Drive will not read blank DVD-RW disks

[rogerb]

Stuck again but I remember the support you gave me last time so back again!!!

 

I have a TEAC DW 224E DVD/CD Rom which will read recorded DVD's and CD's and record music to CDs (-R) but will not read blank DVD-RW disks so wont let me burn to them. I used to be able to burn DVD's using this drive (I'm almost certain!!!). Device manager tells me that the drive is working correctly. I have run a check for driver up dates from one of the programmes on the internet and it doesn't list any updates available for the drive - although the driver installed seems to date back to 2002.

I've tried two different manufacturers blank DVD -RW discs and get the same effect from both. The drive will read DVD -RAM disks but havn't got any blank DVD-R to try.

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

Roger

[Tootech]

I'd guess that the drive is beginning to go faulty.

 

Just as a belt and braces check, go to Device Manager and uninstall the drive, reboot, let Windows find it again and try one of your disks.

 

New drives are cheap as chips, at that age they are not worth messing with, check out ebuyer - they have an IDE writer which would probably be a good replacement for yours.

 

Samsung SH-S222A 22X DVDRW DL & Ram IDE Black Bare Drive - OEM - Ebuyer

[rogerb]

Toottech,

Thanks. I've been through device manager as you suggested and uninstalled drive and rebooted. Now when I put a disk in the drive the drive light continues to blink and if I select the drive I get a message " Windows cannot read from this disk it may be corrupted or could be using a format that is not compatible with windows".

Still plays audio CDs

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Roger, I tend to agree with Tootech and the DVD read write head has died, (the CD head is a separate head from the DVD one)

Sorry but a new drive is best now and as Tootech says, not expensive.

Nev.

[rogerb]

Thanks Plastic Nev and Tootec. Not doubting your assessment but does the fact that the drive will read both DVD -R and DVD-RW disks that contain burned video without any problem change your view.

Roger

[Tootech]

Yep, I'd say that it is on its way.

 

If that came to me for repair, I wouldn't mess about with it, just swap it.

 

Edit: Sometimes I have found that drives will read certain DVD's/CD's and not others. Sometimes they will only read the discs that were created on that specific drive - something to do with head alignment. If some work and some don't its not the same as it just not working or being missing from My Computer.

 

BTW - it looks like it is a laptop drive - can you confirm that

Edited January 3, 2010 by Tootech

[rogerb]

Tootec,

Thanks I'll get a replacement.

Yes it is a laptop.

I do have another DVD -RAM drive (Ma****a DVD-RAM UJ815A) in the laptop but this only seems to read pre -recorded DVDs. Is that all it is designed to do? Sorry to be thick but I don't understand the different functions of the two drives.

[rogerb]

Tootec,

Thanks I'll get a replacement.

Yes it is a laptop.

I do have another DVD -RAM drive (Ma****a DVD-RAM UJ815A) in the laptop but this only seems to read pre -recorded DVDs. Is that all it is designed to do? Sorry to be thick but I don't understand the different functions of the two drives.

Tootec/Plastic Nev,

Back again - sorry. I have not yet installed the replacement drive you recommended. Hope to be able to do so next week. That drive (the TEACDW 224E DVD/CD Rom) will do everything except recognise a blank DVD -RW. Everything else on that drive works fine (including DVD -RW that I have recorded onto)

 

The other drive I have on the laptop is a Ma****a DVD-RAM UJ815A. This one only seems to play and recognise SOME prerecorded DVD's not all of them. I can't distinguish what determines why it will read some and not others of the pre-recorded. It doesn't seem to recognise any blank disks of any format and will not read any disks that I have recorded to.

Is this drive faulty as well or could this be a software or other problem,

 

Thanks in anticipation

Roger

[insertdisc]

Quick solution. The drive TEAC DW 224E is a CD-RW / DVD-ROM which is not compatible with 'cannot burn to' blank dvds. Shocked no one had checked on that yet.

[RandyL]

You're right. Thanks.