[alty02]

My DVD-RW drive does not recognize when a blank DVD disc is inserted and therefore I cannot backup my photo files to DVD now. The drive reads data saved on other DVDs and also can play movie DVDs as well. But whenever a blank DVD (-R or +R) is inserted, Windows Explorer changes to display it as a "CD drive" instead of "DVD-RW Drive". Is it time for a new DVD drive or is this a common issue that has a fix?

Thanks for any help!

[Advertisements]

Writing laser's probably dead. Far easier and cheaper just to replace the drive.

[Neil Jones]

Writing laser's probably dead. Far easier and cheaper just to replace the drive.

[fenzodahl512]

This might sound weird solution but I strongly suggest you change your SATA/IDE cable first. Try to use another that does not bundled with the DVD-RW.

[james_8970]

This might sound weird solution but I strongly suggest you change your SATA/IDE cable first. Try to use another that does not bundled with the DVD-RW.

Since the user has had the drive for a period of time, a defective cable won't be the issue, unless it has recently been moved and bent harshly.
I suggest following Neil's advice.
James

[alty02]

The drive hasn't been moved since it was installed, so I figured it was probably time for replacement. Thanks for the help!

[Neil Jones]

While cables do go bad, lasers tend to die a few times over long before the cable used to transfer data shows signs of giving up. An IDE/SATA cable, if properly looked after, will probably outlive the rest of the system.