My Pioneer dvd-rw DVR-K17LF drive is retarded!

I'm a forum virgin, so please be kind.

I have a Toshiba P205D-S7438 Lappie upgraded from Vista HM premium to Windows 7 Ultimate.
My Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-K17LF (firmware ver. 4.53/Driver ver. 6.1.7600.16385/ Date: 06/21/2006) drive won’t burn for me.

I have read and read until my eyeballs feel like the Sahara. I really could use some advice...duh.

Let me give you as much info as I can;
Burning Software used:

DVD Fab 5, and 6. Nero 9 Recode, Express, Vision, and Burning Rom. DVD Flick, and Image Burn...just to name a few...and every time I think it's gonna work...zilch. Sometimes the drive spins, lights up, for several minutes with nothing, then other times it vomits out the blank DVD+RW media within seconds telling me that the process was complete...yah right. When 'DVD' is tested no media is detected by the home dvd player or the computer's.

What I've already done to troubleshoot this issue>besides read till practically blind:
Searched every possible website, Toshiba, Microsoft, Pioneer, etc. for the driver, updates, and or firmware. Sadly, I think Pioneer only made one of the model number DVR-K17LF for my Toshiba, because I cannot find that model number, drivers or firmware for it, anywhere. It's as though it doesn't exist.

I've removed the upper and lower 'filters'. In device manager un-installed the device, rebooted, after reinstall of hardware and driver, still nothing changed.

Ran Nero Disc Speed test, resulting in a popup with "No Additional Sense Information (0444D9)"
I Ran Nero Over-burning test: error "SCSI status 0"---whatever that means????
I'm not in love with Nero, I've used Toshiba's systems tools, as well as Old Reliable...Windows Troubleshooter. (Why do they even try?)

I have used this Lappie since 12/2008 and burned at least 1K disc with the dvd-rw driver. I know this may be the issue as things/electronics in this case, wear out with excessive use, but if there is power to the hardware, and it has no difficulties playing a DVD, CD, and with DVD Fab 5 software works(rips) beautifully, WHY then doesn't the DVD-rw drive want to burn to DVD-+rw and CD-+RW media? I know it's capable of this function and with this type of blank media as it's preformed so well previously.

Did Windows 7 corrupt my DVD driver and make it a burning mute?

Well, here's hoping someone, a mad pc scientist, or laptop guru-wizard, will solve this issue for me and be my knight is shinning Amor. So I'll never have to read another forum post again.

 

Hi,

Which type of disc are you trying to burn--Data, DVD files, ISO, audio CD?

I don't have a definitive answer and want others to respond.

Have you tried imgburn?

Back in October when Win 7 first came out I could only get Imgburn to produce a readable disc. I had a stack of Sony DVDs at that time that every burning software said burned correctly but could not be recognized when reloaded. Imgburn discs were the only ones that could be recognized by Windows when reloaded.

I have recently bought a TDK spindle and have had success with CDburnerXP, most recent version, just downloaded a few days ago. I'm curious if you would have success with either software. I'm wondering if I had a bad batch of discs or if the supposedly Win7 compatible software was the problem. **My DVD burner worked fine before Win 7 using various software but is 2 years old and used quite often for burning DVDs so my former problems may be an old drive.