Is InCD a resource hog???

[Muse]

I have Nero 6 and use its InCD for packet written CD's. I'm right now copying 500 MB or so of data (8 files) from a HD to a CDRW, packet written by InCD. Windows 2000 shows that I have almost no CPU usage and memory usage (of my 512 MB) is less than 300 MB. But my programs seem slowed by a factor of 20! It varies. Sometimes nothing happens, sometimes I have some activity. It's taking around an hour to copy the data. Could it be a configuration issue? Maybe DMA not in effect for my DVD+RW writer? There doesn't seem to be a setting for that in Device Manager. TIA.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

DMA would be a good place to start. The first time I installed InCD, I noticed generally terrible CD performance. I didn't actually need it, so I removed it. Are you sure you need InCD?

 

[Auric]

DMA mode should be available under the storage controller (whichever IDE channel) or otherwise from a controller's specific configuration app.

I hope you are using +MRW Mount Rainier aka an EasyWrite certified drive otherwise there is no hardware defect management and a good chance of losing your data. If really keen on "drag 'n' drop" recording, you should really consider DVD-RAM for the best reliability and speed. If wider read compatability is required, perhaps DVD+MRW would be a compromise better than CD+MRW, although the write drives are less common.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
DMA would be a good place to start. The first time I installed InCD, I noticed generally terrible CD performance. I didn't actually need it, so I removed it. Are you sure you need InCD?

I don't know what you mean by "terrible CD performance." My system has slowed unbelievably while copying files from my HD to the InCD formatted CDRW.

Do I need it? Well, not entirely. I could just use Nero 6 to write the files to the CDRW disk. Of course, if I wanted to change anything on the disk I'd have to rewrite it entirely. Doable, of course. Maybe that's the way I'll go. DMA seems to be enabled for the channel (secondary), so that wouldn't seem to be the problem.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Auric
DMA mode should be available under the storage controller (whichever IDE channel) or otherwise from a controller's specific configuration app.

I hope you are using +MRW Mount Rainier aka an EasyWrite certified drive otherwise there is no hardware defect management and a good chance of losing your data. If really keen on "drag 'n' drop" recording, you should really consider DVD-RAM for the best reliability and speed. If wider read compatability is required, perhaps DVD+MRW would be a compromise better than CD+MRW, although the write drives are less common.

The drive I'm using is NEC 2510a DVD+-RW Dual Layer Writer/Drive. InCD is consistently saying something like "2 minutes remaining" but it goes on and on, an hour or two to write the disk.

My system is so dog slow I am having difficulty even looking up on the web this NEC drive for Mount Rainier compatability. Drag and drop isn't essential, but its nice, but I've never had such problems using it. I'm using Windows 2000.

One of the files I copied (9 files) didn't copy - I got an error message, and the copied file was zero bytes. So, I just recopied it. Said 10 seconds remaining ... the longest 10 seconds of my life.

 

[Auric]

Nero InfoTool will report the drive's capabilities.

 

[corkyg]

In general, I have found that the whole concept and execution of "packet writing" is not very good. In fact, it has more bugs than a sewer pipe.

Instead of adding packets to an open CDR, create the CDR as a folder on your hard drive, and then when it is the right size - do a burn at once. That produces much better and more consistent results - almost never a coaster. And, it does not impinge on your system's performance.

InCD is Nero's problem - just like DirectCD is Roxio's problem. Both suck.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: corkyg
In general, I have found that the whole concept and execution of "packet writing" is not very good. In fact, it has more bugs than a sewer pipe.

Instead of adding packets to an open CDR, create the CDR as a folder on your hard drive, and then when it is the right size - do a burn at once. That produces much better and more consistent results - almost never a coaster. And, it does not impinge on your system's performance.

InCD is Nero's problem - just like DirectCD is Roxio's problem. Both suck.

It's too bad, because it's convenient.... packet writing would be convenient if it worked nicely.

I could do as you say and burn to CDRW disks not using packet writing and I guess that would solve the problem. I'd just have to entirely rewrite the disk every time I want to make a change. Maybe the best option. The particular disk I'm writing to has had problems lately, too. Freezes when I play it in my portable SlimX IMP-350. I figure it's the disk. All my CDRW's are at least 5 years old, I think, and 4x. Maybe they're just "getting old." I don't believe that would account for the resource problems when using InCD, though. I'll try just using Nero to write to them instead of InCD and see if the freezes and resource problems at least disappear.