I am a septuganarian computrer illiterate. I am ahaving difficulty with my dvd writer. I am attempting to use a mp3 dvd in order to copy music. It was working before and is little used being only a litle ove 3yys old. I recently had to clear my desktop of some 8000 icons which appeared I went to default set up but now my DVD is not sending its information to My Documents. Also it will not kick into life for video dvds. All other programs are operatoing. I hope you iunderstand what I am writing about and wish you a Merry Christmas. Oliver , England

Oliver:

To help the folks here, perhaps post the make/model of your PC (and is it a laptop or desktop system)?

If the latter, then also make of DVD-writer.

As you are probably using a utility to do the copying etc. - which one (Nero or whatever)?

Also do you (still have...) any disks that came with the PC, or at least with the DVD-writer (if it was a later add-in to the system)?

tAMD Athlon is that it.
desktop
nero 6
In the box of wizardry I have a Power DVD with a number cd-key.mv98822242283421
a book by LG cd-r/rw drive GCE 8480b
a book by LG dvd-rom drive GDR 8161B

aUsers Manual and Driver cd
hree boxed discs CD-recordable 74 min/650 mb
Thanks for your interest

Hi, Oliver!

Your set up does not allow a copy of a DVD - you have a CD writer/rewriter but only a DVD player: you can copy CD's with Nero 6 but you will not be able to copy DVD's without a DVD writer/rewriter. It is not possible to copy a DVD straight to a CD.

Happy Christmas - to everybody!!

Oliver does seem to suggest he actually has a dvd-writer?

And he also states that it (dvd-writer?) was working OK until recently?

Oliver - can you confirm that the device you have is a dvd-writer? In the details you have provided you include a reference to an LG dvd-rom drive GDR 8161B, as well as a cd-writer; i.e. two units in all?

LG GDR 8161B

DVD-ROM drive - Internal - IDE - Read speed: 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD)

LG GCE 8480B

CD-RW drive - Internal - IDE - Read speed: 48x - Write speed: 48x - Rewrite speed: 16x

Given the models listed, (as mentioned) only CDs can be burned

Seems like there's trouble with the optical drives, it's just not clear what, exactly

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Merry Christmas to you all . Thanks for the three replies, and in answer as a complete nerd in these matters, my system was working until this next attempt. Prebiously my cd drawer accepted the mp3 and the information wof the music tracks was lited on My Computer from where I was able to ise the nero to transfer on to a blank tape. Now noting happens when I put the dvd ito the drawer. After my ladst operation I somehow managed to attract aprox 8000 icons regarding the music track and the only way I could find to move them was to go back to the default setting on the pc Thanks for your interest Olive England.

Several possible solution come to mind...

Check that both cd and dvd devices are correctly listed in the hardware section - Control-panel\system-folder\device-manager button?

Are there "any" yellow exclamation marks shown in the lsit of device installed?

If so... (and it's just possible it's the dvd-player is showing the yellow marker...) post back with what etc. is showing it.

What was the reason initially for the return to default setup; and how/where did you do this?

Re-install Nero?

Re-install drivers/software for the dvd-player?

Incidentally where are you in the UK?

trvlr.. Thanks for the reply.On harddware Wizard both cd-rw gce84808 and dvd rom 8161b are listed. No obvious yellow marks
I founf a cd Nero 5 in my box of tricks supplied and intalled that. I think I had nero6.,
Yo say re-onstall Drivers, How withwhat. Sorry to appear so thick but there you go. After my previous burning I was doing Katherine Jenkis)my favourite) and after a successful copy Lo there appeared icons of tracks all multiplying and my folder said there were 8000 icons . So window in microsoft sai go to default and they disappeared. Therein may be the answer. You ae kind to go to the trouble but I can live withouytthis and go buy a Cd of the above lady. I appreciate yout help. I am in Torquay on the South evon Coast and if I can help [please ask Olver.

That there are no yellow exclamation marks in the hardware section means both cd and dvd units are installed etc. OK; thus no need to worry about any driver re-installation.

The plethora of icons, folders etc. on desktop suggests possibly that for some reason or other the copying process dumped the data to the desktop area - rather than to wherever it normally goes? Usually Nero and similar utils default to copied data either to a default destination on the drive (as an iso file) or straight to the target/destination disk itself. You can usually choose to make an iso (to the hard-drive) or to the cd/dvd itself. This option is not obvious but does exist in such utils; the default is of course a standard copy...

Possibly your Nero-6(?) util got a little screwed up/konphuzed...; possibly there was a glitch in the copy proces? Either way "stuff" going to the desktop area is NOT a normal option... and your appparent resoultion is/was probable the best path; especially as it appears to have resolved the mess - when accompanied with the re-install of Nero(5)...

Nero-6 (the CD only) is around at computer-fairs for about £5-6...

Useful fail safes to have to hand are an ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) for windows 2000; you can make one of these any time - and if you don't have one already (and current) then make it sooner than later. Other item: back up the registry both to the hard-drive and to a cd; keep safe etc.

Whenever you make changes to the system (including installing any software) - renew/update the ERD; also the copy of the registry.

Unlike XP there is no restore point option/facility in W2K; but restoring to an earlier registry is often one way to get around a problem that apears without warning (especially if as a result of installing software etc.) - which is why the regular backup of the registry is wise...

Personally in W2K before installing any major software utils I tend to favour some form of registry backup; allows the option to recover the system to more or less what it was prior to that installation if needs-be; but this in not always a viable resolution... In XP one just creates a restore point prior to th changes (hardware/software) then goes ahead with the proposed changes... One can simply return to that restore point if needs-be in event of trouble...

It would be wise also to run a full virus scan; and also (install if you haven't already and) run AdAware and SpyBot search and Destroy utils to clean out the system of any possible junk/nasties that "may" have impinged here too...?

AdAware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com

SpyBot: http://www.safer-networking.org

and ccleaner is also useful - general cleaner out of junk etc...:

http://www.ccleaner.com

All three are free for home/domestic use; all three regularly updated re' defintions will help keep you free of pest/malware etc...

And again regularly update the W2K ERD - when you've made it...

Pretty spot is Torquay...

Happy 2K7.

trvlr THanks for your comprehensive reply. I will try to decipher it and actaccordingle. The cure seems to be more daunting than the problem. I envy your grip on all this stuff. I hope I can see what exacly I have to do. How come you know Torquay.Happy New Year

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