Cannot write any DVDs using any program

Hi,

Just bought my 5920G laptop from Dixons - looks great BUT - I cannot write to any DVD media. I can write to CD and I can read DVDs no problem.

Windows media player suggests I get compatible DVD media for the drive speed - I have used 3 types - all up to 16x.

What speed should they be and what media is recommended?

I want to create some backup image DVDs as the PC comes with nothing!

Thanks for any advice.

 

What DVD media did you use? DVD-R/DVD+R ? What is your CD/DVD burning software?

 

A good choice is Nero. I use it and it's great (albeit version 6 OEM).

I have realised that there is lots of stuff going on now with CD's. Pirated, faked, etc blank CD's. You buy the brand new branded CD and the lappie or comp will not read from it or write to it.

Yet I take an old CD RW (3 years plus) and all is well. Suspected my drive.....not the case. Too much fake crap on the market now.

And the best source of reliable disks is being targeted too...namely Verbatim

You never know if it's the genuine thing or not.

 

I know nobody believes me, but it really can be a duff drive.

To read CDs uses one frequency/ intensity, DVD another, CDR/RW another and DVDr/rw yet another. So it's possible for a drive to read everything but only write to certain types. And as new stuff is generally tested by the end user rather than the manufacturer it's not impossible for a new drive to be faulty.

As it's from a high street retailer just take it back. And don't accept any bs about having to phone tech support, you're within your rights to return it for a refund or replacement.

 

This is pretty believable, it could be the drive no matter it's new.

 

I've had it myself, a couple of years ago with a new Pioneer desktop burner. Also had it with used ones, I guess the drive just loses the capability to shine one of the needed lights. With really old stuff a firmware update often sorts out the issues with modern media and maybe general calibration for writing, but a brand new drive should certainly not need that. And as Dixons are flogging to the general public anyone who buys from them shouldn't everhave to need to know about such things.

Although new stuff always has QC stickers plastered all over it, there's still a lot of dead out the box hardware. From my understanding it's because it's cheaper to sell stuff and deal with any returns than to do proper testing before shipping. I know of a range of desktops a few years ago that had quite a frightening rate of DOA issues, can't remember exactly what the problem was but it might have been a bad batch of PSUs themanufacturer had used. Just goes to show new isn't always best - Better to buy used as the failure rates at start and end of normal life are far higher than in between. Just like buying an ex dem car instead of a shiny new one that has to go back to the dealership ever two weeks

 

Well this gets mysteriouser and mysteriouser...

I tried using Verbatim -R and Taiyo Yuden -R - using e-recover to write a recovery image... and WMP to write a data DVD - no go.

Then I tried some TDK -RW and +RW ... lo and behold these worked! And I could use Acer Arcade DVDivine (?Cyberlink) to burn to these TDKs as well - creating a DVD from some pics...

Spookily I also managed to write to a Taiyo Yuden using e-recover - creating a driver/apps image.

Seems pretty un-predictable - but I have seen comments that the drive is happier with some disks vs others...

Any similar experiences anywhere?