Choosing The Wrong Project
A music-file disc is not the same as an audio CD. A data DVD with MP4 files is not necessarily DVD-Video. Putting an ISO file in a folder project does not reproduce the image as a disc.
Choose the project by its intended result. In Free Burning Studio, the dedicated data, audio and video wizards help separate these jobs; Burn / Write is the direct route for an existing image.
Forcing The Wrong Media Or Capacity
Use blank media supported by both the writer and the reader. Check the completed project size rather than only the size of its largest file. For an audio CD, check the total running time.
Selecting the highest speed or an overburn option is not a substitute for compatible media. Begin with normal supported settings and change one thing at a time when diagnosing a failure.
Losing The Source Or The Log
- Keep source files in place while an image is being built or written.
- Save an image outside the folder being used as its source.
- Keep BIN and CUE files together when using an audio-disc image.
- Read and preserve error messages instead of immediately repeating the same failed burn.
Skipping The Final Check
Use Verify after burn where appropriate, then check the finished disc on its intended device. Verification can assess written content; it cannot make an unsupported video format play in an older player.
If a test fails, identify whether the disc cannot be read at all, its files cannot be decoded, or playback breaks at a particular point. That distinction makes the next change more useful.