UTOC W ERROR, toc erased, need to recover

[Guest Anonymous]

So I was going through my unlabelled MDs and found a field recording. I gave a couple of tracks names, ejected, then watched as my Sharp MD-R3 took longer than usual to finish the TOC write... then it flashed UTOC W ERROR on spat the disc out.

Upon loading the disc, it reported it was blank. I ejected it, set the write protect tab, and put it in my Sony portable recorder and got "DISK ERR".

I'd flame MD, but I don't want to jeopardize my chances of getting some useful info, suffice it to say I'll definitely be seeking a new format that doesn't make use of any uber-critical table of contents file without any sort of built-in failsafe.

I checked out the "recover deleted tracks" page at

http://members.aol.com/BorusSylt/303.htm - but I don't have a Sony 303, plus I'm not exactly thrilled by the idea of tediously piecing together dozens (or hundreds?) of fragments of audio (but then this is my punishment for trusting a gadget technology).

Anyone know of any OTHER ways to rebuild/impose a new TOC? Are there shops that do recovery for $$$?

Thanks.

[BJ]

You're saddled with an R3 too, huh? I'm surprised mine has lasted this long--it's started making interesting grinding noises lately as it tracks discs.

Check Ebay for the Sharp MD-MS702MK portable recorder (or any MS702 in working order). This is the easiest model (in my experience) to use for TOC cloning, and it would certainly recover your audio. You wouldn't have dozens of fragments, just a single, 74 minute track you get to split up. I keep my 702 for exactly this purpose, and it's never let me down.

[Cheese]

if it's a very important minidisc, try

http://www.esdl.co.uk/body/md_data_recover...md_recovery.htm

these guys do everything they can to make it work, but i have no idea of the cost.

Best of luck