Failure to calibrate

Frequently when I try to burn a cd using iTunes 6 I get a failure after the intialization with a message that that the burner failed to calibrate. There is no pattern. Sometimes it happens on the first try after launching itunes. Today the first burn worked. The second took 5 tries. This is a flaw with iTunes 6. Does anyone know a fix for this?

The lens-cleaning discs with fibers that actually make contact with the lens are bad news. They can easily scratch your lens and make your problems worse. I recommend the compressed-air method. It's tricky not to blow more dust onto the lens than what you started with.
I had been running the same Matshita UJ-815 that came with my 1GHz PB for a year or so without problems and then around the time I moved to NY (early-2004), I found that I couldn't get media that would burn, neither CDs nor DVDs. Before I started having real problems, the comp was still picky about media and would not burn Sony, TDK or Maxell media but after I moved, not a single brand would work. It would show the "failed to calibrate the laser power level" message every time. I temporarily solved my problem when I bought some media when I was back home visiting the Midwest and the discs happened to burn fine in Toast and in iTunes. Then about halfway through the spindle, only one of five discs would burn. I tried the firmware flashes without success.
I was going to take it to Tekserve to see what they could do but then someone told me that I should just buy a new drive and install it myself. So that's what I did. I just installed a new Superdrive (Matshita UJ-85JS/UJ-845-B) the other day and it works like a dream. It was good to get in there and clean the computer too! I am happy that I'm finally able to burn discs again, having been essentially crippled for a very long time. I know this doesn't answer your question but I just wanted to share my laser calibration woes as well. Hope you get this sorted out.

Similar Messages

DVD Drive Failure to Calibrate power lever....

I'm having an issue with my dvd burner. I've tried both Toast Titanium & Disk Utility and when trying to burn data in Toast and an .dmg file in Disk Utility I get "The device failed to calibrate the laser power level for this media". What can I do to get my burner back to "normal"? I'm close to taking the whole thing out to a field and using it for baseball "practice".

I was able to get the dvd lens working again. I had found some postings on other sites about the same issue, and some people had mentioned that using a lens cleaner had allowed them to burn discs again.
Therefore I used one that I picked up a while back and that cleared up the dvd lens. I may have to replace the lens in another year or 2 but not just yet.

Failure to calibrate power level.

I am unable to burn DVD -R DL.
Every time i try to burn i get an error that reads
"The disc can’t be burned, because the device failed to calibrate the laser power level for this media."
What do i do?
Drive details:
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857E:
Firmware Revision: ZA0E
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: Insert media and refresh to show available burn speeds
Message was edited by: waverider303

I have this same problem too. I phoned up Apple Care and they said they haven't come across this problem before. I've been advised to do an "Archive and Install". Should I not bother with this and take it to my nearest Apple Store? I have Apple Care for three years and I've not even had my MacBook Pro for a year, so I won't get charged for this right?

Combo drive failure: Ejects all discs

While watching a very scratched DVD, the combo drive on my month-old Mac Mini began making very loud noises; after that the film skipped and froze. After a few minutes of disturbingly loud knocking and clicking noises, I turned the computer off by pressing the power button. After restart, I ejected the disc by moving it to the trash icon in the dock. Now the combo drive refuses to read any other disc that I put in: DVD, music, or data. It makes spinning sounds and then ejects them after about 10 seconds.
Everything else is still working fine. Is the combo drive dead or is there a fix I can attempt at home?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
It is possible that the drive has been damaged, in which case if it can't read the correct track of an inserted disk, it will automatically eject it. The fact the drive pulls the disk in and spins it up at all suggests the drive is otherwise functional, thus tending to indicate the lens is at fault.
You might first try a PMU/SMC reset (depending on whether yours is a PPC or Intel mini. This would be the first step if you were getting errors re failure to calibrate power when trying to write to a blank, and I would not have much confidence of it working in this situation since it seems unlikely to be a controller issue, but it's worth trying. Instructions are below - PMU if it's a PPC and SMC if it's an Intel.
If that doesn't help, try a lens cleaner. That has been known to help in these situations.
Ultimately, if the system is no longer under warranty, you would be better I think to get an external firewire drive than replace the internal. It would be much the same price and tend to give better performance!

Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting
Apple notebook computers use lithium-polymer (MacBooks and MacBook Pros) or lithium-ion (PowerBooks and iBooks) batteries as a portable power source. The newest members of the MacBook Pro lineup have built-in (non-removable) batteries, which are physically larger and use a modified charging scheme for a longer lifespan – you can read more about them on this linked page. The following tips should help you get the most use out of your battery, and help with troubleshooting if you are experiencing problems. A short list of do’s and don’ts is followed by more detailed information, for those who want the details.
*Do’s & Don’ts*
DO use your battery frequently and lightly, ideally completing 1-2 charge cycles per week (minimum one charge cycle per month).
DO properly calibrate your battery when new and approximately every 2-3 months thereafter.
DON’T fully discharge your battery frequently (the infrequent, periodic calibration is an exception).
DON’T store your battery (or your computer) in a high temperature environment, such as the trunk of a car, especially a fully-charged battery.
DON’T run your MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed.
*Usage Pattern*
Lithium-based batteries function best when used fairly frequently but lightly. Apple states +"An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing."+ Note that there is no "memory effect" for lithium-based batteries, unlike nickel-based batteries (NiCd, NiMH) which perform best when fully discharged then fully charged. It is best not to completely discharge your battery, with the exception of calibrating it (see below). It is also not a good idea to run on AC power all the time. Note that when you are running on AC power, there is no danger of "overcharging" your battery – the Mac will not initiate charging of the battery if the current charge is 95% or higher, as described in this kbase article. Basically, a good rule to thumb is to run on AC power much of the time, but run on battery power for a while a few times per week. Using the battery for 2 full charge cycles per week equates to 300 cycles in 3 years, which is the optimal use. An explanation of a "full charge cycle" can be found on this page. Note that for Apple portables with a removable battery, you _should not_ run a MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed - Apple strongly recommends against this for two reasons: first, the risk of lost data and damage to the hard disk directory structure if the MagSafe plug is accidentally disconnected, and second, the computer will reduce the CPU processor speed. The latter is due to the fact that the CPU will sometimes (for brief periods) require more power than the AC adapter can provide, and the additional power is drawn from the battery; the OS throttles back the CPU to avoid this situation.
Calibration
The battery has an integrated microchip that acts as a "fuel gauge." Calibration resets this gauge, which allows the OS to better determine times to charge and discharge the battery. Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced. For Apple portables with removable batteries, note that Apple specifies, +"A _properly maintained_ Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles."+ For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, the battery should maintain 80% of it’s original capacity for 1000 cycles. Calibration is considered part of proper maintenance.
*Battery Life and Battery Lifespan*
Battery life is how long the battery will power the computer on a full charge. To maximize battery life, consider turning down the brightness of the display, which is one of the major power consumers in a notebook computer, and if you don’t need Bluetooth and/or Airport connectivity, consider turning those off as well. Apple offers these suggestions for maximizing notebook battery life. In practice, battery life is usually somewhat less that stated in the specifications for the various Apple notebook computer models – Apple’s testing of ‘wireless productivity’ is likely limited to browsing simple websites and basic word processing. During ‘real world’ use, battery life will normally be in the range of 1-3 hours less than the specified battery life, depending on model, usage and activity. If life is shorter than expected, see the Health and Troubleshooting sections below. Battery lifespan is how many cycles/years the battery will hold sufficient charge to power the computer for a reasonable time. For Apple portables with removable batteries, a properly maintained lithium-based battery will last approximately 400-500 charge cycles or 3-4 years, +whichever comes first+. Note that this means even an unused battery loses capacity, due to the continuous nature of the chemical reaction and the buildup of oxidation in the cells. For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, Apple’s ‘adaptive charging’ results in a significantly longer battery lifespan.
