im starting to get this often on one of my cdrw. what is causing it? it cant be the media as from last week i was using the same one with no problem. has my cdrw finally come to the end of its life? could it be the cable is messed up? power lead? any help appreciated.

You'll need to read this http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq04.html#S4-13 .

i was gradually getting this error more and more on an out of warranty mirai drive - in a last ditched attempt i took the thing apart, cleaned the eye with a cotton bud and some cool boiled water - tweaked a pot by the laser and it started working again

mines still in warranty..who shall i bring it back to? buy.com or the manafacturer?

I believe you'll need to return it to the manufacturer. Before returning it, try cleaning the laser to see if things improve.

Yeah, nearly always dirty laser.