Burner Won't Recognize Blank DVD-R Discs

I have a 1620 and had the same problem of it not working/recognising discs... I had to manually set the drive to CD/DVD in the BIOS of the computer...rather than just set to auto detect. When firing up the computer usually you look for the command to enter the setup(usually pressing delete) go in there and change you drive to CD/DVD...that worked for mine. let me know if it works.

 

Thank you for the prompt response. I managed to access the bios (F2 on my system).

I see the DVD-RW drive. In terms of detection, I have 3 choices. Auto (which it was on), CDRom and "ARMD". I tried both the other choices and nothing changed unfortunately.

The only other options under the drive are "PIO Mode" which is on auto but can be set from zero to four, and DMA Mode. DMA Mode is currently on auto but includes choices SWDMA0 to SWDMA2, MWDMA0-MWDMA2, and UDMA0 to UMDA2. I didn't mess with either PIO or DMA mode, as it sounded like you were talking about the first setting.

Anything else I should try in the bios based on this? Thanks!

 

Sorry, thats about all I know about this..I do know if has to be using DMA mode... but thats it... Dis you flash your drive with a modified flash with MCSE and check the box for faster speed ripping?

 

Hello.

The drag and drop software is packet writing driver level software and can conflict with other drivers like Nero's.

Do you also have Nero's InCD installed. That often causes problems and is recommended for uninstalling as well. Use the Nero InCD Clean Tool:

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/us/InCD_CleanTool.html

You should probably update Nero to version 6.6.0.18 from the two links below. Run the Nero 6 Clean Tool first. With Nero there were huge differences between 6.6.0.6 and 6.6.0.18, let alone between 6.6.0.1. We recommend upgrading from 6.6.0.14 and that's a lot closer than your build. Upgrading Nero may not solve your problem though.

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/us/Nero_6_CleanTool.html

Nero 6.6.0.18:
Package 1: http://httpdl1.usw.nero.com/software/Nero6/Nero-6.6.0.18_no_yt.exe
Package 2: http://httpdl1.usw.nero.com/software/Nero6/NVE-3.1.0.21_no_yt.exe

 

Ok, I've removed Drag and Drop through the remove programs, removed Nero, run the clean tools, and reinstalled the versions linked above. So far no change -- still won't recognize my RW discs. I'm guessing something else is causing a conflict and that I'm going to have to wait until I can format my drive and rebuild it step by step to figure out what. That's going to have to wait though as I have to burn a bunch of TV shows for my mother-in-law. I could back them up more quickly, but without rewriteables, that's just such a waste. If I can ultimately figure out what caused it, I'll be sure to post back. If anyone else has suggestions for things to try in the meantime, I'd be more than glad to hear them. Thanks for the help so far. It was nice to at least have some new things to try, and I'll probably be better off in the long run with the better version of Nero.

 

You could try running the Nero Driver Clean Tool as well:

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/us/Driver_CleanTool_and_RegistryChecker.html


Did you try going back to an earlier OS restore point?

 

just want to add that i am having the same problem over the last couple of weeks, i was burning tdk-r's no problem with clone III, also used nero now no burrning software will recognize -r's on my computer i have uninstalled all burning programmes and reinstalled, downloaded latest updates and even had a new burner installed but still cannot burn dvd -'s, clone III will burn dvd+r no problem and even asks for them now, where before you could use anything, really strange. i have talked to a couple of techs and they tell me to do the saqme things i have already done. is very frustrating

 

I know it's a pain, but if you've tried all the usual troubleshooting steps, it's time to backup your data and rebuild your system from scratch. That means reformatting your HDD that contains the OS and reinstalling all programs. Restoring from a backup isn't going to likely help. If you've installed a new burner and still have the problems, it seems pretty likely there's a rogue driver somewhere causing problems, especially if you've tried different brands of -R media. By the time the rascal is ferreted out you likely could have a fresh install.

Troubleshooting Steps
1. Make sure DMA transfer mode is enabled.
2. Use Device Manager and uninstall all the IDE channels and drives and then restart.
3. Make sure the master and slave settings are appropriate if not using cable select. If using cable select, try setting the jumpers to master and slave instead of cable select. The burner generally likes to be the master. And they should be on the secondary IDE channel, not the primary with the HDD.
4. Try different brands of media.
5. Uninstall any other burning software like Roxio Easy CD and run the Roxio Zapper.
6. Run the Nero Driver Clean Tool.
7. Try other burning software like ImgBurn.
8. Install your burner in another system and verify it works there.
9. Install a new burner.
10. Reformat the HDD and reinstall the OS and all applications.

 

[I tried to hijack this thread]

 

I've been having a few problems with my computer and the latest is that when I insert a blank dvd +r into my dvd drive I get a message saying e:/ is not accessible incorrect format and my e drives changes to a cd drive.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled my dvd/cd rom drive, ide ata/atapi primary, secondary and standard duel connections

Downloaded and installed nero 7 clean tool removed the incd and reader and nero general clean and reinstalled nero again.

Can anyone offer any other solutions or what I can do next. Thanks in advance

 

Because Windows lacks native support for DVDs, a blank DVD is seen as a CD by the OS. This is normal.

If your DVD software also sees the DVD as a CD or fails to recognize a blank DVD is in the drive, you have a problem.

Are you not able to burn any DVDs with either ImgBurn, DVD Decrypter, or any other software? Does the drive recognize and play back burned DVDs and commercially mastered DVDs?