*Battery Health*
You can check the condition of your battery using System Profiler (Apple menu > About this Mac > More Info > Power section). The relevant numbers are Full Charge Capacity and Cycle Count. Mac OS 10.5 Leopard also provides a readout of battery Condition (not available in 10.4 Tiger), based on those parameters. “Health” refers to the full charge capacity of a battery relative to the nominal full charge capacity of a new battery, expressed as a percentage. Programs such iStat and CoconutBattery report the health, or you can calculate it manually: full charge capacity from System Profiler / nominal new full charge capacity * 100. For Intel-based Mac portables, nominal new full charge capacities are:
MacBook (Original, removable battery) - 5093 mAh
MacBook (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4167 mAh
13” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 5478 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Original, removable battery) - 5556 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4630 mAh
15” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 6665 mAh
17" MacBook Pro (Original, , removable battery) - 6296 mAh
17” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 13015 mAh
Note that health-reporting widgets (iStat Pro, CoconutBattery) use rounded values for the denominator of ‘health’. The above values are calculated from the wattage of the batteries (45 Wh to 95 Wh, see the specifications for each model, which can be found here or here) and their voltage (10.8 V for all removable batteries, 10.95 V for the 13” and 15” built-ins, and 7.3 V for the 17” built-in; those values are printed on the batteries); these capacities are nominal, and in practice new batteries will have full charge capacities that are slightly higher or lower than those values. PowerBooks and iBooks have batteries ranging from 45 Wh to 61 Wh - specs for individual models can be found here or here); these Li-ion batteries are all 10.8 V, so nominal new full charge capacity can be calculated by multiplying battery Wh x 92.6. (For the curious or algebraically-inclined, 92.6=1000/10.8, which converts Wh to mWh and divides by voltage to yield mAh, based on I=P/V derived from Ohm’s law). When Apple specifies, +"A properly maintained Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles,"+ they are referring to 80% health. Please note that health fluctuates from cycle to cycle, depending on factors such as the pattern of charging within recent cycles, ambient temperatures during use, and time since last calibration. It is normal for health to move up and down within a range of ~10% (e.g. between 86% and 96% over time).
*Troubleshooting – short battery life and sudden shutdowns*
If battery life is unacceptably short, it may be due to a background process that is running a high percentage of CPU activity. Check Utilities > Activity Monitor > CPU tab, set the pop-up menu to Active Processes, click on the CPU column to sort, and see if anything is using a high amount of CPU capacity. Short life and sudden shutdowns may also be due to a defective or an old battery - check the battery health and cycle count. If the cycle count is in the 400-500 range (or higher) for removable batteries, the battery has exceeded its useful life, and needs to be replaced. This does not indicate a defective battery - batteries are considered a consumable part, and need to be replaced at the end of their useful life. If the cycle count is less than 300, and the health is less than 80%, the battery may be defective - this applies primarily to the newer, Intel-based Mac portables. For a certain period of time (a rather long period, in fact), Sony produced defective batteries (both Li-polymer and Li-ion) - this issue affected many laptops (Apple, Toshiba, Dell, etc.) that use batteries manufactured by Sony. Apple officially acknowledged these defects for Intel-based notebook computers, as stated on this page, and extended the battery warranty to two years from date purchase for all Core Duo machines bought between February 2006 and April 2007. Battery Update 1.2 was designed to test batteries and expose defects. Note that there were actually two battery replacement programs from Apple concerning Intel-based Macs – both programs are _now officially closed_. One was an exchange/recall for specific serial numbers, and applied only to a relatively small number of 15” MacBook Pros; the other was the more general replacement program for the defective Sony batteries. There was also an exchange/recall for battteries in the 12" iBook G4 and 12"/15" PowerBook G4, also due to manufacturing problems at Sony (these were the batteries with a safety risk).
Following the above steps should ensure a long and useful life for the battery in your Apple notebook computer. Hope this helps...
This is the 2nd version of this tip. It was submitted on July 13, 2009 by neuroanatomist.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting
