Problems reading and burning dvd-rw

i clicked on burnaware free, when i got to the site i clicked on "download now" and the page loads but takes me right back to the same page again???

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 16:14:25

These are the shortened download links provided by the pages I listed. http://tinyurl.com/4sm5f8q http://tinyurl.com/4qwzt6p

i downloaded it and click on dvd video under "multimedia" and when i tried to add the files there was an error. all my videos are WMV format, does burnaware support that?

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 16:58:49

Click on Erase Disk & then select > Format etc. Once finished, try again.

i did as you said but during the formatting process it said a general error occurred, but i tried to add the files anyway and it allowed me to do so, so i added all the video files and hit "burn". right when it started burning i got another "general error" message. not sure what to do here. again i clicked on dvd video under multimedia.

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 19:10:32

Try a Quick erase.

same problem... man if i didnt have bad luck i wouldnt have any at all

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 19:27:53

"Try a Quick erase" After that, if you are still getting the error. 1: Go into Device manager & make sure there are no red or yellow marks. 2: Click on the + alongside the DVD/CD & make a note of your model, put that info into google & see if it is an DVD drive. http://screenshots.leeindy.com/devi... http://www.cybertechhelp.com/tutori...

ok i did all that and everything was fine in the device manager, and the drive is a dvd drive, is the driver maybe outdated or something?

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 22:58:53

What is the burner/rom model? 1: Uncable the ribbon & power to the burner. 2: Boot 3: Shut down 4: Reconnect the cables & reboot. Try the burner again.

it's a HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4040N 1.02 for windows, if thats not what your asking you'll have to forgive me cause i dont know alot about computers beyond the basics though i can usually figure some things out given enough time. but i dont really know how to disconnect the cables or anything like that.

Johnw March 11, 2011 at 23:22:10

"but i dont really know how to disconnect the cables or anything like that" Ok. give me this info please. 1. Open Device Manager 2. Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on "Primary IDE Channel". Under the "Advanced Settings" tab, tell what is in the 2 Transfer mode & Current mode boxes. 3. Repeat the step for the "Secondary IDE Channel"

well there is device 0 and device 1.. under device 0 the transfer mode is "DMA if available", and the current transfer mode is Ultra DMA mode 5. under device 1 the transfer mode is "DMA if available" and the current transfer mode is "not applicable". ok for the secondary IDE channel under device 0 the transfer mode is "DMA if available", and the current transfer mode is Ultra DMA mode 2. under device 1 the transfer mode is "DMA if available" and the current transfer mode is "not applicable". just as a reference the other option for transfer mode in both device 0 and 1 is "PIO only" that also applies to the secondary IDE channel

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 00:43:52

"just as a reference the other option for transfer mode in both device 0 and 1 is "PIO only" that also applies to the secondary IDE channel" Ok, change both to DMA by clicking the small button after PIO & then Ok your way out. Reboot & see if the new settings stuck. Have you tried burning a CD or a RW- CD ( not DVD ), just to see if the burner is working?

they were both already on "DMA if possible", and yes i was able to burn cd's and i just used windows media player for that and it worked fine. right when i put in the blank dvd the menu pops up but it asks me what i want to do with the "cd", i found that weird because it didnt even seem to recognize the disc as a dvd.

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 02:09:00

"they were both already on "DMA if possible" Do you know how to take screenshots & upload them to a site of your choosing. I am trying to leave no stone unturned & will feel at a lot more comfortable when I see the PIO shots.

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 02:50:11

I just googled & found some good screenshots, scroll down to > If under “Transfer Mode” you have PIO, then you need to click on Driver, then Uninstall, OK and “reboot/restart” your computer. Don’t worry, once restarted, Windows should automatically reinstalled them back. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_... Do both channels & reboot when finished. The goal is to avoid PIO.

ok i uninstalled both and rebooted and still the same problem... they are both currently on the DMA if possible setting, although PIO only is still on the drop down menu as an option if you know what i mean. i'm trying to be as clear as i can here so sorry if some of it doesnt make sense.

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 03:50:17

"although PIO only is still on the drop down menu as an option" Ok, now it makes sense, that's normal to be on the drop down menu. Try a dvd & quick erase. I'm going to bed soon, so let me know how it went ASAP.

OtheHill March 12, 2011 at 04:09:34

Under the advanced properties for the IDE/ATA ATAPI controllers in Device Manager you can find out if the drive is actually running in a DMA mode or not.

if you mean do a quick erase on my blank dvd disc with burnaware then i have already done that and got a general error message, same thing when i try to burn the videos on the blank disc

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 04:25:10

"if you mean do a quick erase on my blank dvd disc with burnaware then i have already done that and got a general error message" If you are saying you have done that since you did the stuff in Response #24, I'm now out of ideas, other than trying another brand of disk, as per the earlier suggestion.

yea i still get an error, i'll try another brand (which i'm sure will be waste of money) and when that dont work ill just give up, you cant win 'em all right? but regardless i really appreciate all your help tonight thanks!!

