Blank DVDs not recognized

[Guest]

I have a brand new Dell laptop with DVD burner and Vista preinstalled. I
have tried blank DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD-RWs. When I insert the disk the drive
will spin and spin for several minutes. I have tried burning through several
different programs, none of which will recognize the disc. The drive will,
however, play a DVD movie. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Guest]

LMN67,

Try the website of the burner program you prefer to check whether an updated
version is available compatible with Vista. Some versions have had
compatibility problems with Vista. Sometimes it's best to uninstall prior
versions of burner applications before installing more updated versions. Did
you try the Windows built-in burner? Also check the CD/DVD settings area in
Control Panel to confirm proper configuration. Post back on results.

 

[Guest]

freddy,

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I have tried the Windows built-in burner
with all the DVD types mentioned before. Even if I just insert the blank
disk without any other programs opened the drive just spins and spins. I try
to format it and it says "Windows cannot format the disc."

I also looked in Control Panel under Device Manager and all seems to be OK.

 

[Guest]

LMN67,

Don't forget to check in Control Panel so that you have the options set to
get the behavior you expect when you insert media into the drive. Also, you
don't need to format the media to burn regular CD/DVDs. Formatting is needed
only for certain type of use. You may want to check the Windows Help and
Support feature under Start. When you launch that feature, search on CD or
DVD burn (or whatever you are looking for) to get the procedure for doing
these functions. If those steps don't resolve the problem, post back for
other possible troubleshooting steps to take. You may have some other
problem, but it's hard to tell from a distance. For example, some burners
don't recognize certain media, and trying a different brand or type can
eliminate the problem. Just some thoughts.

 

[Guest]

Under options, I tried "ask me every time" and "burn DVD data disc" and
restarted, but still, no window pops up when I put the blank DVD in. I have
tried two different brands too. Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[Guest]

LMN67,

These procedures can sometimes take time to learn. Here are some more steps
to take: Try burning by using Windows Explorer (Start > Accessories). In
Windows Explorer, copy a file, maybe in Documents, by right clicking it and
selecting copy. Now right click the burner and select Paste. The file you
copied and pasted should now appear in the right pane. Right click the file
and select Properties and note where the file is located. Windows stashes
the files you want to burn until you are ready to burn them all at once.
Now, right click the burner again and select Burn to Disk. The file should
now be copied to disk. Confirm this by right clicking the file in the right
pane and selecting Properties. Note that the file location should now be on
the the disk. Use RW disks to practice these procedures. You can use them
over and over, so that you don't waste media. You can also use Windows Media
Player to copy and burn. In Windows there oftentimes are 2 or 3 ways to do
the same thing.

 

[Rutetuti]

Hi,
Sounds like a hardware fault. The DVD has two heads, one to read and one to
burn, it may be that the burn head is goosed!
Good luck.

 

[David A. Spicer]

Brand new = return it for one that works properly.