Apple notebook computers use lithium-polymer (MacBooks and MacBook Pros) or lithium-ion (PowerBooks and iBooks) batteries as a portable power source. The newest members of the MacBook Pro lineup have built-in (non-removable) batteries, which are physically larger and use a modified charging scheme for a longer lifespan – you can read more about them on this linked page. The following tips should help you get the most use out of your battery, and help with troubleshooting if you are experiencing problems. A short list of do’s and don’ts is followed by more detailed information, for those who want the details.
*Do’s & Don’ts*
DO use your battery frequently and lightly, ideally completing 1-2 charge cycles per week (minimum one charge cycle per month).
DO properly calibrate your battery when new and approximately every 2-3 months thereafter.
DON’T fully discharge your battery frequently (the infrequent, periodic calibration is an exception).
DON’T store your battery (or your computer) in a high temperature environment, such as the trunk of a car, especially a fully-charged battery.
DON’T run your MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed.
*Usage Pattern*
Lithium-based batteries function best when used fairly frequently but lightly. Apple states +"An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing."+ Note that there is no "memory effect" for lithium-based batteries, unlike nickel-based batteries (NiCd, NiMH) which perform best when fully discharged then fully charged. It is best not to completely discharge your battery, with the exception of calibrating it (see below). It is also not a good idea to run on AC power all the time. Note that when you are running on AC power, there is no danger of "overcharging" your battery – the Mac will not initiate charging of the battery if the current charge is 95% or higher, as described in this kbase article. Basically, a good rule to thumb is to run on AC power much of the time, but run on battery power for a while a few times per week. Using the battery for 2 full charge cycles per week equates to 300 cycles in 3 years, which is the optimal use. An explanation of a "full charge cycle" can be found on this page. Note that for Apple portables with a removable battery, you _should not_ run a MacBook or MacBook Pro on AC power with the battery removed - Apple strongly recommends against this for two reasons: first, the risk of lost data and damage to the hard disk directory structure if the MagSafe plug is accidentally disconnected, and second, the computer will reduce the CPU processor speed. The latter is due to the fact that the CPU will sometimes (for brief periods) require more power than the AC adapter can provide, and the additional power is drawn from the battery; the OS throttles back the CPU to avoid this situation.
Calibration
The battery has an integrated microchip that acts as a "fuel gauge." Calibration resets this gauge, which allows the OS to better determine times to charge and discharge the battery. Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced. For Apple portables with removable batteries, note that Apple specifies, +"A _properly maintained_ Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles."+ For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, the battery should maintain 80% of it’s original capacity for 1000 cycles. Calibration is considered part of proper maintenance.
*Battery Life and Battery Lifespan*
Battery life is how long the battery will power the computer on a full charge. To maximize battery life, consider turning down the brightness of the display, which is one of the major power consumers in a notebook computer, and if you don’t need Bluetooth and/or Airport connectivity, consider turning those off as well. Apple offers these suggestions for maximizing notebook battery life. In practice, battery life is usually somewhat less that stated in the specifications for the various Apple notebook computer models – Apple’s testing of ‘wireless productivity’ is likely limited to browsing simple websites and basic word processing. During ‘real world’ use, battery life will normally be in the range of 1-3 hours less than the specified battery life, depending on model, usage and activity. If life is shorter than expected, see the Health and Troubleshooting sections below. Battery lifespan is how many cycles/years the battery will hold sufficient charge to power the computer for a reasonable time. For Apple portables with removable batteries, a properly maintained lithium-based battery will last approximately 400-500 charge cycles or 3-4 years, +whichever comes first+. Note that this means even an unused battery loses capacity, due to the continuous nature of the chemical reaction and the buildup of oxidation in the cells. For MacBook Pros with built-in batteries, Apple’s ‘adaptive charging’ results in a significantly longer battery lifespan.