 

It does recongise already burnt and commerically mastered ones.
I have tried using sonic but when it comes to burning it spits out the disc and says to insert a blank disc although the one I have in is blank. So this is where I tried nero and got the same problem.
Should I try to get a new drive through my warrenty? I have had to do 7 formats since I got my computer at Christmas

 

What brand and model of burner do you have?
Is the firmware up to date?
Have you tried both +R and -R media?
Are you using decent quality media like Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, and Made in Japan labeled Fuji and Sony media?
Is there another computer available into which you can install the drive to see if it works there?
If it's still under warranty, talk to the tech support people and get a ticket assigned so you can return/swap if necessary.

 

Hello! I am also having the same type of problem as everyone else on this thread. I have used DVD Cloner-II for several years with no problem, but now all of a sudden it keeps prompting me to insert a blank DVD, which I already did. I have always used Veratim DVD-R disks and never had a problem before until now. I thought my burner died, even though it could still read pressed DVDs, so I bought a new one and it too is having the same issue.

When I view the properties of the drive, it says 0 bytes used and 0 bytes free. There is a DVD-R disk icon at the top of the properties screen and it says the File System is RAW. I tried various other types and brands of DVDs, but they all do the same thing.

I do not have Nero, so that is not my problem. I did have Roxio installed (although I never used it). I uninstalled it and ran the Roxio zap, but it is still not working.

It seems strange to me that all of a sudden there are lots of people whose DVD writers can no longer see blank DVDs. Could this be some virus going around? I checked with McAfee and searched the web a little, but found nothing. It just seems strangely coincidental that all of us started having the same type of problem within the last few months.

This is extremely frustrating, so if anyone has any other suggestions of what I can try--short of formatting my hard drive, I would be very grateful! Thanks!!

 

Hello acp6181.

Have you tried a registry cleaner? There are many available with free trials. There's a free one from PCTolls as well:

http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/offer.php?ref=google_registry

Other than that, if you've installed another burner and that doesn't work, reformatting is the best option.

 

i was having the same problem, i was using clone III for 4 months and all was great, after problem started I put in a new burner and had same problem, uninstalled many programmes nothing worked, after talking to a second tech he thought there might be a rouge virus and suggested i reformat my hard drive, after having that done clone III is now working fine and i can now burn dvd-r's again. so that would be my suggestion and save yourself alot of time and agravation. goodluck

 

Sorry for joining this 4 page note so late, but I have been tied up with help support trying to find the problem why DVD-RW will not work. As everyone else, Before I insert a blank dvd into my DVD-RW drive, the computer recognizes it as a DVD-RW drive. After inserting the dvd, the computer now sees it as a CD drive only! When using WDO Explorer to view the drive while there is a blank DVD inserted, the details say the disc capacity is 0 bytes with 0 bytes free space, also the drive says "CD-Drive." However, once ejected, the drive goes back to being a DVD-RW drive.

Spent 3 hours last night with DELL support, today with Sony and Lite-on (have two DVD-RW, Sony Internal drive, Liteon External Drive, still as you found in the last 4 pagesm no answer. I will say this is NOT a NERO problem, I have three pc's in the household, NONE work and only one has NERO installed. Last time anyone in this household burned a DVD was May, my gut is telling me that MS Windows did an update in June and created this mess. In SP2 they had a fix in it for this exact problem (see article 818733 - [bold]http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818733/en-us [bold]

This sure sounds like what is going on, I'm in the process of looking for a new Udfs.sys file (current one is 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)

Has any one tried this replacing the Universal Disc Format driver?

 

Hello.

It is usually the case that when you insert a blank DVD into the drive, the drive will change to a CD drive. This is because there is no native support for burning DVDs in Windows. There is support for CDs. This also why 3rd party software must be used to author and burn DVDs. I have many burners, internal and external including laptop drives, and inserting blank DVDs into any of them will cause My Computer to show the drive as a CD drive. They all work perfectly fine in burning the blank with the appropriate software. Thus the key question is whether your burner burns blank DVDs, not whether inserting a blank causes My Computer to denote the drive as a CD drive. If it burns DVDs and plays back burned or commercially mastered DVDs, it's working as expected. If it doesn't burn DVDs or play back DVDs, you have a problem.

I hope this helps.

 

To All,
Good news to report, spent a good hour with my Dell support, who took over the PC and did his magic, as he had control, tried to keep up with what he did. So here go's:
Downloaded a program from Adaptec to check my ASPI drivers, found they were ALL out of date for Wdo SP2, correct drivers are:
WINXP\SYSTEM\WINASPI.DLL
WINXP\SYSTEM\WOWPOST.EXE
WINXP\SYSTEM32\WNASPI32.DLL
WINXP\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ASPI32.SYS
So the pc was updated with these new drivers (later, found my other two pc's in the house also had the wrong drivers) Next Nero was removed, Nero clean sweep program was then used and had me reboot the PC. Was told to download the latest Nero (6.614) after the Wdo started up and to call if they were any problems.

Happy to report Nero and my other programs now find the internal and external DVD drives, with no problems in burning. Don't know how the ASPI drivers changed, but everything is back-up now!!!

Laddyboy is correct that Wdo Explorer does not recognize a DVD drive with a blank DVD disk, thinks it is a CD disk. DVD sofware runs the burning process, but if they also can't find the drives, well we know what happens.

 

Good news for me also! After reformatting my hard drive and still having the same issue, I found another thread on the same problem. Someone who was having trouble with his DVD writer, also had a CD Writer in a separate drive. He burned a CD in the other drive, and voila, the DVD writer started recognizing blank dvds again. I tried this simple thing and it worked for me also. My DVD Cloner II app still didn't find the blank dvd, so I upgraded it to DVD Cloner III and now everything works good again.

Another simple suggestion that worked for many is below. It didn't work for me, but hopefully it will work for others:

Right-Click on the drive w/ the problem
Properties
Recording Tab
and then check the "Enable CD Recording On This Drive" box.