If with mysticE on this one.Your problem appears to be caused by DVD Shrink if we believe the above statement and I do. Are you installing the same program (shrink) as the one that was not working or are you downloading another version of Shrink. Your Shrink program may have become corrupted. Did you try his download?? Try his or this one. http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Tools/CD-DVD-Rip-Other-Tools/DVD-Shrink.shtml If you do a reformat, don't install Shrink at all and I see you have Nero. If you have Nero Express try and copy a copied disc that you know plays well. You can also use ImgBurn to copy the copy also free and you should have it anyway from ImgBurn.com DO NOT REINSTALL DVD43! Use free DVDFab or free 21 day trial of AnyDVD from Slysoft.com
guys I don't know if you can, but I can't open either internal or external burners(3) with a blank disc in the drive by clicking on the drive. Shrink will also not open a blank disc when you try to rip one with shrink. What say y'all?
You cannot open a blank DVD in XP. Plain and simple. There is nothing to open or to read on a blank DVD. XP does not do DVD's natively. You need a external program such as Nero.
Sorry about the confusion everyone, it is NOT an external burner. I just referred to it as such because it's the only optical drive in my system. I sometimes get the terminology wrong because I still have a lot to learn about all this. I have Nero installed on my computer Here's the confusing part: After I format the hard drive, I put a blank DVD in the drive and a screen pops up asking me what i would like to do and everything is working as it should. Then, after I have installed my programs this no longer happens. I have uninstalled all the suspect programs like DVDShrink, DVD43, etc. and it still doesn't open the blank DVD like it did after the formatting. I used to be able to make backup copies of my movies up until a few months ago, but now I doesn't work, and I'm not using any different programs than I did then so what has changed? And I know it's not the brand of DVD either because I've used more than one.
can you borrow a burner from a friend and put it in your pc and see if it works with different burner. If it does,you would then need to go to newegg.com and get yourself a new $25 dvd writer. Preferably an Optiarc-Nec or Lite_on.
you guys missed the financial part of my post! LMAO Where can you buy a Pioneer for $25????? Your advice is right on; they're great burners but a bit pricey. I'll match my Litey 20A1S against any new pioneer. At half the price or more.
I just checked newegg for pioneers. Most were over $50 and some were in the $25 range. were the cheapies really pioneers and not rebadged something elses?? I have also read that the newer pioneers are not that great anymore-went the way of the great BenQs. I may be wrong on that but I'm sure greensman knows. Think we scared OP away??
Right click on drive icon. Go to properties and see if Allow CD Recording is check on or off. If off, check to on and see if that does any better.
The BenQs went the way of Lite-onization, who bought and basically eliminated a once good manufacturer. Lite-on has just about single handedly ruined the optical business. And unfortunately Pioneer will soon be rebadging, who's left... Lite-on. The Pioneer 115, 116 and 117 are still Pioneer, (215, 216, 217 means SATA) but to compete are made in China. You are comparing Retail to OEM.
I don't buy anything but OEM. In my tower I can't see drive plate unless it's in eject position anyway. I've recently gotten the Optiarc-Nec (NEC chipset)AD7240S and it's a great writer but it's sitting in a box until Liggy can write the bitsetting fix to DVD_ROM for+Rs.
Have you ever wondered why Pioneer and NEC no longer bother with bitsetting SL discs? It's obviously not a cost issue.
Good question, Mystic?? Never occurred to me why they don't out of the box. Do you know why?-enlighten me, master-I bow down. Still haven't figured out why DVD blanks + and - are same price in brick and mortar stores and +Rs are so much more on line. It's why I don't buy discs on line; just watch the sales. I guess I'll have to though, when my current stash of Sony X8 +R TY T02s runs out. My precious.LOL
Haven't got a clue. I think the fumbling around to get some compatibility with +R media is over. I always found it odd that the supposedly 'superior' +R media choked on so many players. But in the final wash I still believe -R SL (TYG02s) to be the best all around discs for burning and playing, the TYG03's less so.
My burner is a LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1S. Are you suggesting that this might be defective and that it should be replaced? Just so I'm clear about that, we're talking about a hardware item that goes in the tower, not a software program, right? I still find it strage that it works after I format but not after I've installed my programs. And I can't talk to the computer retailer that sold me the unit because making back-up copies of movies is 'technically' not legal, so they don't want to talk about it. My son suggested that I get and external burner and see if that works. Would you also suggest this?
You are using the exact same burner I am using to read DVDs, an excellent burner. It could be going out. I was suggesting that you BORROW a SATA dvd burner since yours connects SATA from a friend and put it (yes) in your tower and see if it works or as you son suggest BORROW an external USB one and see if it will write with your programs. Just trying to eliminate the possibility of your burner going south, since as you stated nothing has changed software wise-SO either the burner is going bad or something HAS corrupted an important file somewhere. How many burns does that drive have it's been out for almost a year now. Is you firmware up to date? Mine is 9LO9 about 6mo in use of this fw.
