(also posted in general hardware)

Dell Dimension XPS

CD-RW's created with RecordNow Max - multi-session on CD-drive (E). CD-drive reads them. DVD drive (D) doesn't. The drive light flickers for awhile, and then stays on indefinitely. No indication in Windows Explorer that anything is in the drive. If I try to click on the DVD drive letter, Win Explorer hangs.

Dell techs tell me the DVD drive is compatible with CD-RW's, but don't know what the problem is. (Nice, huh.)

Any ideas?

the cd will have to be finalize befor the dvd will read it.

#1 - Not so sure you can finalize CD-RW's.

Sometimes drives are fussy about re-writeables I'm afraid. CD-R's (finalized) are almost always acceptable.

Hope you get a better answer from someone.

Derek

Most RW's come with a disclaimer saying they will only be accessible with a burner. I'm also not sure if you can finalize a rw or not. Why don't you just read it with the burner. If you need to use it on another computer that is not equipped with a burner then simply copy it to a cd-r and run with it. :) Hope this helps a little.

Thanks all for the replies. I think Derek and Squiggy have the answer I'm looking for.

I believe "finalized" is for drive access software, and CD-RW's done with that kind of software can't be finalized. I haven't even tried to run them on the DVD drive.

These RW's were done with regular burner multi-session software. I'll try doing it with the single session software. Heck, they're RW's, thus erasable.

Thanks again.

sorry kami I miss the rw part,but derek and
squiggy23 are wrong! you can put things on cd-rw and finalnized the the disk.I have a fews programs on rewritale cd's and yes my lap top has a dvd/cd-rom no burner and it reads the disk.and I'm not real sure but I think these same disk can be formatted and re-used.

zeb

Maybe whether you can finalising CD-RW's depends on the burner software.

I have Nero (bundled) and the only access to finalizing is via the burner screen. When you are using a CD-RW it will not let you access that screen and you handle it from Windows Explorer (or whatever) instead, like a floppy.

If by any chance you also have Nero I would be happy for you to point me to the finalizing option for CD-RW. Always willing to learn but I can't find it anywhere on mine.

Regards

Derek

I'm using RecordNow Max, and I'm burning data. RNM also has drive letter access software called DLA. A CD-RW can't be finalized with DLA.

However, I'm referring to burning the RW's with multi-session (and I tried single session) software. Just as with a CD-R, this method makes a finished CD that's supposed to be readable in most drives. These are the ones that my DVD drive can't read.

Today I noticed another problem with these CD'RW's..... the CD burner drive couldn't read the two I made (one a single session) until I rebooted the computer.

I will have to get back up with you right now I'm working 12 hours a day but I can tell you this I used both easy cd and nero.
and I made a bootable copy of an OS and it works just fine. using a fujifilm cd-rw cd.I also have a few more that has stuff ?????
that works just great.I think you need to closed the session that matter,if you leave a session open then you want be able to read it on a reg cd-rom or dvd-rom.

derek & all
ok I made a music cd with the same cd-rw and yes I used nero burning rom version 5.590 and it did give me the option to finalize the cd.and it too work just fine on laptop.so to play it safe I formatted the cd again this time putting dater on it and again it gave me the option to finalize the cd,I did and again it work great.now please keep in mind that once you finalize the cd it will have to formatted (erase)befor you can put anything else on it.but the disk can be use over and over. zeb

zeb

I'm gonna have to assume there is a limitation with "budled" Nero versions. If I insert a CD-RW and then go to Burning ROM it says words to the effect "sorry chum, software in use" (it's using the InCD option).

I can therefore only use a CD-RW like a floppy and there is no finalizing option in that mode.

Apologies to the original poster for hijacking it a little on this topic.

Derek

understand derek,and I too apologies to kami
just trying to help. zeb

No apologies necessary, there's always something to learn.

As mentioned, I'm using different software, RecordNow Max. I was using Roxio software, but after it trashed 5 CD's (4 using DCD) and was causing other problems, I got rid of it.

With the CD-RW's, I tried both closed session and finalized disk - data CD's. Neither are readable in my DVD drive.

I spoke to Dell several times. Since it works with DVD's (movies) and CD-music, they say the drive is okay. It should read the CD-RW's, but no one knows why it doesn't.

kami, I just want to know what are you putting on the cd-rw ? if you are making vcd it want play on your dvd unless you have the right program to play the movies.

I'm out of ideas on this.

Because this post is now off page 1 you will probably not get anyone new spotting it. I think you should now repost it, in the hope that they right guy/gal reads it. Summarise anything you have tried and refer to the URL or number of this posting so as to avoid folk covering exactly the same ground once again.

Good luck

Derek

Don't know if this will be seen, and sorry I haven't been back here for awhile. It's been very informative.

For Zeb, if you see this: I'm burning plain data (jpg's, text and zip files, etc.)

I've finally concluded, from what I've read here and elsewhere, that my 4 year old DVD drive is just too antiquated to read the CD-RW disks.

Thanks all for the feedback!