Tech Support > Microsoft Windows > Performance/Maintainence > CD drive not recognized as writer
CD drive not recognized as writer
Posted by Alan on January 5th, 2006


At both home (not the same PC as my other recent post) and work, I have CD-RW
drives that originally worked properly. Now both of them work fine for
reading CDs, but when I try to burn them I get an error message to the effect
that the software can't find a CD writer (even though upon inserting blank
media I get the popup acknowledging that and asking me what I want Windows to
do).

I've tried auto-updating the drivers via Control Panel-->Hardware, but it
says I already have the most recent ones.
I've tried different brands of media, and they all work on other PCs.
I've also tried a few different software options (XP's Explorer, Real, WMP).
XP Home at home, and Pro at work, if that matters.

Posted by Galen on January 5th, 2006


In news:CC3DB89A-8E23-4C19-8BD2-A34542D0DA80@microsoft.com,
Alan <Alan@discussions.microsoft.com> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> At both home (not the same PC as my other recent post) and work, I
> have CD-RW drives that originally worked properly. Now both of them
> work fine for reading CDs, but when I try to burn them I get an error
> message to the effect that the software can't find a CD writer (even
> though upon inserting blank media I get the popup acknowledging that
> and asking me what I want Windows to do).
>
> I've tried auto-updating the drivers via Control Panel-->Hardware,
> but it says I already have the most recent ones.
> I've tried different brands of media, and they all work on other PCs.
> I've also tried a few different software options (XP's Explorer,
> Real, WMP). XP Home at home, and Pro at work, if that matters.


Try removing the upperfilters and lowerfilters as explained on this page:

Missing CD/DVD Drives:
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general...VD_drives.html

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
Sherlock Holmes


Posted by alex on January 5th, 2006


GALEN, your "cd" plays but your "cdrw cannot "burn" just a thought, are you
"formatting" the new cdrw, discs?
--
alex


"Galen" wrote:

> In news:CC3DB89A-8E23-4C19-8BD2-A34542D0DA80@microsoft.com,
> Alan <Alan@discussions.microsoft.com> had this to say:
>
> My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
>
> > At both home (not the same PC as my other recent post) and work, I
> > have CD-RW drives that originally worked properly. Now both of them
> > work fine for reading CDs, but when I try to burn them I get an error
> > message to the effect that the software can't find a CD writer (even
> > though upon inserting blank media I get the popup acknowledging that
> > and asking me what I want Windows to do).
> >
> > I've tried auto-updating the drivers via Control Panel-->Hardware,
> > but it says I already have the most recent ones.
> > I've tried different brands of media, and they all work on other PCs.
> > I've also tried a few different software options (XP's Explorer,
> > Real, WMP). XP Home at home, and Pro at work, if that matters.

>
> Try removing the upperfilters and lowerfilters as explained on this page:
>
> Missing CD/DVD Drives:
> http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general...VD_drives.html
>
> --
> Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
> http://dts-l.org/
> http://kgiii.info/
>
> "We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
> which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
> there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
> Sherlock Holmes
>
>
>


Posted by Brian on January 5th, 2006


Perhaps this is what you need to do -
Go into 'My Computer', right click on your CD drive (usually D) then click
on 'properties'. Click the 'recording' tab then tick 'Enable recording on
this drive'.

Hope this helps,
Brian.




"Alan" <Alan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CC3DB89A-8E23-4C19-8BD2-A34542D0DA80@microsoft.com...
> At both home (not the same PC as my other recent post) and work, I have
> CD-RW
> drives that originally worked properly. Now both of them work fine for
> reading CDs, but when I try to burn them I get an error message to the
> effect
> that the software can't find a CD writer (even though upon inserting blank
> media I get the popup acknowledging that and asking me what I want Windows
> to
> do).
>
> I've tried auto-updating the drivers via Control Panel-->Hardware, but it
> says I already have the most recent ones.
> I've tried different brands of media, and they all work on other PCs.
> I've also tried a few different software options (XP's Explorer, Real,
> WMP).
> XP Home at home, and Pro at work, if that matters.
>
>
> ---
> avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean.
> Virus Database (VPS): 0601-2, 05/01/2006
> Tested on: 1/6/2006 00:37:13
> avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
> http://www.avast.com
>
>
>





---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0601-2, 05/01/2006
Tested on: 1/6/2006 00:41:57
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com



Posted by hive-mind on January 6th, 2006


What the others have says should work, but if not try this also.
Goto > Control Panel > System. Now click on the Hardware tab @ top.
Click Device Manager. Now you can see all your devices installed.
Double-Click on where it says DVD/CD-ROM Drives.
Now it should show that drive there. It'll show up as whatever the model is.
For example "LITE-ON CD-RW (model#)"
Click the CDRW drive. Right-Click on it and should get a menu, click
"Uninstall"
This will remove any drivers that windows has set in place for this device.
Now not to worry. All CD/DVD/CDRW/DVDRW have a universal plug & play device
driver. Which will automatically reinstall itself once your reboot.
Go ahead and close out the Device Manager and reboot your machine.
When you get back to windows it'll recognize the CDRW drive as if you've
installed it for the first time. It'll auto-install the drivers for it. After
the balloon down at your taskbar says the device has finished installing and
is now ready. Now go ahead and use your software and burn a cd and should
work fine. And you're using a 3rd party program like NERO to burn your cds
with. You do NOT need to have that XP CD-Writing capability enabled. By
default it should be on anyways. Which is fine. But if it is disables.
Programs like NERO can still write to a blank cd. The WinXP CD-Writing
capability is only for when you are doing "Drag-&-Drop" or "Write these files
to CD" from your hard drive to your CDRW through windows explorer, that it
will need to be enabled at all times to work properly.




"Alan" wrote:

> At both home (not the same PC as my other recent post) and work, I have CD-RW
> drives that originally worked properly. Now both of them work fine for
> reading CDs, but when I try to burn them I get an error message to the effect
> that the software can't find a CD writer (even though upon inserting blank
> media I get the popup acknowledging that and asking me what I want Windows to
> do).
>
> I've tried auto-updating the drivers via Control Panel-->Hardware, but it
> says I already have the most recent ones.
> I've tried different brands of media, and they all work on other PCs.
> I've also tried a few different software options (XP's Explorer, Real, WMP).
> XP Home at home, and Pro at work, if that matters.


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