Windows won't recognize blank DVD DVD-R

ctoro · February 10th, 2005, 05:05 PM

Problem: Insert blank dvd-r and click on the drive properties and it says the disk is full. Pinnacle thinks the drive is empty and tells me to insert a blank dvd. Bottom line... I can't burn dvds anymore!

Debug: Burned two home movies to dvd-r (same lot of dvds) the day before. Worked great. I have a Toshiba SD-R5112 (Mad Dog 4X DVD-R burner). I also have an NEC DV-5800A dvd player that came with my Dell desktop. This has to be a software issue because both drives think the blank dvd-r is full. Inserting cd-r media in either drive works great... it recognizes the cd's as being empty and ready to burn to. Both drives still play DVDs.

Tried: reboot, reinstall of dvd decoder, removing useless Nero software
Going to try: remove hardware + reinstall, swap master with current slave,

I'm not a computer genius so I don't know what else to do. Any help would be appreciated. I've been all over the web and seen lots of people with this problem but have never found a solution.

*NooNoo* · February 13th, 2005, 04:29 AM

welcome to windrivers ctoro

First of all what windows are you using?

Second, what changed between it working and suddenly not - for instance did you do any windows updates?

Nero is not useless! However, if you have two lots of burning software on the same machine, there can be issues.

Have you got any packet writing software such as INCD installed? (this allows you to drop a file onto a cd and the computer treats the cd like a massive floppy drive).

How did your experiment go of swapping the hardware around?

ctoro · February 14th, 2005, 11:03 AM

I need to make a correction.
The DVD Drive does not recognize a blank DVD as "full" rather it says "0 Bytes". So it thinks nothing is in the drive.

When I insert the blank dvd the drive description also changes from DVD-RW Drive (E:) to CD Drive (E:)

When I double click on the E: drive it pops up a warning box and says
“E:\ is not accessible. Incorrect function.”

What’s interesting is at the top of the warning window it says D:\ like it thinks the E drive is the D drive. Windows XP Pro is confused!

What I tried this weekend.
1. Started in safe mode. Uninstalled the dvd drives. Shut down. Swapped them. Set one as master one as slave (where before they were cable select). This did nothing.
2. Tried Microsoft's CD-R fix (MSFT article 316529). This also did nothing.
3. Disabled IMAPI CD burning
4. Reloaded Pinnacle Video editing software... and the dvd decoder. Still no success.

There is a program called inCD on my machine. I don't know what it is... other than the description you gave. What do you suggest I try with that? I'm running Windows XP pro.
I can't think of a single thing I did between when the burner worked and when it stopped recognizing blanks. It was only 1 day in between and I didn't get on the computer at all. It is possible that Windows performed an automatic update... but I can't remember.
ps. Nero is only useless when they send you a copy with your DVD burner that doesnt have the ability to burn DVDs! You have to buy and expensive add on! Thanks for your help.

*NooNoo* · February 14th, 2005, 11:50 AM

Uninstall InCD ...

You say you disabled imapi burning... you need this service to burn, so enable it.

Also check in my computer, right click on the drive and select the recording tab, is recording enabled?

What about service packs for xp, what level are you at?

Bet · March 11th, 2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NooNoo

What about service packs for xp, what level are you at?

Since you mentioned it, how does Service Packs impact on DVD or CD burning on Windows XP ?

Any pointers to a detailed feature list?

Thanks.

confus-ed · March 11th, 2005, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bet

Since you mentioned it, how does Service Packs impact on DVD or CD burning on Windows XP ?..

It changes the version of atapi.sys used which underpins practically everything, sp2 also 'clashes' with a great deal of burning software because of this & other issues, so they have a huge effect on practically all aspects.

So welcome bet to wd drivers forums, & perhaps try us with your symptoms ?..

Loopy · March 11th, 2005, 11:49 AM

Excerpt from my Nero quick start guide,
>>Incd is a program that formats cd-rws in such a way that they can be used as hard disks or floppy disks. This means that you can save, copy or delete files from any application onto the disc.<<end (Sounds like the description I heard when Cdrw's first came out)

I haven't tried Incd formatted cdrws yet, I guess it's main purpose is to make using cdrw's easier to use (Ill be glad when someone makes Window$

easier to diagnose and fix

)

Bet · March 11th, 2005, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by confus-ed

So welcome bet to wd drivers forums, & perhaps try us with your symptoms ?..