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 12:25:45

"i'll try another brand (which i'm sure will be waste of money)" You can always take a movie ( or use someone else's ) to a friends/relative house & try your memorex on their DVD burner.

OtheHill March 12, 2011 at 13:37:00

Not all burners can burn all variations of disks. DVDR & RW come in both +&- varieties. I am not sure if DVDRW come in dual layer or not.

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 16:23:35

Just realized that after you told me you did'nt know how to uncable, I did'nt do this. In Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click on HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4040N, then click Uninstall. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, click OK etc. Reboot. Now tell me if you can do a quick erase.

Johnw March 12, 2011 at 16:51:56

Going by the burner model number HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4040N, it looks like you need -RW dvd disc, I am not sure though, consult your manual or your computer shop. Further info here. DVD Disk Type http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/cr... Confused by the jumble of letters and symbols (–R/-RW/+R/+RW) that come after the letters DVD? You’re not alone. All of these disk types are not interchangeable, and the type you buy will depend on your DVD burner and your DVD player. Many DVD burners will only burn to either “-R” or “+R” disks, but not the other type. Likewise, many DVD players will only play “-R” or “+R” disks. To be sure you buy the correct type check the DVD burner and DVD player manuals before making your disk purchase. The “-RW” and “+RW” disks are rewriteable, which is handy as they can be used over and over again. However, rewriteable disks are generally the least compatible with DVD players. You’re better off using these to save data, and burning your movies to one-time use disks.

well my friend looked at the outside of the driver and he thinks that according to the label it can read dvd's but not burn them.that might be the case, if so do you know how much an external dvd burner would run me?

OtheHill March 13, 2011 at 20:00:11

If you posted the correct model number it does have burning capability. At least it did. Googling for that model shows lots of folks with problems with burning. If you are ready to give up on the drive then look at the link below for USB burners. You could also try a lens cleaning kit on your drive. http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCate...

thanks, are there any stores that sell those drives instead of buying them online?

OtheHill March 13, 2011 at 20:19:50

Sure there are but you will pay more. I would guess places like Bestbuy or local computer stores might have them in stock. What is the problem with buying online? Do you live in the USA?

yea but i'm not very knowledgeable about online buying... i have a bank card that i use to get money out of an ATM machine but i dont have a regular credit card

Johnw March 14, 2011 at 04:49:01

Just remembered this trick. 25. DVD-RAM model supported in XP but not being recognized or being recognized as CD-ROM? http://www.xptuneup.com/tip0025.htm http://www.instant-registry-fixes.o... http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findb... Demystifying the Windows Registry http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/for... Don't Fear the Registry http://oreilly.com/pub/h/658 http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~b90047/... Open Regedit by going to START - RUN and type Regedit and hit enter. Then you should navigate to following entry in registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\ {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. Highlight the {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} folder in the left pane, delete the following two keys in the right pane. "UpperFilters" "LowerFilter" DELETE these two entries and restart your computer. If your DVD-RAM is supported by WINDOWS XP, this may work.

Johnw March 14, 2011 at 17:20:18

Just Googled to see if there is a tool for the filters & found this, which I downloaded & Ran. It only finds filters to delete. Here is how to use. Install > Run the program > Selected Types, tick Optical drives & Click > Scan Registry. When finished, Click > Clean Selected. Reboot & try Quick erase. Filterfix http://www.cdr-zone.com/forum/downl...

it says i dont have permission to view the file after i try to run filterfix???

Johnw March 19, 2011 at 16:09:32

You may be locked out of Regedit. What version of XP, Home or Pro? Tell me if you can open regedit. You should be able to get in & see as per the sample screenshot here. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tut... Open Regedit by going to START - RUN and type Regedit and hit enter.

sdfox 7 March 19, 2011 at 16:33:31

Here's a free version on Nero, straight from their website: http://www.nero.com/eng/downloads-nbl-free.php http://sdfox7.com http://marcusct.com

its windwos xp version 2002, and yes i opened regedit and did what you said, although there was no "lower filter" listing... but i still cant run filterfix

Johnw March 21, 2011 at 06:08:19

"it says i dont have permission to view the file after i try to run filterfix???" Resetting the Registry and the File Permissions ( XP - Windows 7 ) http://www.sevenforums.com/system-s... http://forums.techarena.in/networki... Microsoft Fix it http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/... http://www.softpedia.com/progScreen... http://support.microsoft.com/fixit/ http://www.techxe.com/2010/03/16/ho... http://winonline.blogspot.com/2005/... http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/r...