*Battery Health*
You can check the condition of your battery using System Profiler (Apple menu > About this Mac > More Info > Power section). The relevant numbers are Full Charge Capacity and Cycle Count. Mac OS 10.5 Leopard also provides a readout of battery Condition (not available in 10.4 Tiger), based on those parameters. “Health” refers to the full charge capacity of a battery relative to the nominal full charge capacity of a new battery, expressed as a percentage. Programs such iStat and CoconutBattery report the health, or you can calculate it manually: full charge capacity from System Profiler / nominal new full charge capacity * 100. For Intel-based Mac portables, nominal new full charge capacities are:
MacBook (Original, removable battery) - 5093 mAh
MacBook (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4167 mAh
13” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 5478 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Original, removable battery) - 5556 mAh
15" MacBook Pro (Late 2008, removable battery) - 4630 mAh
15” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 6665 mAh
17" MacBook Pro (Original, , removable battery) - 6296 mAh
17” Macbook Pro (Mid-2009, built-in battery) - 13015 mAh
Note that health-reporting widgets (iStat Pro, CoconutBattery) use rounded values for the denominator of ‘health’. The above values are calculated from the wattage of the batteries (45 Wh to 95 Wh, see the specifications for each model, which can be found here or here) and their voltage (10.8 V for all removable batteries, 10.95 V for the 13” and 15” built-ins, and 7.3 V for the 17” built-in; those values are printed on the batteries); these capacities are nominal, and in practice new batteries will have full charge capacities that are slightly higher or lower than those values. PowerBooks and iBooks have batteries ranging from 45 Wh to 61 Wh - specs for individual models can be found here or here); these Li-ion batteries are all 10.8 V, so nominal new full charge capacity can be calculated by multiplying battery Wh x 92.6. (For the curious or algebraically-inclined, 92.6=1000/10.8, which converts Wh to mWh and divides by voltage to yield mAh, based on I=P/V derived from Ohm’s law). When Apple specifies, +"A properly maintained Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles,"+ they are referring to 80% health. Please note that health fluctuates from cycle to cycle, depending on factors such as the pattern of charging within recent cycles, ambient temperatures during use, and time since last calibration. It is normal for health to move up and down within a range of ~10% (e.g. between 86% and 96% over time).
*Troubleshooting – short battery life and sudden shutdowns*
If battery life is unacceptably short, it may be due to a background process that is running a high percentage of CPU activity. Check Utilities > Activity Monitor > CPU tab, set the pop-up menu to Active Processes, click on the CPU column to sort, and see if anything is using a high amount of CPU capacity. Short life and sudden shutdowns may also be due to a defective or an old battery - check the battery health and cycle count. If the cycle count is in the 400-500 range (or higher) for removable batteries, the battery has exceeded its useful life, and needs to be replaced. This does not indicate a defective battery - batteries are considered a consumable part, and need to be replaced at the end of their useful life. If the cycle count is less than 300, and the health is less than 80%, the battery may be defective - this applies primarily to the newer, Intel-based Mac portables. For a certain period of time (a rather long period, in fact), Sony produced defective batteries (both Li-polymer and Li-ion) - this issue affected many laptops (Apple, Toshiba, Dell, etc.) that use batteries manufactured by Sony. Apple officially acknowledged these defects for Intel-based notebook computers, as stated on this page, and extended the battery warranty to two years from date purchase for all Core Duo machines bought between February 2006 and April 2007. Battery Update 1.2 was designed to test batteries and expose defects. Note that there were actually two battery replacement programs from Apple concerning Intel-based Macs – both programs are _now officially closed_. One was an exchange/recall for specific serial numbers, and applied only to a relatively small number of 15” MacBook Pros; the other was the more general replacement program for the defective Sony batteries. There was also an exchange/recall for battteries in the 12" iBook G4 and 12"/15" PowerBook G4, also due to manufacturing problems at Sony (these were the batteries with a safety risk).
Following the above steps should ensure a long and useful life for the battery in your Apple notebook computer. Hope this helps...
This is the 2nd version of this tip. It was submitted on July 13, 2009 by neuroanatomist.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

