combo drive unable to write on to dvd

Hi,
My dvd Drive is not recognizing a dvd disc for writing purpose. But it is recognizing a dvd for reading like if a dvd is already written it is able to read that but not an empty disc for write purpose.

Thanks for any kind of help.

 

What model is the Combo drive, and is it a DVD-/+R/RW?? Some Combo units if DVD writers are only -, not +/-.

 

Ok here is my model:
NEC DVD+RW ND-5100A

I am using a dell inspiron 866 series one. this combo drive came with the laptop. I get this error always but some how i get busy with other activities and forgot this. Now when i wanted to write a dvd badly i could not. Can you please help me in this.

Thanks

 

That drive is +RW only, so you have to use DVD +R or +RW media only. DVD -R and -RW media won't work. You may want to update the firmware on your drive also (if available) as each firmware update usually has media compatibility tweaks as well as glitch fixes. From some posts I read around the boards, TDK media seems to work well with that drive.
. Another question is whether you actually have DVD burning software installed and if that has the latest updates installed as well?
. Once you have the above all straightened out, go to the Adaptec site and download their ASPI layer software. Run the utility that is included in the archive to see if ASPI is installed and what version. If there is none or it is an older version, go ahead and install the ASPI software. I know it says it's for SCSI, but humor me... I use the Adaptec ASPI because it seems to work fine with everything. But Nero and LSI both offer their own if you'd rather.

.bh.

 

Hi Zepper,
Thanks for your response, it provided lot of stuff to me. Ok here is what i had done..
Updated the firmware,
updated the nero dvd burning software to the latest version in nero 6.6
But i did not get the last part. where you mentioned about ASPI. As i am using NERO do i need to download one.

And last one: Is there anyway I can write on -R/-RW discs with my DVD drive as I have +RW. Do we get any softwares to do this.

Thanks for any info provided,

 

You cannot write to -R/-RW disks (unless a firmware update brings it - I seriously doubt it though) but you should be able to read them. If you need to write -R/-RW DVDs, then you will need to replace the drive with a newer one that is multi-format.
. The ASPI layer helps in the handling of storage functions. I have found it to help with strange optical drive problems. Download the Adaptec version - it comes with a utility that will tell you if ASPI is already installed and if so, what version it is. If there is none installed, or there is an older version, go ahead and uninstall the current and install the new. Adaptec's ASPI seems to work with everyone's hardware and software as it is the one provided on your Win XP CD (may have to dig around to find it - but it's old by now anyway).

.bh.

 

Thanks Zepper,
That was lot of new stuff for me. The description is very clear. Thanks for all the help. SO I need to start to look for a combo drive now. Can u suggest me one to use in Dell INSPIRON 8600 one.

Thanks

 

Why do you think you need to use DVD -R/-RW media? It is possible that your software will allow you to change the book type on DVD +R disks so that they look like DVD -R to the reading device. And most agree that the + technology is superior to the -...

.bh.

 

Newegg lists 5 different models of slim DVD burners (priced from $80. up), any one of which will work in your laptop and all can do +/- media - one or two are also DL drives. I have no idea which brands/models of notebook drives are better than the others. But unless you really need to burn -R/-RW media wherever you are, consider an external 5" drive enclosure (Firewire or combo as most notebook PCs have both FW and USB) with the current drive of your choice. Then the next time the technology lunges forward, you will be able to just slip your current drive out and the new one in at much less expense than doing the same with notebook form factor drives. Plus the full-sized drives are MUCH faster than the notebook drives on both reading and burning.
. A currently favored drive is the Benq 1640 which I've seen this weekend for under $40. (but I'm a fan of Plextor drives which cost substantially more) and a good Bytecc FW/USB combo enclosure costs about the same $40. So you can get both for about the same cost as a new notebook drive. Think about it.
.bh.

 

Thanks Zepper, for all the info provided. I think its better to buy dvd +r/RW media discs for writing than to change the drive.

Thanks for solving all my queries so patiently.