Blank DVD disk not recognized by Windows Explorer

(Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit, SP-2, IE-8, WM-6, WLM-09,
classic mode, dial-up.)

If this is not the correct newsgroup, please redirect me.

About once a month I backup many files onto a blank DVD
disk. Currently, if I insert one of those partially full
DVDs into my drive-E, it is recognized and everything works
normally. When I started my January backup two days ago I
find that if I insert a blank DVD Windows Explorer does not
recognize it, and tells me to insert a disk. If I then
again click on the drive-E, the hour-glass curser appears
for several minutes, but nothing else happens. Per Task
Manager, "Windows Explorer is not responding." Using Task
Manager is the only way I can close Windows Explorer. I
have tried this with several partially recorded disks, and
with several blank disks, all from the same manufacturer,
same style, etc. Process is the same: Windows Explorer
handles previously used disks as it always has, but fails to
recognize new blank disks.

Suggestions, ideas, and references appreciated.

--
----------
CWLee
Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas, and
promote for performance, not preferences.

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
> (Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit, SP-2, IE-8, WM-6, WLM-09, classic mode,
> dial-up.)
>
> If this is not the correct newsgroup, please redirect me.
>
> About once a month I backup many files onto a blank DVD disk. Currently,
> if I insert one of those partially full DVDs into my drive-E, it is
> recognized and everything works normally. When I started my January
> backup two days ago I find that if I insert a blank DVD Windows Explorer
> does not recognize it, and tells me to insert a disk. If I then again
> click on the drive-E, the hour-glass curser appears for several minutes,
> but nothing else happens. Per Task Manager, "Windows Explorer is not
> responding." Using Task Manager is the only way I can close Windows
> Explorer. I have tried this with several partially recorded disks, and
> with several blank disks, all from the same manufacturer, same style, etc.
> Process is the same: Windows Explorer handles previously used disks as it
> always has, but fails to recognize new blank disks.
>
> Suggestions, ideas, and references appreciated.
>

Sounds like the disk is bad. Are you using an "R" disc which you're leaving
open or an "RW"? RW's are notorious for getting corrupted. Do you have
another computer you can try the disk in?
--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."

"Michael" <> wrote

> Sounds like the disk is bad. Are you using an "R" disc
> which you're leaving open or an "RW"? RW's are notorious
> for getting corrupted. Do you have another computer you
> can try the disk in?

The disks are labeled as (Staples brand) DVD+R recordable
disks, 16x speed, up to 16x compatible, 120 minutes, 4.7 GB.
I have been using this brand and type of disks for a couple
of years with no problems.

I don't know what you mean when you talk about leaving a
disk open. My practice has been to copy and paste
directories/folders from my C-drive into the blank disk on
the E-drive, until it was nearly full, then switch to
another blank disk. In the past I have always been able to
go to those disks and read/transfer
files/folders/directories from them to some other location
as needed.

My other computers don't have DVD drives, but I am looking
around for a friend who might be willing to see if these
work for him. I've tried 3 fresh, blank disks, and the
results are the same.

Thanks for your input.

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> "Michael" <> wrote
>
>> Sounds like the disk is bad. Are you using an "R" disc which you're
>> leaving open or an "RW"? RW's are notorious for getting corrupted. Do
>> you have another computer you can try the disk in?
>
> The disks are labeled as (Staples brand) DVD+R recordable disks, 16x
> speed, up to 16x compatible, 120 minutes, 4.7 GB. I have been using this
> brand and type of disks for a couple of years with no problems.
>
> I don't know what you mean when you talk about leaving a disk open. My
> practice has been to copy and paste directories/folders from my C-drive
> into the blank disk on the E-drive, until it was nearly full, then switch
> to another blank disk. In the past I have always been able to go to those
> disks and read/transfer files/folders/directories from them to some other
> location as needed.
>
> My other computers don't have DVD drives, but I am looking around for a
> friend who might be willing to see if these work for him. I've tried 3
> fresh, blank disks, and the results are the same.
>
> Thanks for your input.

You're burning using Session at Once, which leaves the disk open to add
files. Burning using Disk at Once closes the disk so no further files could
be added. When you burn using session, usually only the computer that
burned the disk can read it until it's closed out. When you burn using DAO
the disk can be read by most all DVD readers. If the disk you've been using
as a back-up isn't scratched or damaged in any other way, your burner may be
fried.
--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> "Michael" <> wrote
>
>> Sounds like the disk is bad. Are you using an "R" disc which you're
>> leaving open or an "RW"? RW's are notorious for getting corrupted. Do
>> you have another computer you can try the disk in?
>
> The disks are labeled as (Staples brand) DVD+R recordable disks, 16x
> speed, up to 16x compatible, 120 minutes, 4.7 GB. I have been using this
> brand and type of disks for a couple of years with no problems.
>
> I don't know what you mean when you talk about leaving a disk open. My
> practice has been to copy and paste directories/folders from my C-drive
> into the blank disk on the E-drive, until it was nearly full, then switch
> to another blank disk. In the past I have always been able to go to those
> disks and read/transfer files/folders/directories from them to some other
> location as needed.
>
> My other computers don't have DVD drives, but I am looking around for a
> friend who might be willing to see if these work for him. I've tried 3
> fresh, blank disks, and the results are the same.
>
> Thanks for your input.