MBP shuts down with over 30% charge

Recently my mbp has just been shutting down without warning, even with a battery at over 30%. I try and reboot and it turns on, then shuts down right away. Once I plug it back into to a power supply its fine. I've had it for about two years, been through 223 cycles, and it says its in good condition.

When did you last properly calibrate your battery?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490
Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced. Note that Apple specifies, +"A properly maintained Apple notebook battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles."+ Calibration is considered part of proper maintenance

Can't burn CD from iTunes

Back in mid April I successfully burned a CD. In late May I have not been so lucky. I got one successful burn out of 6-8 tries. The error message says' failure to calibrate laser power level for this media'. The discussion forum shows other folks having the same problem and the consensus seems to be that it is related to the latest iTunes update 7.6.2. I am adding this item in hopes that Apple will recognise the problem and fix it since there have been no solutions presented to date in the discussion forum.

tombirdd wrote:
I have since found out this is not an itunes problem as I could not burn data either. At the suggestion of some of you and other experts I experimented with burn speed. My original setting 'maximum possible' was not working so I tried 8 and got 2 successful burns out of 2 attempts. I went to 12 and got a burn but at 16 it failed. Going back to 12 failed also but at 8 it works, 6 of 6. I don't know what this means. I assume the faster the better but I cannot detect any quality deficiency at 8.
Haven't you ever heard that *'Speed KILLS'* ! (just joking)
And I'm sorry to tell you that experimenting with burn speeds just wasted your time.
But the facts are ...
Faster *is not* better, it just 'burns' quicker.
Slower is better, it just takes longer to 'burn'.
Always select the slowest burn speed to insure the best quality.
Always verify the 'burn'. This doubles the 'burn' time but it's worth the 'piece of mind'.
If your 'burning' music use blank CD's labeled 'Music', 'Digital Audio' or 'DA'.
Higher burn speeds will slightly degrade the sound timbre.
(You may not be able to detect any deficiencies but I can proved that it does. If you don't believe me I'll can E-Mail you the proof.)
And I must be the *ONLY ONE* that knows that your Mac can tell you the burn speeds of a blank CD/DVD. After it's mounted in the Super Drive and your ready to 'burn' it, open the 'System Profiler' Application and select 'Disc Burning'. The 'burning speeds' of that CD/DVD is listed under 'Media'.
I hope this helps and may you always be a happy burner
Good Luck.
!http://homepage.mac.com/buzzlightgear/Buzz.tiff!
Buzz

Problem Trying To Burn A Image To A Dual Layer DVD

My Problem is that i seem to be unable to burn an (DMG) image file to a Dual Layer Disk. I am using Disk Utility to burn the DVD. Everytime I try to burn the Disk i get the error message "The unit could not calibrate the laser power level for this medium.." but my computer is capable of burning Dual Layer Disk's. I Have Done This Before. I have been searching the web for any tips on how to fix the problem and i have even gone out and brought a cd 'laser lens cleaner' which many people clame fixed there problem but no advil. There is nothing wrong with the image file and i have managed to burn the file half way after cleaning the lens with the 'laser lens cleaner' i brought before, at which point i recived the error message "devise failed to respond properly, unable to recover or retry". I have not been able to gte any further sinse and am still gettin the first error message that "The unit could not calibrate the laser power level for this medium.." I have also tryed reinstalling the OS but no luck there either. Any Idea's?

Long shots ...
I know for a fact that the Perian QuickTime component causes major burning problems with Toast and Popcorn, remove it and they work perfectly, if you have it installed try removing it.
Failure to calibrate could be the media, what brand do you use ? try Verbatim ...
The CD lens and the DVD lens are two different things, a CD cleaner may not clean the DVD lens (so one burns fine and the other doesn't)

Satellite A200 DVD calibaration error

I don't know why my Toshiba's Satellite A200 burner: LT-SH652D doesn't burn data nay more?
Is it a matter of firmware, since I have updated it up to SC03, or is such failure to calibrate the laser is due to a physical problem? I have been using this laptop since year only, and have burned a few gigabytes with it.
I do wonder if I'm supposed to download the former firmware of that burner, knowing carefully the Toshiba services are being making ti available on line.
Have I lost my burner for no reasons, because of an early hardware failure? Or is it possible to fix such problem, if considering it being as a firmware issue?

Hello
The firmware hasn't been downloaded from the Toshiba official website, though I have managed to flash the drive again with a TO04 firm, and the problem that the calibration message error has disappeared, meaning that the burning process starts regularity now!
Nevertheless, the burning process remains unsuccessful, because the burned data remains unaccessible for inexplicable reasons.
In other words, such update of the firmware shows clearly that the hardware can change its behavior, and that this may overrule the hypothesis of a laser physical problem.
I maintain, until the demonstration shows the contrary, that this DVD drive needs its original flash, the original firmware to fix definitely the issue. That will certainty show what is going wrong now. In my believe, your answer is rather precipitated, we need further experimenting to confirm such definitive conclusion about the hardware's functioning.
Therefore, I will gently ask the *Toshiba support team* to make such software available on their website, that to be sure that, indeed a new Toshiba DVD doesn't fail functioning only a few months after it got used, unless we will have to admit that a flash may definitely deteriorate the drive.
Thank you for your contribution anyway.

