[Hestia]

Hi,
I want to burn some of my files to dvd and free up my hard drive but for the past half an hour and with various dvds I keep gettting a constant message from windows that it is unable to complete formatting the disk....in addition to that before I even try to format I get a message saying that another program is using the drive for formatting (when there isn't)

Any suggestions?

Edited by Hestia, 16 April 2008 - 07:30 PM.

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Hestia,

First, what kind of DVD's are you using? If you're attempting to "format" them, they MUST be DVD-RW discs. Secondly, why software, if any do you have installed to manage reading/writing/formatting CD-RW & DVD-RW discs? What version of Windows are you running - XP or Vista? Knowing this stuff will help me in further assisting you with this issue.

- John

[John Hook]

Hestia,

First, what kind of DVD's are you using? If you're attempting to "format" them, they MUST be DVD-RW discs. Secondly, why software, if any do you have installed to manage reading/writing/formatting CD-RW & DVD-RW discs? What version of Windows are you running - XP or Vista? Knowing this stuff will help me in further assisting you with this issue.

- John

[Hestia]

I want to burn files onto both dvd-r and dvd-rw discs but for both of them, this ....formatting process..... automatically runs.
The software I am using is windows dvd burner but I also have roxio....and my os is windows vista

hope this helped

[John Hook]

Hestia,

Only DVD-RW discs and CD-RW discs require formatting. CD-R and DVD-R/DVD+R discs are write-once media - meaning that once you burn them, they can't be re-written. I really depends on what you're trying to backup or copy. If you need the ability to have discs which can be re-written or changed, then you'll need DVD-RW discs (more expensive). THESE DVD-RW discs REQUIRE formatting with software such as Roxio or Nero's InCD. DVD-R/DVD+R are write-once discs - i.e. they can't be erased or re-written to. These disks DO NOT require formatting. Once you "burn" files to DVD-R or DVD+R discs, this data is permanent. Roxio should allow you to deal with ALL of these types of discs provided your DVD recorder is supported by both Roxio and the DVD media/speed that you've purchased.

Hope this helps.

- John

[Hestia]

I am aware of the difference between -r +r and rw. Initially I tried with blank dvd+r but regardless of that, an automatic formatting process is running....which ends unsuccessfully of course.
Seeing that, I thought it would work with a dvd-rw disc (since it can actually format ) but the formatting also ended unsucessfully.

I have also tried with roxio it starts then aborts because of a "recording error."

This is the first time this kind of problem is popping up.....Could it be something with the hardware?

EDIT

I got a tech support friend to look at it for me, he hates vista so he insists that is the reason for everythinng.....but he fixed the problem nonetheless....somewhat.
It was a long process, at first he said it was in indexes on my dvds...so that even though they were technically blank, because the index was corrupted the pc was it as already full ....but apparently he was wrong about that.
then he insited that it was the program that was bad and gave me nero seven...which burned up to the end but did not complete ....so I eneded up with a coaster,
then he gave me nero 8 and it works fine now

and that's that

Edited by Hestia, 16 April 2008 - 07:38 PM.