I have searched on google and on here and it seems this is a huge problem and nobody had an answer. I have had my dvd burner for proably 2 years and have never used it until now, when I need to make some crucial backups... The drive works 100% fine, it plays dvd movies, install cds etc. etc. The second you put a blank dvd in the name switches from DVD/CD-RW Drive to CD Drive, cant view the "blank" disc, and you get error messages about the disc not being formatted. Now to rule out most of the replies I will get.

I have uninstalled the drives driver and reinstalled.

Did virus scan, system restore, spyware scan, pc doctor.

Everything is running fine in device manager.

Started IMAPI CD-Burning COM service.

Tried multiple brands of blank dvds.

I have searched and searched and can not find an answer. From other I have heard that a full reformat and reinstall still does not solve the problem. If any one has a clue what is wrong with this thing please let me know.

BTW it is a HP 300c dvd/cdrw burner

"The drive works 100% fine, it plays dvd movies, install cds etc. etc."

I do not see where you have burned any disks with this drive. What burning software are you using to burn DVD's? Is burning enabled on this drive?

We need more info in order to give you an idea what may be wrong.

Are you sure its a burner and not just a player?

Once I thought I was wrong, now I'm not so sure!

Xp by default doesn't support DVD burning as it does CD burning. This must be accomplished by installing the proper codecs and burning software. This should have come with your new computer and installed automatically.

Sometimes a customer buys a computer from the manufacturer and goes for an upgraded version. What happens here is that the mnufacturer simply replaces the hardware and then hands over the software to install it with. Then the customer has a standard restore/installation disc that is still set up for the older version and not the upgrade.

The customer sees that the dvd plays movies and thinks everything is fine till they go to burn a dvd and find out that you can't.

In The Matters Of Style,
swim with the current;
in matters of principle,
Stand Like A Rock

lurkswithin: That is the point I was getting to in my post. Surprising how many people fall into the same trap.

Is this a HP Pavilion 300c Series Desktop?
If so the HP site lists DVD x16 CD-RW 40x/10x/40 maximum.
This means that the DVD will only read a DVD disc!
Or is it a HP 300c dvd/cdrw burner?
If so you need to find out what type it is. The HP site does not have this listed that I could find.
What I mean is the following:
DVD= Read
DVDR= stands for DVD Recordable
DVDRW =standsfor DVD ReWriteable
There are three competing DVD Recording standards, DVD-R/DVD-RW and DVD+R/DVD+RW and DVD-RAM

You need to know if this is a DVD –R/-RW or a DVD +R/+RW.
Then you need to know what type of DVD disc your are trying to Burn to.
If the Disc are DVD-R/RW and the DVD you have is a DVD +R/RW it will not work!

Forgot about this post. I tried 4 types of discs and I finally got one that it would reconize, memmorex dvd-rw. Still wont reconize anything else though.

My computer came with the burner and the software, I have since tried to burn using Nero with no luck and other avi to dvd software.

Only thing that i can think of it that I uninstalled the dvd burning software that my pc came with. I wonder by doing this it unistalled some drivers or what not. Not sure what else I can test. Let me know if you guys got anymore ideas.