On average how long does your mac book battery last?

Mine runs about 1.75 hours on average while doing my best to conserve the battery. I would like to get an idea from other mac book owners how long their battery lasts, so I know if something is wrong with mine.
I know there are a number of factors that come in to play in terms of how long your battery will last. For instance, i know that if you have a lot of applications open, and if you have blue tooth device it will cause your computer to have to work harder and in essence will cause your battery to run out faster. It just seems like mine runs out real quick (1.75 hours). I have the check mark by "better energy savings" and close my applications as well.
I will also say that I did not calibrate my battery when i first got it being that this is my first laptop and i didnt know. I calibrated it about a month after i got it. However, prior to the calibration i had it hooked up directly from a power source all but one usage. Being that it took so long for me to calibrate my battery, is it permanently damaged?

A charge capacity of 4860, while being below average, is not a complete didaster and is not the cause of the 1.75 hour usage. Mosre than likely your failure to calibrate is the reason for it being below average. I does say to calibrate ASAP in the user manual that comes with your MacBook.
Now, to help with your battery time the things that affect the batery time the most are…
1) Processor performance. Make sure your Energy Saver setting are set for maximum battery savings.
2) High processor usage. The more you use you procossor the lower your battery times. So, you will get better battery performance when checking/writing e-mail and web surfing that you would encoding video. I often use a tool like MenuMeters…
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17713
… to keep an eye on my processor usage.
3) Screen brightness. This is a huge battery user and you should set this as low as is comfortable. High battery times require the screen to be set to minimum values. One spot (minimum) is the norm.
4) Wireless networking. As this is always on it does chew up more battery that you would think. Turn it off when you don't need it. I actualy created a "no networking" profile in my Network System Preference for when I want to maximise battery performance and have no need of internet/networking.
5) Bluetooth. This also consumes quite a bit of power for something that is not used much. Turn it off as much as you can when on battery.

Q on battery calibration after reading KBs

I have a late model unibody Macbook Pro 17" with the 1000 cycle battery; and I've read the Apple information regarding battery calibration, (along with http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1764220), as well as comments by Mac users,
The confusing part to me is that in the article I sited below, it states:
+Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced.+
First of all, this sounds like if you fail to calibrate frequently enough, then if you do calibrate, you ruin the battery and it has to be replaced. Is that correct?
If it is correct, then it seems fantastically irresponsible to tell people that recalibration really isn't necessary if you use your battery regularly, because if the "fuel gauge" gets off, your screwed.
So, if I am using my UMBP in the on-the-train scenario Apple states as ideal (which sounds like the first hour of the day w/o the charger, then on the charger), calibrate or no, and every one month or every three?
Also, how can running the battery to 0% be bad for it, but calibration (running it to 0% every once in a while) not be bad for it?
And isn't it nerve wracking to calibrate and not really know if the battery will survive the calibration if you forgot to do it for a while? That is what the quote above implies.
Just as little confused is all.

If you don't use the battery now and then and re-calibrate every couple of months then you won't get the best performance and life span from it. It's unlikely a single re-calibration would render it dead but that's not impossible if it's not been looked after.
Re-calibration does not run the battery down to 0% simply below 5% - you're taking it from a state of maximum charge to minimum charge and back again - rather like a bungie rope.
It's not going to die if you forget and don't re-calibrate for three months, but if you never re-calibrate for years it's not the best use of the battery.

