results in an i/o
error or completion at 0% - it is as though the disk is corrupt at a
very low level. The kind of error I get (with all variants of
ssa=something)is:
computer:~$ dvd+rw-format -ssa=none -blank /dev/scd0
* BD/DVD±RW/-RAM format utility by <[email protected]>, version
7.0.
* 4.7GB DVD-RAM media detected.
* blanking 0.0-:-[ FORMAT UNIT failed with SK=3h/ASC=31h/ACQ=00h]:
Input/output error [...]

The info I can read off the disk is:
computer:~$ dvd+rw-mediainfo /dev/scd0
INQUIRY: [HP ][DVD Writer 940d ][3H23]
GET [CURRENT] CONFIGURATION:
Mounted Media: 12h, DVD-RAM
Current Write Speed: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s
Write Speed #0: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s
Write Speed #1: 2.0x1385=2770KB/s
GET [CURRENT] PERFORMANCE:
Write Performance: 3.0x1385=4155KB/s@[0 -> 0]
Speed Descriptor#0: 00/0 [email protected]=6925KB/s [email protected]=4155KB/s
Speed Descriptor#1: 00/0 [email protected]=6925KB/s [email protected]=2770KB/s
READ DVD STRUCTURE[#0h]:
Media Book Type: 00h, DVD-ROM book [revision 0]
Legacy lead-out at: 2314080*2KB=4739235840
DVD-RAM SPARE AREA INFORMATION:
Primary SA: 0/12800=0.0% free
Supplementary SA: 0/0=nan% free
DVD-RAM WRITE PROTECTION STATUS:
Persistent Write Protection is off
READ DISC INFORMATION:
Disc status: other
Number of Sessions: 1
State of Last Session: complete
"Next" Track: 1
Number of Tracks: 1
READ FORMAT CAPACITIES:
unformatted: 2295072*2048=4700307456
00h(800): 2236704*2048=4580769792
00h(800): 2295072*2048=4700307456
READ CAPACITY: 0*2048=0

Though it doesn't mean a great deal to me, on a good disk there are a
lot more lines under the READ FORMAT CAPACITIES heading.

I hope someone can help me if it is possible to do anything with
corrupt disks like this!

Many thanks in advance,

Alexis Phoenix

It seems the disks are formatted without smare area:

Primary SA: 0/12800=0.0% free

While this is possible, it is a very bad idea, as even one
bad sector will result in a write failure. And DVD-RAMs get
bad sectors, see my revent review of several different disk
brands and two writers here. I have unfortunately not managed
to format DVD-RAM with SA under Linux. I have no idea whether
this is possible. I use Nero InCD as formatter, although
I use the disks under LInux.

I would suspect that either your burner does indeed damage the disks
(I hink I have observed that with a Lite On burner, but I did not
want to risk any more disks to make sure) or it has very bad read
quality. Really bad DVD-RAM quality is also a possibility.

Maybe have a look at my posting. Here is a link in the Google archive:
http://groups.google.ch/group/comp....?hl=en&lnk=st&q=arno+dvd-ram#aefda6a641d3b73a

Arno

 

[Alexis.happyphoenix]

I would suspect that either your burner does indeed damage the disks
(I hink I have observed that with a Lite On burner, but I did not
want to risk any more disks to make sure) or it has very bad read
quality. Really bad DVD-RAM quality is also a possibility.

Maybe have a look at my posting. Here is a link in the Google archive:http://groups.google.ch/group/comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage/browse...

Arno

Hmm, that makes very interesting reading! The Panasonic writer is the
sort you connect to the TV to record programs. I have come across
occasional other posts where people have had the same problem with
other Panasonic models. I wonder who makes the internal drive? As to
the disks, I've tried Panasonic branded ones and Imation. The
Panasonic discs are less prone to this problem. The drive used to
attempt recovery is an external hp940e. Will avoid Verbatim and Fuji
disks in future!!

Many thanks for the useful response
Alexis Phoenix

 

[eric.voisard]

DVD-RAM SPARE AREA INFORMATION:

 Primary SA:            0/12800=0.0% free
 Supplementary SA:      0/0=nan% free

Arno is right, Primary Spare Area (12'800 sectors of 32kB) is full and
there's no Supplementary Spare Area (usually the largest one, up to
12'517'376 sectors) on this disk. When a disk has no more free spare
sectors, it gets marked read only...

You should try other bands of disks (look for a big fat Suppl SA with
dvd+rw-mediainfo) and be careful with dust and fingerprints that cause
"bad" sectors. When you low-level reformat your disks ensure the Spare
Areas are freed too (Primary one may contain some moved sectors, since
it's used mainly during format procedure).

Note also that my own experience and the many tests I made with
different brands of drives made me conclude that the often advertised
100'000 rewrites is pure marketing, DVD-RAM drives quality has
decreased since the move from SCSI to cheaper IDE, and extensive use
(with many random head moves) greatly affects the drive (any brand)
lifespan and the disks (any brand) I/O error rate.

Eric

 

[Alexis.happyphoenix]

Arno is right, Primary Spare Area (12'800 sectors of 32kB) is full and
there's no Supplementary Spare Area (usually the largest one, up to
12'517'376 sectors) on this disk. When a disk has no more free spare
sectors, it gets marked read only...

You should try other bands of disks (look for a big fat Suppl SA with
dvd+rw-mediainfo) and be careful with dust and fingerprints that cause
"bad" sectors. When you low-level reformat your disks ensure the Spare
Areas are freed too (Primary one may contain some moved sectors, since
it's used mainly during format procedure).

How is it possible to do this? I can change the supplementary spare
area, but can't see a way to (at least partially) free up the primary
spare area, extend it, or create a new one. I'd have thought it would
be possible to do something to it!

What amazes me is that the recorder did this to disks with and without
cases (always handled with great care nonetheless), sometimes on their
second use - which would be to play back the programme previously
recorded! I think dvd+rw is the way to go with this and save the RAM
disks for computer use only....

Alexis Phoenix

 

[eric.voisard]

How is it possible to do this?  I can change the supplementary spare
area, but can't see a way to (at least partially) free up the primary
spare area, extend it, or create a new one.  I'd have thought it would
be possible to do something to it!

The software tool for formatting DVD-RAM that Panasonic provides does
cleanup the PSA, but it's Windows stuff. Note that under Windows, OS
standard format (that is: not quick format) doesn't cleanup the PSA. I
never checked this on Linux.

You cannot extend the PSA. It's factory done and of standardized size
( 12'800 sectors of 2k (sorry, I made a mistake in prev. post, it's
the ECC Blocks that are 32k)). However, what you need is an SSA that
has a size since it's this one that is used during runtime (PSA is
used during format).

What amazes me is that the recorder did this to disks with and without
cases (always handled with great care nonetheless), sometimes on their
second use -

I've seen this many times too...

which would be to play back the programme previously
recorded!  I think dvd+rw is the way to go with this and save the RAM
disks for computer use only....

You'll get same issues when storing computer data. DVD-RAM drives are
not what they were anymore....

During my tests I saw another kind of problems that were due to the
IDE/ATAPI <-> drive interfacing (e.g. timeouts). Very low level...
Also, as the drive writes data in 32k blocks (ECC Blocks) and ATAPI
sends data in 2k blocks, the drive has an internal cache. It can
happen that a burst of 2k blocks get all acknowledged at the ATAPI
level (=>successful writes at OS level) but then a writing error
occurs later, when the internal cache is actually flushed to the
media. This can raise problems up to the application that is writing
to the disk...

Eric