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FORMATTING BLANK. DVDS

Discussion in 'DVDR' started by MESMD, Oct 1, 2007.

  1. MESMD

    MESMD Regular member

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    Hi,
    When I use a new unformatted blank Dvd -R +r or RW, etc, my DVD drive will not recognize the blank media. When I RT. click the DVD drive, I do not get a format option to format the blank disk! Is there a free simple utility I can download that will format these new blank disks? I am using Win XP home with a 3 computer home network.

    I used to back up movie DVDs with backup programs that would write to these blank DVDs, however this copy DVD program has no DVD format option. It only reads a movie DVD movie then writes it to my blank DVDs.
    Therefore, unless I use these disks to backup DVD movies, I can't just simply format them to be recognized and used to copy other files, etc.

    Can you please recommend a simple utility program or several generic programs to format these blank new DVDs?

    Thank you very much.

    Miles

    Ps. Or do I have a hardware or software problem that is preventing my computers from recognizing these blank disks and offer me a rt. click context menu to format them? These DVD drives are recognized by my computer, just not the unformatted new disks!!!
     
  2. attar

    attar Senior member

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    If you are referring to Windows XP, there is no format option available.
    While it can read a DVD, XP cannot write to the disks - for that you must use third party software.
    If you wish to write data files to the DVD, use the likes of Nero, the disks do not require formatting like floppies..

    Your PC is behaving normally as regards these disks.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2007
  3. MESMD

    MESMD Regular member

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    altar,

    Thank you for responding. However, I remember in the recent past, new dvd disks, like these, were, at least recognized by these DVD drives.

    Now these same (quality Sony and or Verbatim) Dvd RW or +/- R
    are no being recognized, or when the drive is clicked it reports "not able to read media or wrong media? I remember before it would report on a new blank: 4.3 GB usable space, no space used, give the pie graph of blue and pink, etc. Now on my same 2 computers that are both XP home OS, etc., same as in the past, I'm getting the wrong media and not recognized response.

    My drivers are the same ones that uesd to do the backup copying of movies to these kind of new unformatted disks!

    Maybe I need to flash and update their firmware? Update their drivers?
    Short of Nero, I have a program by Ashampoo called,"Burning Suite" and when I try copying files to these new Dvds, It reports that no Dvd is in the drive?? As I said before the OS recognizes these DVD drives in my computer.

    The drives are a Pacific Digital (Toshiba) USB on one computer and a HP ide on the other. Both are not able to read these blank disks? Is there a simple utility, short of getting Nero, that can simply verify that these disks are in the drive and copy some simple files to them so I know that there is not a Hardware or Software problem?

    Thanks again for my Novice question; I used to be able to Duplicate copy protected movies with these same disks on these same DVD burners?

    I appreciate any further suggestions or support you may offer.

    Sincerely,

    Miles

    PS. I think you are correct and I made the mistake in saying that RT. clicking gave me a format option for the blank DVD while in the DVD drive!!! Sorry my memory was wrong about that, however, there used to be some recognition of the blank dvd and its unused capacity, etc., as I mentioned above!!



     
  4. attar

    attar Senior member

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    DVDInfoPro will scan drives and blank disks.
    It will report the firmware version of the drive and identify the manufacturer of the disk.

    http://www.dvdinfopro.com/


    In the past, for problems with XP and DVD's, I used Windows Explorer, to look at the drive properties and turn off 'Recording' for each drive and reboot.
    Turn 'Recording' on and try again.

    Another option (with the internal drive) is to uninstall the IDE controller that the burner is connected to and rebooting.
    The drivers will then reinstall.
    I can't offer anything on the USB device - I don't have an external drive.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2007
  5. MESMD

    MESMD Regular member

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    THANKS so much attar,
    I will try your thoughts. It just seems like this never happened a year ago when i was recording over 1500 DVD movies! and now the same DVD drives can't recognize a new unformatted blank DVD!!
    Do you think updating the firmware or drivers could be the problem?
    Both these DVD burners will play movies or read cds that have data, audio or video files. They just will not write to or recognize the new dvd disks that are empty. I think with a private copy program, I can still duplicate movies as it reads the movie, stores it on the HD and then writes it to the blank DVD!! Apparently then it is able to recognize and write the blank Dvd, but not for other things!!!

    I will try your link but it seems if the drive is giving me an error reading the blank DVD disk, how is it going to read it with reading the blank new DVD disk, how will Dvdinfopro.com be able to read the same disk in the same drive?


    Thanks again,

    Miles
     
  6. attar

    attar Senior member

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    XP does not support DVD in any meaningful way and the coincidence of two burners having simultaneous firmware problems is a stretch.
    Updating firmware should be a last resort.
     
  7. MESMD

    MESMD Regular member

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    HOW ABOUT FINDING UPDATED DRIVERS?

    THANKS, ATTAR FOR YOUR EMAILS AND SINCERE HELP.

    MILES

     
  8. attar

    attar Senior member

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    The easy way to check firmware for the burner.
    Run ImgBurn, click 'Tools' > 'Drive' > 'Check for Firmware updates..'


    http://www.imgburn.com/
     
  9. MESMD

    MESMD Regular member

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    THANK YOU, attar.

    Miles
     

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