I have Windows XP home, Sp 3 on two computers, and there are 3 DVD drives available. I use Nero to burn disks. I use DVD+-RW's to accumulate pictures as my files in the computer grow, and then when the files (mostly home videos or slides) are complete, I burn them to DVD-ROM. I have literally burned hundreds of dvd+-rw's over the years with no problems. What has happened is that the DVD's will burn and verify, but cannot be read. This is true on all 3 drives. If I burn to DVD-ROMs, they can be read and all seems well. What also seems to be true, but hard to believe, is that if I try to read a DVD-RW which has always been OK, not only does it not read, but the data seems to be wiped out because I tried it out with the DVD player on the TV and it wouldn't work! I thought maybe the DVD-RW's had deteriorated with age and got some new ones to no avail. Since the RW disks have been read with no problems, it seems that "closing the disk" isn't involved. All the drives will read DVD movies, data files, slide shows and music with no problems. It just seems to be the RW's that are the problem. I've used HP, Memorex and Sony. Never had a problem with any before. I just cannot believe it is a drive problem with all 3 involved but cannot think of any other reason. I use McAfee on one computer and Avast! on the other. Also, I use AdAware and SpyBot. One of the computers rarely gets on the internet so I don't think a similar bug could be affecting both, even if such a bug existed. There is a Microsoft autofix file which I ran and it couldn't find anything wrong. Here is the printout: __________________________________ AutoFix [V5.2.3790.67] Time [2010-11-17 14:10:27] Microsoft Windows Version [5.1 (Service Pack 3) <2600>] Test [The Shell Hardware Detection service is running.] - Instance [N/A]: Result [AutoStart Setting]: OK Result [The Shell Hardware Detection service is running.]: OK Test [Policies] - Instance [X:\, Drive Type: 5]: Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDrives]: OK {Absent} Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDriveAutorun]: OK {Present} Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDriveTypeAutorun]: OK {Present} Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDrives]: OK {Absent} Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDriveAutorun]: OK {Absent} Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDriveTypeAutorun]: OK {Absent} Result [Driver level policies]: OK { HKLM\...\Services\cdrom!Autorun (Present) <Allows> HKLM\...\Services\cdrom\Parameters!Autorun (Absent) <Allows> HKLM\System\CCS\Enum\...!AlwaysEnable (Absent) <Not set> HKLM\System\CCS\Enum\...!AlwaysDisable (Absent) <Not set> } Test [Drive Notification] - Instance [X:\, Drive Type: 5]: Result [Legacy Notification]: OK Result [AutoPlay V2 Notification]: Problems { Service (Silent) Shell (Deaf) } >> Repair << [Autoplay V2 Event] Step: No steps to take. Result: This AutoPlay setting cannot be fixed. Either the device is malfunctioning, or the wizard cannot determine the problem. >> Required action: The wizard found problems but cannot fix them -> None _____________________________________________________________ Other symptoms to consider are these: After a RW disk has been erased/destroyed/written, if one attempts to erase it, the reader will usually not accept the disk for erasing. Of nine disks all but two returned the message: “LITE-ON DVDRW SHW-160P65: Drive not ready. Please insert a rewritable disk”. Two of the disks erased, but after a few erases one returned the message: “Windows cannot read from this disk. The disk might be corrupted, or it could be usng a format that is not compatible with Windows”. One of the disks erased consistently, so I burned a jpg. It stated that the burn was successful, but when I tried to read the disk in Windows Explorer, it returned the message: “Please insert a disk into drive E:”. Then when I tried to erase that disk, it returned the message: “Erasing Failure. Illegal disk”. It is possible that disk had never been written previously, but once written it was no good. Failure to erase or burn has occurred in the past, rarely, but then I threw the disk away thinking it was just a bad disk and the problem went away when the next disk was ok. I am really at a loss for ideas and would appreciate some help.
Download and run ImgBurn Select 'Write files/folders to disk' Click Tools > Filter driver load order.. If the Upper Class Filter or Lower Class Filter contain entries, remove them. Drag a file onto the window and burn to a RW and see if it can be read.
Downloaded the file. Burned a jpg to a ROM and it tested ok. Made coasters out of a few RW's. One took a long time to format and then didn't work. The message given for all was Device Not Ready. Medium not present. I'm running out of RW's. Quick way to blow ten bucks!! Apparently if they have been "used" they won't format
Also, try posting at the ImgBurn Forum - the author often responds. http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showforum=6
Took bad one. Performed full erase. Performed that satisfactorily. Wrote a jpg. Tray cycled before verify. Waiting for device to become ready. Device not ready. Medium not present.
Maybe that sp3 for XP is what ruined them. SP3 caused a lot of problems for me when I had it so after rebooting and not installing the update, everything worked fine. But that's just my theory.
Sp3 has been installed for quite a long time, and so far I have had no problems with it. But you make a good point in that Microsoft sends out updates very often. Do you have an idea in what way the updates could cause my problem? For instance, the dvd drives have been in for literally years and there were no drivers for them other than Microsoft. Many folks update drivers and such often, but my philosophy is "Don't keep fixing until it's broke" and "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". However, maybe this is one of those times. Other programs than Nero can do burning and erasing but when that action is called I don't know where the computer goes to get the instructions. Maybe to the drives?
Sometimes drives do go bad, but we all know that they don't last forever. From my experience, with my current hardware, my dvd burner no longer recognizes any cd type discs and will only recognize dvd's. Another note to mention is that after some time too, some things started to go bad after installing microsoft updates that lead my computer to have problems. But since your optical drive is a few years old, try replacing it with a new one or a used one in working condition, and see if it makes a difference.
