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blank DVDs not recognised!


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Hello,

I got given a Freecom external DVD burner and tried to burn (using the attached burn software programme Roxio) from my hard drive onto the disc. I've tried DVD+RW and DVD+R but neither are recognised by the burner (just says, load disc, or something like it..). I then tried the discs in my DVD reader drive in the PC and they aren't recognised either.. It's really wierd and still doesn't work after I downloaded various free DVD burn programmes...,

Any ideas would be much appreciated and thank you in advance!

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Couple of things spring to mind

You are loading a blank DVD?  It's not a CD is it?  (not being patronising, just trying the easiest thing first)

You don't have a blank DVD-R do you? 

My DVD writer will do all types and the software (Nero) figures it all out for me, I think Roxio will also work it out to if you just let it default when it says 'Insert a blank disc)

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Hello,

Cheers loads for replying!

Yep, definitely a DVD. I don't have a blank DVD-R to hand but that's one of things I thought maybe would work (after looking at reams of boring DVD information on google!)..

Oh and Roxio definitely won't work. When it said insert new disc (and it did this on about 4 burn programes e.g.cheetah, though haven't tried Nero yet) I pressed the burn button anyway and it wouldn't work.

Hmm, really wierd. If my DVD reader PC drive is knackered, it's wierd that the external burn device isn't picking up blank DVDs either? By the way, CDS and DVDs with stuff on, are recognised.

Thank you again!

 

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Hello,

Cheers loads for replying!

Yep, definitely a DVD. I don't have a blank DVD-R to hand but that's one of things I thought maybe would work (after looking at reams of boring DVD information on google!)..

Oh and Roxio definitely won't work. When it said insert new disc (and it did this on about 4 burn programes e.g.cheetah, though haven't tried Nero yet) I pressed the burn button anyway and it wouldn't work.

Hmm, really wierd. If my DVD reader PC drive is knackered, it's wierd that the external burn device isn't picking up blank DVDs either? By the way, CDS and DVDs with stuff on, are recognised.

Thank you again!

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If your internal and extrenal DVD writer are not recognising balnk disks, it sounds to me as though you're missing a driver or writing isn't enabled for the drive(s). You could try this:

Go to My Computer
Right click on the Drive in question and select properties
Left click on the recording tab
Put a check in the box that says: Enable CD recording on this drive.

 

If that works - problem solved, if it doesn't post ahain!

 

HTH

Tim

 

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If your internal and extrenal DVD writer are not recognising balnk disks, it sounds to me as though you're missing a driver or writing isn't enabled for the drive(s). You could try this:

Go to My Computer
Right click on the Drive in question and select properties
Left click on the recording tab
Put a check in the box that says: Enable CD recording on this drive.

There is also a thread at Microsoft which may help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316529

If that works - problem solved, if it doesn't post again!

 

HTH

Tim

 

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Hi,

The 'Built in' CD/DVD burner in Windows is suppled by Roxio so if you install Roxio's own software it conflicts with the version in Windows.  Had this problem when I first installed XP so I used Nero with no problems.  Same applies to Vista. 

Sorry but you will have to find another third party CD/DVD burning software other than Roxio.  Click on the link below for free burning software:

http://www.download.com/Express-Burn/3000-2646_4-10337879.html?tag=lst-1&cdlpid=10811097

Regards

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If your internal and extrenal DVD writer are not recognising balnk disks, it sounds to me as though you're missing a driver or writing isn't enabled for the drive(s). You could try this:

Go to My Computer
Right click on the Drive in question and select properties
Left click on the recording tab
Put a check in the box that says: Enable CD recording on this drive.

There is also a thread at Microsoft which may help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316529

If that works - problem solved, if it doesn't post again!

 

HTH

Tim

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Hello,

thanks once again for your quick replies!

Tim - hello. My system is all in French so might be slightly different but I can't find a 'recording tab' when I click on properties, just 'general', 'execution automatique', 'material' and 'partage'. If I click on 'material' (after right clicking on the 'd' dvd reader drive, then 'properties'..), it brings up a list of all the material that reads cds and dvds on my machine. One of these is the external dvd burner drive, freecom. One of them is also lite-on ltr - don't know that this is? Anyway, you can click on the properties of any of these and there is then a little check box to confirm the activation of cd and dvd reading, but nothing else.

I had a look at the link and couldn't work out how to get past the 'run' bit...

Thanks again for all of this!

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Tel - Thanks too.. That's interesting about Roxio.. I already de-installed the Roxio software though and have already downloaded 3 other ones, none of which work. My computer doesn't even recognise the blank discs, so I think it's some big generic problem rather than the software? Although, I can't be sure, I'm sure the machine used to recognise blank discs before I installed Roxio.. Is there a way to permanently delete ALL traces of it from the hard drive?

Thank you!

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THIS has been known to fix this problem.

Another thing to try, careful in the Registry !

1. Run Regedit to open the Registry Editor
2. Navigate to the following key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CDBurning\Drives

All CD drives show up in same key

"Drive Type" value determines whether drive is capable of writing and rewriting

01=CD-R Drive

02=CD-RW Drive

03=Write Disabled

Obviously a writer will be 02

Note: if you have more than 1 CD-ROM / CD-RW devices installed, you will see the related items under the Drives. Change the keys one by one.

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Hi Ernie, thanks for that..

I tried the link download but it didn't find any problems with the drive.

I'm not sure what Regedit is .. but it isn't just that my D drive and the external drive aren't recording onto DVDs, it's that they don't even 'see' the blank DVD in the first place. It keeps asking to insert a blank or recordable disc, when there IS one!!

Thank you loads for your advice, though!

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Nice to see Tim (Kaylin Computers) posting again, not seen/heard from him in a while

I'd be inclined to uninstall (or restore to an earlier time) the roxio software and try some other software
nero or there are many free cd writing softwares available to download

Maybe directcd is installed and causing problems with disc reading

Uninstall the roxio stuff and try something else.

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Hello, thanks again for all your replies.

It's driving me up the wall! I've done all your suggestions and still nothing works.. I even took Roxio off again, added the Express Burn programme recommended in an earlier post and it is still telling me that there is not a DVD in my Freecom F Drive. It's an uncanny coincidence that both the external drive and my D-drive both don't recognise blank DVDs. I've even tried 2 brands..

Could there be traces of Roxio left behind, even though I've deleted it? Is there a way of making sure it's all off the hard drive?

I'll check out what directcd is and whether it's on the hard drive somewhere.

Thanks so much for your time though, much appreciated.

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Being as this is an external drive it would be an excellent idea, and potentially a massive time saver, if you could plug it into another PC or laptop and see if it works there.

You won't need to install any drivers or software, any XP or Vista PC should pick it up straight away.

It is quite possible that it's faulty. I presume by the fact you say someone gave it to you it's not new and maybe actually several years old.

Which model is it ?

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Hello everyone,

Just wanted to say that I finally tested with DVD-rws, these didn't work.

I then followed your advice to test the drive on another machine and erm, it is duff [:$]!! Feeling very silly now... Still don't know why my machine doesn't recognise blank DVDs but there you go...

Anyway, currently bidding on a new one from ebay, hope my luck is better. Thank you everyone for your advice, it was really appreciated!

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  • 13 years later...

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