DVD+RW becomes DVD-ROM - what to do?

Hi everybody, would appreciate if somebody could suggest the way to resolve sudden problem with DVD+RW becoming DVD-ROM. Initially used NTI, everything worked fine. Decided to try NERO7 and all hell broke lose. It looks like my DVD-+RW drive started for some reasons burn DVD-ROMs. So I have now about 18 DVD+RW that I can’t rewrite! I uninstalled NTI, Nero and cleaned with Uniblue registry cleaner. Installed ImgBurn hoping to erase/reformat/whatever these disks to be able to use them again, but ImgBurn can’t do anything. I get message – “cannot format medium- incompatible medium”. Help please!

 

I was thinking along these same lines. Forgive my ignorance but I have no idea what "NTI" is or does.

 

Before you uninstalled Nero did you try to use Nero to erase your discs. If memory serves me isn't there an option for "Full" or Quick" erase? "Quick" erases only data. "Full" takes much longer and erases data and formatting. This is starting to sound like the same problem I had a few years ago. I'm fairly certain that DVDRW discs by nature can't be made unable to be erased and reformatted. If it were only one or two discs I'd say "forget it", but eighteen? I know I fixed this same problem with my DVDRW discs and it wasn't very difficult. Don't give up. I'll be back shortly.

 

I'm back. I was nosing around in the Imgburn support forums and it appears that DVD+RW discs that were erased with Nero raise holy hell with Imgburn. Lightning U.K. is the moderator so I guess it's safe to assume he knows his beans. (For you newbies: the guy wrote the original DVDDecrypter and now Imgburn. He is Legend). Anyway try this. Open Imgburn. Go to Settings > Click the "Write" tab. On the righthand side uncheck the box where it says. "Prefer Properly Formatted +RW. Close Imgburn then reopen it. Now try to burn something, anything, with Imgburn. It should try to erase and or format your +RW disc or just burn the file. If any of those things happen you should be good for the other seventeen. When finished put the checkmark back in the box. At least, I would. If this doesn't do it then I have another idea.

 

Thank you Peshtigo and LOCOENG for quick response. Answering your questions:
1- yes, I’m sure I use DVD+RW(Philips, Maxwell, PC World own brand). I reused them before dozens of time.
2- I didn’t play with bitsetting (or anything else for that matter because NTI worked like a treat for me and the advantage was that it has (or had) a multisession function that worked perfect with my setup – i.e I could gradually load data on DVD and it will play either on PC or a freestanding DVD player. And than I tried Nero….
3- I did try to erase with Nero. 2 types of results:
Some disks became “invisible” to XP and Nero would not touch them;
Some disks were “allegedly” erased, but when I tried to use them again they would turn out to be either invisible or burning process would crash or Nero would announce that burning was completed successfully but there would be no visible files on the disk.

4- What usually happens – I take brand new disk from the box, burning “successfully” completes (sometimes crashes) after that DVD+RW disk become a toast. XP does not see it + burning software I tried so far(NTI, Nero, Alchohol, WinAVI, ImgBurn cannot reformat it. DVD+R meets similar fate- E:\ is nor accessible. …because I/O device error. DVD data burning is no more, period. CD data is no problem.
5- I tried “Upper filters, Lower filters” trick, no difference.
6- Here is Nero post mortem:
Windows XP 5.1
IA32
WinAspi: -
ahead WinASPI: File 'C:\Program Files\Ahead\nero\Wnaspi32.dll': Ver=2.0.1.59, size=160016 bytes, created 11/11/2003 14:49:52
Nero version: 6.3.0.0
Recorder: <Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S> Version: MS0K - HA 2 TA 0 - 6.3.0.0
Adapter driver: <> HA 2
Drive buffer : 2048kB
Bus Type : default (0) -> ATAPI, detected: ?
CD-ROM: <Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S >Version: MS0K - HA 2 TA 0 - 6.3.0.0
Adapter driver: <> HA 2

=== Scsi-Device-Map ===
DiskPeripheral : SAMSUNG SV8004H atapi Port 0 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-616T atapi Port 1 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : LITE-ON LTR-32123S atapi Port 1 ID 1 DMA: On

=== CDRom-Device-Map ===
SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-616T D: CDRom0
LITE-ON LTR-32123S E: CDRom1
Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S G: CDRom2
=======================

AutoRun : 1
Excluded drive IDs:
CmdQueuing : 1
CmdNotification: 2
WriteBufferSize: 74448896 (0) Byte
ShowDrvBufStat : 0
EraseSpeed : 0
BUFE : 0
Physical memory : 511MB (523760kB)
Free physical memory: 112MB (115008kB)
Memory in use : 78 %
Uncached PFiles: 0x0
Use Static Write Speed Table: 0
Use Inquiry : 1
Global Bus Type: default (0)
Check supported media : Disabled (0)

3.9.2008
ISO compilation
19:09:39 #1 Text 0 File Isodoc.cpp, Line 6029
Iso document burn settings
------------------------------------------
Determine maximum speed : FALSE
Simulate : FALSE
Write : TRUE
Finalize CD : FALSE
Multisession : TRUE
Multisession type: : Start multisession
Burning mode : DAO
Mode : 1
ISO Level : 2 (Max. of 31 chars)
Character set : ISO 9660
Joliet : TRUE
Allow pathdepth more than 8 directories : TRUE
Allow more than 255 characters in path : TRUE
Write ISO9660 ;1 file extensions : TRUE

19:09:39 #2 Text 0 File Reader.cpp, Line 118
Reader running

19:09:39 #3 Text 0 File Writer.cpp, Line 124
Writer Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S running

19:09:39 #4 ISO9660GEN -11 File geniso.cpp, Line 3882
First writeable address = 0 (0x00000000)

