How to Troubleshoot a DVD-R
- 1). Clean the disc player with a soft cloth to ensure fingerprints, dirt and oil are not causing the problem. Smudges on the laser interfere with its performance as it reads information. Professionals suggest wiping the player with rubbing alcohol to clean it.
- 2). Check for any scratches or imperfections on the disc, as these may cause an unsuccessful burn and create playback problems like skipping. If the DVD-R appears to be damaged, use a new one.
- 3). Try burning or playing the disc in another burner. DVD-Rs are older than DVD+Rs. You may be playing or burning on a device that is not compatible with the DVD-R. Trying the DVD-R with another device will help to determine if the issue is with the disc.
- 4). Check the recording capacity of the DVD-R. If you are attempting to burn content beyond its memory capacity, you may experience problems during playback or burning.
- 5). Lower the writing speed of the burning software to determine if that may be causing an issue. Each DVD burning program is different, but there is always an option to choose the write speed for burning.
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