Bizarre DVD drive to CD drive activity

[lynds1000]

Hi, I'm hoping I can get some help - I've searched the internet and just
can't find an answer, nor is there anything on the Microsoft fix it site.

Basically, we have two DVD RW drives on our Acer PC. We regularly burn to
DVD using Nero 7. A few days ago, when inserting a blank DVD RW into one of
the drives, the drive, in front of our eyes, turned from a DVD RW to a CD
drive. Then when I tried to click on the now cd drive I got an error message
saying 'incorrect function' - that seems to have disappeared now and instead
it doesn't read the DVD disc at all.

We then tried to burn, as per usual, to dvd via Nero 7, and even though
there's a DVD RW in the drive, it says either we need to put a disc in the
drive, or that we need to insert basically, anything but a dvd rw - but even
when we do, the same happens!

The top and bottom of it is when we insert a dvd into the dvd rw drive, it
bizzarely becomes a cd drive, which subsequently means we can't burn anything
to dvd, which is a real pain and makes us feel like we have half a pc.

It's not the drive, because the other DVD RW we have does exactly the same.
And we've tried using a variety of DVDs but it's still the same. And both
drives still read original dvds and things we've already burnt.

I'm thinking it must be a programming error or something to do with Nero,
but can't find a simple solution to fix it anywhere.

My other half is threatening to just wipe our whole PC and start from
scratch but we have so many sentimental things on there, brithday films etc
that I'm desperately scrapping around to find a solution! Please help.....!!!

Thank you in anticipation!
Lyndsey

 

[Dawoodoz]

If you guy a 60GB solid state disc with mini USB connection for about $150,
you can have all your files backuped safely for 100-200 years.
I have bought one and it's really easy to use as a regular memory stick.

 

[Anteaus]

Possible they're IDE drives and both on the same cable. If one is putting
bad data onto the cable it may prevent the other from working. Only way to be
sure is to connect one at a time. It may also be a bad cable, or less likely
but possible, a bad mobo IDE port.

If you think the problem is software-related then booting from a Knoppix CD
may prove or disprove that. (The Knoppix CD-burner is called k3b and it
looks/works much like Nero.)

Of course if you can't burn CDs you'll need to find another computer to make
your Knoppix CD.

 

[Dawoodoz]

Ubuntu could also test it and is more userfriendly for unix/linux beginners.

 

[smlunatick]

Hi, I'm hoping I can get some help - I've searched the internet and just
can't find an answer, nor is there anything on the Microsoft fix it site.

Basically, we have two DVD RW drives on our Acer PC. We regularly burn to
DVD using Nero 7. A few days ago, when inserting a blank DVD RW into one of
the drives, the drive, in front of our eyes, turned from a DVD RW to a CD
drive. Then when I tried to click on the now cd drive I got an error message
saying 'incorrect function' - that seems to have disappeared now and instead
it doesn't read the DVD disc at all.

We then tried to burn, as per usual, to dvd via Nero 7, and even though
there's a DVD RW in the drive, it says either we need to put a disc in the
drive, or that we need to insert basically, anything but a dvd rw - but even
when we do, the same happens!

The top and bottom of it is when we insert a dvd into the  dvd rw drive, it
bizzarely becomes a cd drive, which subsequently means we can't burn anything
to dvd, which is a real pain and makes us feel like we have half a pc.

It's not the drive, because the other DVD RW we have does exactly the same.
And we've tried using a variety of DVDs but it's still the same. And both
drives still read original dvds and things we've already burnt.

I'm thinking it must be a programming error or something to do with Nero,
but can't find a simple solution to fix it anywhere.

My other half is threatening to just wipe our whole PC and start from
scratch but we have so many sentimental things on there, brithday films etc
that I'm desperately scrapping around to find a solution! Please help......!!!

Thank you in anticipation!
Lyndsey

Windows XP does not norally "write" to most DVD media (DVD-RAM is the
exception.) It is normal for the DVD RW "description" to change
breifly. If it does not revert, then either "re-install Nero or check
for updates