Thanks for asking confus-ed

You can read my post in

Code:

Samsung ts-h552b cd/dvd-rw won't work

thread.

confus-ed · March 12th, 2005, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loopy

Excerpt from my Nero quick start guide,
>>Incd is a program that formats cd-rws in such a way that they can be used as hard disks or floppy disks. This means that you can save, copy or delete files from any application onto the disc.<<end (Sounds like the description I heard when Cdrw's first came out)

I haven't tried Incd formatted cdrws yet, I guess it's main purpose is to make using cdrw's easier to use (Ill be glad when someone makes Window$

easier to diagnose and fix

)

Incd is a piece of software capable of changing the native file system on cd's such that it will work as if it were a hard-drive (other software does this too & is generally called 'packet writing' ). Cd's use concepts such as tracks & sessions (they use CDFS) which don't occur with hard-drives & this software is a way of translating between the two seperate file systems - it can & does go wrong 'lots' hence why Noo suggests removing it !

confus-ed · March 12th, 2005, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bet

Thanks for asking confus-ed

You can read my post in

Code:

Samsung ts-h552b cd/dvd-rw won't work

thread.

Going to go & look at it now

... Samsung ts-h552b cd/dvd-rw won't work .. btw you've committed the bulletin board 'crime' of 'hijacking'

- that's where you take a topic started by someone else & take it over, which is not 'good form'

- but you are a newbie, so don't take my humour as anything serious

- but in future try & remember the cry 'one problem, one thread please !' or you'll upset the nerds !

(& it confuses the hell out of me ! & I'm bad enough already ...

)

February 10th, 2005, 05:05 PM	#1
ctoro Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2	Windows won't recognize blank DVD DVD-R Problem: Insert blank dvd-r and click on the drive properties and it says the disk is full. Pinnacle thinks the drive is empty and tells me to insert a blank dvd. Bottom line... I can't burn dvds anymore! Debug: Burned two home movies to dvd-r (same lot of dvds) the day before. Worked great. I have a Toshiba SD-R5112 (Mad Dog 4X DVD-R burner). I also have an NEC DV-5800A dvd player that came with my Dell desktop. This has to be a software issue because both drives think the blank dvd-r is full. Inserting cd-r media in either drive works great... it recognizes the cd's as being empty and ready to burn to. Both drives still play DVDs. Tried: reboot, reinstall of dvd decoder, removing useless Nero software Going to try: remove hardware + reinstall, swap master with current slave, I'm not a computer genius so I don't know what else to do. Any help would be appreciated. I've been all over the web and seen lots of people with this problem but have never found a solution.

February 13th, 2005, 04:29 AM	#2
NooNoo Driver Terrier Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: UK Posts: 31,622	welcome to windrivers ctoro First of all what windows are you using? Second, what changed between it working and suddenly not - for instance did you do any windows updates? Nero is not useless! However, if you have two lots of burning software on the same machine, there can be issues. Have you got any packet writing software such as INCD installed? (this allows you to drop a file onto a cd and the computer treats the cd like a massive floppy drive). How did your experiment go of swapping the hardware around? __________________ Never, ever approach a computer saying or even thinking "I will just do this quickly."

February 14th, 2005, 11:50 AM	#4
NooNoo Driver Terrier Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: UK Posts: 31,622	Uninstall InCD ... You say you disabled imapi burning... you need this service to burn, so enable it. Also check in my computer, right click on the drive and select the recording tab, is recording enabled? What about service packs for xp, what level are you at? __________________ Never, ever approach a computer saying or even thinking "I will just do this quickly."

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February 14th, 2005, 11:03 AM	#3
ctoro Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2	I need to make a correction. The DVD Drive does not recognize a blank DVD as "full" rather it says "0 Bytes". So it thinks nothing is in the drive. When I insert the blank dvd the drive description also changes from DVD-RW Drive (E:) to CD Drive (E:) When I double click on the E: drive it pops up a warning box and says “E:\ is not accessible. Incorrect function.” What’s interesting is at the top of the warning window it says D:\ like it thinks the E drive is the D drive. Windows XP Pro is confused! What I tried this weekend. 1. Started in safe mode. Uninstalled the dvd drives. Shut down. Swapped them. Set one as master one as slave (where before they were cable select). This did nothing. 2. Tried Microsoft's CD-R fix (MSFT article 316529). This also did nothing. 3. Disabled IMAPI CD burning 4. Reloaded Pinnacle Video editing software... and the dvd decoder. Still no success. There is a program called inCD on my machine. I don't know what it is... other than the description you gave. What do you suggest I try with that? I'm running Windows XP pro. I can't think of a single thing I did between when the burner worked and when it stopped recognizing blanks. It was only 1 day in between and I didn't get on the computer at all. It is possible that Windows performed an automatic update... but I can't remember. ps. Nero is only useless when they send you a copy with your DVD burner that doesnt have the ability to burn DVDs! You have to buy and expensive add on! Thanks for your help.

March 11th, 2005, 11:49 AM	#7
Loopy Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 195	Excerpt from my Nero quick start guide, >>Incd is a program that formats cd-rws in such a way that they can be used as hard disks or floppy disks. This means that you can save, copy or delete files from any application onto the disc.<<end (Sounds like the description I heard when Cdrw's first came out) I haven't tried Incd formatted cdrws yet, I guess it's main purpose is to make using cdrw's easier to use (Ill be glad when someone makes Window$ easier to diagnose and fix )