19:09:39 #5 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 3094
Turn on Disc-at-once, using DVD media

19:09:40 #6 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 239
Last possible write address on media: 2295103 (510:01.28)
Last address to be written: 670959 (149:06.09)

19:09:40 #7 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 244
Write in overburning mode: FALSE

19:09:40 #8 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 2068
Recorder: Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S, Media type: DVD+RW
Disc Manufacturer ID: OPTODISC, Media Type ID: OP4, Product revision number: 1
Disc Application Code: 0, Extended Information Indicators: 1

19:09:40 #9 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 405
>>> Protocol of DlgWaitCD activities: <<<
=========================================

19:09:40 #10 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 779
Setup items (after recorder preparation)
0: TRM_DATA_MODE1 (CTransferItem)
2 indices, index0 (150) not provided
original disc pos #0 + 670960 (670960) = #670960/149:6.10
relocatable, disc pos for caching/writing not required/required, no patch infos
-> TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048, config 0, wanted index0 0 blocks, length 670960 blocks [Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S ]
--------------------------------------------------------------

19:09:40 #11 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 948
Prepare recorder [Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S ] for write in CUE-sheet-DAO
DAO infos:
==========
MCN: ""
TOCType: 0x00; Session Closed, disc not fixated
Tracks 1 to 1:
1: TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048/0x00, FilePos 0 0 1374126080, ISRC ""
DAO layout:
===========
__Start_|____Track_|_Idx_|_RecDep_|_CtrlAdr_
0 | lead-in | 0 | 0x00 | 0x41
0 | 1 | 0 | 0x00 | 0x41
0 | 1 | 1 | 0x00 | 0x41
670960 | lead-out | 1 | 0x00 | 0x41

19:09:40 #12 Phase 24 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1800
Caching of files started

19:09:40 #13 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 4061
Cache writing successful.

19:09:40 #14 Phase 25 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1800
Caching of files completed

19:09:40 #15 Phase 36 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1800
Burn process started at 2.4x (3,312 KB/s)

19:09:40 #16 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 2264
Verifying disc position of item 0 (relocatable, disc pos, no patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

19:09:40 #17 Text 0 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 7912
---- DVD Structure: Physical Format Information (00h) ----
Layer: 0, Address: 0 (0 h), AGID: 0; Length: 2050
Book Type: DVD-ROM (0), Part Version: 1
Disc Size: 120 mm, Maximum Rate: <not specified> (F h)
Number of Layers: 1, Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP), Layer Type: re-writable
Linear Density: 0,267 um/bit, Track Density: 0,74 um/track
Starting Physical Sector Number of Data Area: 30000 h (DVD-ROM, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW)
End Physical Sector Number of Data Area: A492F h
End Sector Number in Layer 0: 0 h
Data in Burst Cutting Area (BCA) does not exist
Media Specific:
00 01 4F 50 54 4F 44 49 - 53 43 4F 50 34 01 39 23 ..OPTODISCOP4.9#
00 9C 7C 64 02 28 00 96 - 7E 74 02 28 00 9C 7B 70 ..|d.(..~t.(..{p
02 28 04 04 10 F0 00 F0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 .(..............

19:09:40 #18 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1658
Set remaining time: 7:34,299 (454299ms) -> OK

19:09:40 #19 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 603
Start write address at LBA 0
DVD high compatibility mode: Yes

19:09:47 #20 SCSI -1046 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1430
SCSI Exec, HA 2, TA 0, LUN 0, buffer 0x034E0000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x30
Sense Qual: 0x06
CDB Data: 0x2A 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0A
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x30 0x06

19:09:47 #21 CDR -1046 File Writer.cpp, Line 301
Illegal disc

19:09:47 #22 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 229
all writers idle, stopping conversion

19:09:47 #23 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 223
conversion idle, stopping reader

19:09:47 #24 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1658
Set remaining time: 0:00,000 (0ms) -> OK

19:09:47 #25 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1658
Set remaining time: 0:00,000 (0ms) -> OK

19:09:47 #26 Phase 38 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1800
Burn process failed at 2.4x (3,312 KB/s)

Existing drivers:
File 'Drivers\CDRALW2K.SYS': Ver=8.0.0.212 , size=9464 bytes, created 29/11/2007 23:30:24
File 'Drivers\PXHELP20.SYS': Ver=3.00.56a, size=43528 bytes, created 29/11/2007 23:30:24 (Prassi/Veritas driver for win 2K)

Registry Keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\AllocateCDROMs : 0 (Security Option)

 

I have tried your suggestion, Peshtigo. Here is the message from ImgBurn:

I/O Error
Device: [O:O:O]5limtype DVDRW 5DW-431S MSOK (G (USB)
SCUSISTATUS: Ox02
Interpretation: Check Condition
CDB: 2A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00
Interpretation: Write(10) – Sectors: 0 - 31
5ense Area: 70 00 O5 00 00 00 00 OA 00 00 00 00 30 06 00 00 00 00
Interpretation: Cannot Format Medium-Incompatible Medium

 

Does your NTI program still recognize the discs? I'm not familiar at all with that program. Can it erase/format your discs? If so try. I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve but right now I have to leave for a short bit. I'll be back. I can't stand the thought of giving up on 18 RW discs. Sometimes I'm thrifty sometimes not. Today I woke up feeling "cheap". (In many ways. he he) Good luck.

 

I have removed ALL burning software except ImgBurn and it says:

Close Session Failed!
Device: Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S
1)Reason: Empty or Partially Written Reserved Track

2nd attampt)Reason: Session Fixation Error

Philips DVD+RW after this is spinning like mad in PC’s DVDROM drive …
Anybody can make sense of all these messages? Thanks

 

Using ImgBurn try going to Tools/Drive/Erase Disc.