dvd-rw shows as a dvd-ram on xp pro

[freeken1968]

I moved a dvd-rw from my Vista machine to my XPpro machine. Now my computer
shows it as a dvd-ram and it won't recognize blank dvd's. The drive show
properly in device manager and computer management =HP DVD Writer 1140i. Is
there a fix?

 

[Rich Barry]

Open MyComputer>rt click dvd drive Icon>select
Properties>Recording>check box Enable recording on this drive.

 

[smlunatick]

I moved a dvd-rw from my Vista machine to my XPpro machine. Now my computer
shows it as a dvd-ram and it won't recognize blank dvd's. The drive show
properly in device manager and computer management =HP DVD Writer 1140i.. Is
there a fix?

There is no problem with this drive showing up as a DVD-RAM. The DVD
drive specification indicate that this drive can use the DVD-RAM
"media"

As for not being able to see the blank DVD media, you need to check
the Recording Tab and install another DVD "burning" software. XP does
not write to most DVD medias (R, RW, DL R.)

 

[Ian D]

I moved a dvd-rw from my Vista machine to my XPpro machine. Now my computer
shows it as a dvd-ram and it won't recognize blank dvd's. The drive show
properly in device manager and computer management =HP DVD Writer 1140i.
Is
there a fix?

That's normal. XP does not recognize DVD-RW drives, so it
displays it as a DVD-RAM in Explorer. To write to a DVD,
XP requires an external program,, such as Nero. Vista can
write to DVDs natively.

 

[smlunatick]

That's normal.  XP does not recognize DVD-RW drives, so it
displays it as a DVD-RAM in Explorer.  To write to a DVD,
XP requires an external program,, such as Nero.  Vista can
write to DVDs natively.

Not completely true. Windows XP will correctly display the optical
drive as a DVD-RW. You just can not use any built-in XP tools to
write to it. The main reason the drive shows up as a DVD-Ram unit is
the fact the drive can use the DVD-Ram media.

 

[SC Tom]

That's normal. XP does not recognize DVD-RW drives, so it
displays it as a DVD-RAM in Explorer. To write to a DVD,
XP requires an external program,, such as Nero. Vista can
write to DVDs natively.

Not completely true. Windows XP will correctly display the optical
drive as a DVD-RW. You just can not use any built-in XP tools to
write to it. The main reason the drive shows up as a DVD-Ram unit is
the fact the drive can use the DVD-Ram media.

=========================
I have 2 DVD-RW drives, and 1 shows as RW and the other shows as RAM. The
only differences are the manufacturers and 1 is Lightscribe capable. Go
figure, eh?

SC Tom
(XP Home SP3, BTW)

 

[smlunatick]

Not completely true.  Windows XP will correctly display the optical
drive as a DVD-RW.  You just can not use any built-in XP tools to
write to it.  The main reason the drive shows up as a DVD-Ram unit is
the fact the drive can use the DVD-Ram media.

=========================
I have 2 DVD-RW drives, and 1 shows as RW and the other shows as RAM. The
only differences are the manufacturers and 1 is Lightscribe capable. Go
figure, eh?

SC Tom
(XP Home SP3, BTW)

The one wiht Lightscribe "probably" can also use DVD-Ram media. Most
Lightscribe compatible drivers are multi-format ones with DVD-Ram
media format as one of the format.

 

[SC Tom]

Not completely true. Windows XP will correctly display the optical
drive as a DVD-RW. You just can not use any built-in XP tools to
write to it. The main reason the drive shows up as a DVD-Ram unit is
the fact the drive can use the DVD-Ram media.

=========================
I have 2 DVD-RW drives, and 1 shows as RW and the other shows as RAM. The
only differences are the manufacturers and 1 is Lightscribe capable. Go
figure, eh?

SC Tom
(XP Home SP3, BTW)

The one wiht Lightscribe "probably" can also use DVD-Ram media. Most
Lightscribe compatible drivers are multi-format ones with DVD-Ram
media format as one of the format.

===========================
It is. It says "X multi" on it. Don't know about the other, though.

 

[smlunatick]

The one wiht Lightscribe "probably" can also use DVD-Ram media.  Most
Lightscribe compatible drivers are multi-format ones with DVD-Ram
media format as one of the format.

===========================
It is. It says "X multi" on it. Don't know about the other, though.

Nero InfoTool utility will / should be able to read your "drives"
firmwares and report the media compatiblies.

 

[SC Tom]

The one wiht Lightscribe "probably" can also use DVD-Ram media. Most
Lightscribe compatible drivers are multi-format ones with DVD-Ram
media format as one of the format.

===========================
It is. It says "X multi" on it. Don't know about the other, though.

Nero InfoTool utility will / should be able to read your "drives"
firmwares and report the media compatiblies.
=============================

Yep, you're right, the Lightscribe one is RAM-compatible, and the other
isn't. I had to download a newer version of InfoTool; my version is too old
to read the drives correctly.

 

[Ian D]

That's normal. XP does not recognize DVD-RW drives, so it
displays it as a DVD-RAM in Explorer. To write to a DVD,
XP requires an external program,, such as Nero. Vista can
write to DVDs natively.

Not completely true. Windows XP will correctly display the optical
drive as a DVD-RW. You just can not use any built-in XP tools to
write to it. The main reason the drive shows up as a DVD-Ram unit is
the fact the drive can use the DVD-Ram media.

You're right, my older system shows it as DVD-RW. Besides that,
XP cannot natively write to DVD-RW, but it can write to DVD-RAM
disks, if they are first formatted by XP.