Windows XP Doesn't Recognize Blank Media in DVD Drive

[Guest]

For some weeks now Windows XP (Home) has failed to recognize blank media (CD
or DVD) in my DVD drive. If the disk is not blank, then the usual dialog box
comes up offering several options but if the disk if blank, no dialog box
comes up at all. If I try to drag a file to the drive I get the message
"Insert a disk in Drive H" even though there is already a blank disk in the
drive. What can I do to fix this problem?

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Windows XP built-in CD Writing system DOES not handle DVDs. You should
really check out Ahead's Nero or Roxio Easy Media Creator.

 

[Guest]

Yves,

Yes, I realize that the Windows XP software doesn't do DVDs but I have three
DVD writing software applications (including Nero) on my system and in the
past the OS has recognized the presence of a blank DVD in the drive and
brought up a dialog box pointing to Nero or one of the other apps for burning
the DVD. Now nothing happens or I get the message to put a disk in the drive
and when I do, still nothing happens!
It doesn't even recognize a blank CD in the drive. Something has gone wrong
but I'm not sure what or how to fix it.

 

[Nepatsfan]

Maybe you can try the following. In an Explorer window, right click on your
DVD drive. Click on the Autoplay tab. In the drop down box where you see
content type listed look for an entry for blank DVD. See if you can set the
option you want in the Actions box.

Nepatsfan

 

[Guest]

Maybe you can try the following. In an Explorer window, right click on your
DVD drive. Click on the Autoplay tab. In the drop down box where you see
content type listed look for an entry for blank DVD. See if you can set the
option you want in the Actions box.

Thanks a lot for your post. While it didn't quite solve the problem, it led
me to just about a complete solution as far as CDs are concerned. I tried
setting the desired option for a blank CD but the system's behavior didn't
change. However, in that same properties dialaog box, in addition to the
Auto Play tab, there's a Recording tab. By checking the box there labeled
"Enable CD recording on this drive", most of the problem was solved. I still
don't get the menu I used to get when I inserted a blank CD (and as I still
do on my other computer) but at least now using Explorer I can drag files to
the CD icon to be recorded to the CD or I can use cut and paste and record
files to the CD. That's a huge improvement over the way things were. The
system still does not recognize a blank DVD in the drive, unless it has been
previously formatted using UDF packet writing software.
Since I have Ahead's InCD 4.3 to do that, it's not a major problem. When
I'm using Nero Burning ROM, Ulead Movie Factory, or DVD Decrypter, that
software has no problem recognizing blank DVD media. I had thought of doing
a repair install of XP to see if that would completely restore things to the
way they were initially but I'm not sure I will bother now. Thanks again for
your suggestion.

 

[Nepatsfan]

Glad to see you're making progress. I agree that performing a repair
installation of Windows is not the best route to take at this time. Leave
that as a last resort for any problem.

Have you tried any of the following?
1. Uninstall your DVD player in Device Manager, reboot and let Windows Plug
and Play reinstall the device.
2. Get and install the driver for your player from the manufacturers web
site.
3. Uninstall and reinstall the software you use to record DVD's.

Can't say that these will solve your problem, but they may be worth checking
out.
Good luck.

Nepatsfan

 

[Explorer]

Perhaps this won't help, but I stumbled upon one aspect of the problem:
the disks that I am using (which don't work) are labeled "DVD-R", but
Nero reports that my DVD burner can only write to "DVD+R" or "DVD+RW"
disks.