Mbp shuts off when has 1 green light left on battery?

hello i own a 2.2ghz macbook pro, and in the middle of use the machine shuts down as if the battery has died. This is strange to me because when i check the battery life it says i still have 1 to 2 green lights left. The computer also says there is at least 1 hour left on the battery. could i have a bad battery? when i check everyting out in system pref it says that thee battery life is good.. could this be a defective battery? and does apple replace batteries? is it covered under the 1 year or even the 2 year apple care? thanks
apollo

When did you last properly calibrate your battery?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490
Calibration should be done approximately every two months. Failure to do so for a long period of time can result in the microchip "fuel gauge" in the battery losing the ability to accurately determine the remaining charge, and it will report that there is more charge in the battery than is actually present. As a result, the computer will not initiate Safe Sleep at the proper time, and instead undergo a hard shut down, one of the main causes of hard drive directory damage. Once the battery is in the state resulting from a failure to calibrate, it is not possible to calibrate the battery, and it will need to be replaced.

:: CALIBRATOR ASSISTANT WON'T LET ME CALIBRATE MY MONITOR ::

I'm hoping someone can help me with this problem. I have been trying to calibrate my monitor for a few weeks now and the calibrator assistant is NOT letting me. When I go through all of the steps it tells me, "Conclusion. An error has occured. The new calibrated display profile could not be created or set to be the current profile for this display." I'm using a Macbook Pro Mac OS X Version 10.6.6 (Snowleopard). This is essential that I get this taken care of. It used to work a few months back but all of a sudden, it won't let me follow through with all of the steps. I have restarted my computer, made sure the computer is updated... and still won't work. Please help me

Have you installed any third-party programs or utilities during the time between when the calibration assistant worked properly and when it began misbehaving?
If so and if you know which one(s), can you disable it(them)?
Alternatively, have you created a new user account, logged into that account, and tried the calibration? If so and if it worked while failing in your original user account, then this result implies that there is a problem in your original user account which is related to the failure.
Hope this helps.

"The Attempt to burn disc failed. The device failed to calibrate the laser

I was trying to burn a cd the other day and it failed and this massage came up.
"The attempt to burn disc failed. The device failed to calibrate the laser power level for this media."
does anyone know how to get rid of this or know how to fix it?

In my experience the problem is random. Sometimes I burn with no problem. This morning my first burn worked fine. Then I had 4 failures in a row. Tried changing nothing. Tried changing burn speed. Tried quitting itunes,etc. Nothing always works so I assume that my manipulations are having no effect even though eventually it works. I am now having a sucessful burn. Thank goodness that it does not ruin the blank but it seems to be increasing in frequency. I used to have the problem once and then could burn 4-5 successfully. Now I've had 3 successes our of 8-9 tries.
Why doesn't apple address this problem? I see hundreds of posts with the same problem. Many are archived. Some like this thread claim to answered. But the problem is that, in my experience, the problem comes and goes. Sometimes I have sucess without changing anything after a failure. Today I quit iTunes and when I started it up again it failed once and now its just finished a sucessful burn. I'm burning the same playlist each time of unprotected music but I notice no difference whether I'm burning purchased music, ripped music, downloaded music, aiff, aac, acc protected, mpeg or a mixture of same.
My sucessful burn was at 6X. Now I'm having a sucessful burn at maximum possible (6X takes too long!). Two in row!
I am using tiger 10.4.5 1 ghz powerpc g4 512 mb ddr sdram with about 10 gigs free on the hard drive it that's of any relevance.
Just realized that if I can count to 30 before the intialization goes to writing it is going to fail. So what? I don't know, can't stand the suspense.

Card calibration failure but Self test pass

Hi,
We have been using the cards for a year. Since the cards were due for calibration, we sent them for calibration. These were in working OK condition.
We were informed that 2 cards failed calibration test and need repair. However the cards are passing the self test or reset from the MAX tool as per them.
Question:
1> Whats the purpose of self test if failures are not reported? Can calibration circuit fail if the cards are just 1year old i.e. calibrated once only by NI before delivery.
2> Is it possible that the measurements we did for last year could have been wrong as its not possible to calibrate now?
3> Is it possible to know if these failures happened due to negligence at the calibration company side?
Thanks

Hi,
You can check the card out by using the Measurement & Automation (MAX). Select the device in the Devices and Interfaces tab.
Regards
Ray Farmer
Regards
Ray Farmer

Failure to calibrate

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