The "open" disk issue I think refers to the "burning session" - where you
can continue to fill the disk in multiple sessions until it's full, or you
can "close" the disk in one hit - say to send photos to a family member,
which may only use 50% of the disk capacity - closing the disk will prevent
further burning to it.
Re-writeable disks can be written too multiple times, but CD-R's only once,
that is you can burn files in several "sessions" but only until the disk is
full, and it's still an "open" disk.

At least that's my understanding.

>
>

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939052/en-us

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
> (Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit, SP-2, IE-8, WM-6, WLM-09, classic mode, dial-up.)
>
> If this is not the correct newsgroup, please redirect me.
>
> About once a month I backup many files onto a blank DVD disk. Currently, if I
> insert one of those partially full DVDs into my drive-E, it is recognized and
> everything works normally. When I started my January backup two days ago I find
> that if I insert a blank DVD Windows Explorer does not recognize it, and tells me
> to insert a disk. If I then again click on the drive-E, the hour-glass curser
> appears for several minutes, but nothing else happens. Per Task Manager, "Windows
> Explorer is not responding." Using Task Manager is the only way I can close
> Windows Explorer. I have tried this with several partially recorded disks, and
> with several blank disks, all from the same manufacturer, same style, etc.
> Process is the same: Windows Explorer handles previously used disks as it always
> has, but fails to recognize new blank disks.
>
> Suggestions, ideas, and references appreciated.
>
> --
> ----------
> CWLee
> Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
> cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas, and
> promote for performance, not preferences.
>
>

"Peter Foldes" <> wrote

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939052/en-us

Thanks for the link. I went to that site, and there are two
remedies suggested. One is to turn off Windows Media
Player - and it was not on, so nothing to do there. The
other was to enable the audio devices, and they were already
all enabled, so nothing to do there.

Other ideas?

Thanks.

"Peter Foldes" <> wrote:

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939052/en-us

Since that Microsoft site says: "This problem occurs
because of an error in the Mcicda.dll file.", I wonder how
one might get a copy of the proper "Mcicda.dll file" and
then use it to replace the one on my computer that contains
an error.

Ideas?

As the OP, I have new, and perhaps significant information
to report on this problem.

I have discovered that the OLD Staples brand DVDs that work
just fine, and some Memorex DVDs that I borrowed to test and
that work just fine, measure .04" in thickness. The package
I recently purchased of NEW Staples brand DVDs, with
identical labels to the OLD DVDs - the ones that are not
recognized by my computer system - are only .03" in
thickness.

I don't know enough about how DVD readers/writers work to
understand whether such a difference in thickness fully
explains my problems or not - but I suspect it does.

Comments?

==========================

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
> (Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit, SP-2, IE-8, WM-6, WLM-09,
> classic mode, dial-up.)
>
> If this is not the correct newsgroup, please redirect me.
>
> About once a month I backup many files onto a blank DVD
> disk. Currently, if I insert one of those partially full
> DVDs into my drive-E, it is recognized and everything
> works normally. When I started my January backup two days
> ago I find that if I insert a blank DVD Windows Explorer
> does not recognize it, and tells me to insert a disk. If
> I then again click on the drive-E, the hour-glass curser
> appears for several minutes, but nothing else happens.
> Per Task Manager, "Windows Explorer is not responding."
> Using Task Manager is the only way I can close Windows
> Explorer. I have tried this with several partially
> recorded disks, and with several blank disks, all from the
> same manufacturer, same style, etc. Process is the same:
> Windows Explorer handles previously used disks as it
> always has, but fails to recognize new blank disks.
>
> Suggestions, ideas, and references appreciated.
>
> --
> ----------
> CWLee
> Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
> cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas,
> and
> promote for performance, not preferences.
>
>

"CWLee" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> As the OP, I have new, and perhaps significant information to report on
> this problem.
>
> I have discovered that the OLD Staples brand DVDs that work just fine, and
> some Memorex DVDs that I borrowed to test and that work just fine, measure
> .04" in thickness. The package I recently purchased of NEW Staples brand
> DVDs, with identical labels to the OLD DVDs - the ones that are not
> recognized by my computer system - are only .03" in thickness.
>
> I don't know enough about how DVD readers/writers work to understand
> whether such a difference in thickness fully explains my problems or not -
> but I suspect it does.
>
> Comments?

Never thought of that. I haven't had that problem in years, but there was a
time when some CD/DVD burners didn't like a specific brand of
blank....namely the cheaper brands. After that I've always stuck with name
brands.
--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."