Cannot format a DVD+R

[Buffalo]

Trying to backup a friend's new Compaq 62-210US laptop with 7 Home Premium
64bit and the (4x) DVD +R's will not format. On my Win2000Pro machine the
disks work just fine. I have ruined over 5 disks trying.
Any ideas ?
I have checked for the latest drivers, latest MS updates, uninstalled and
reiistalled the drive to no avail.
The DVDRW drive is an HP CDDVDW TS-L633N. I have tried using the Win Live
format and also the Mastered format. I have waited up to 40 min for it to
happen and then I had to either eject the DVD or go into Task Manager to
stop the formatting process.
Then, the DVD could not be used in my own machine either.
I could not end it otherwise.
Thanks for some thoughts and the solution.
Buffalo

 

[Sunny]

Trying to backup a friend's new Compaq 62-210US laptop with 7 Home
Premium
64bit and the (4x) DVD +R's will not format. On my Win2000Pro machine
the
disks work just fine. I have ruined over 5 disks trying.
Any ideas ?
I have checked for the latest drivers, latest MS updates, uninstalled
and
reiistalled the drive to no avail.
The DVDRW drive is an HP CDDVDW TS-L633N. I have tried using the Win
Live
format and also the Mastered format. I have waited up to 40 min for it
to
happen and then I had to either eject the DVD or go into Task Manager to
stop the formatting process.
Then, the DVD could not be used in my own machine either.
I could not end it otherwise.
Thanks for some thoughts and the solution.
Buffalo

You can only "format" a "DVD+R Rewritable" disk, (using Packet Writing
software), not a DVD+R

R = Write Once. Data can only be written to the disc once. Data recorded
on the disc cannot be erased or overwritten. Depending on the CD burning
software used, data can be added in multiple sessions to the disc until
the disc is full. Playable on most current DVD players if recorded as a
DVD-Video disc.

RW – Rewritable. Data written on the disc can be erased or over-written
multiple times. It can be used the same way as an R disc. However with
packet writing software the disc can be formatted so that it can be used
in the same way as a floppy disc. Playable on most current DVD players if
recorded as a DVD-Video disc.

 

[Seth]

Trying to backup a friend's new Compaq 62-210US laptop with 7 Home Premium
64bit and the (4x) DVD +R's will not format. On my Win2000Pro machine the
disks work just fine. I have ruined over 5 disks trying.
Any ideas ?

Yeah, stop trying to format a "write once" disk. You don't format "R", only
"RW".

 

[Dick Mahar]

ONLY rewriteable discs can be formatted!!!!!!!

You can only "format" a "DVD+R Rewritable" disk, (using Packet Writing
software), not a DVD+R

R = Write Once. Data can only be written to the disc once. Data recorded
on the disc cannot be erased or overwritten. Depending on the CD burning
software used, data can be added in multiple sessions to the disc until
the disc is full. Playable on most current DVD players if recorded as a
DVD-Video disc.

RW - Rewritable. Data written on the disc can be erased or over-written
multiple times. It can be used the same way as an R disc. However with
packet writing software the disc can be formatted so that it can be used
in the same way as a floppy disc. Playable on most current DVD players if
recorded as a DVD-Video disc.

 

[Buffalo]

Yeah, stop trying to format a "write once" disk. You don't format
"R", only "RW".

Thanks for the replies. The computer tries to format them when I use the
Backup feature in the "Bsckup and Restore" feature (and letting Windows
choose what to backup) while using a DVD +R disk.
It then asks "Are you sure you want to format this media" and (DVD RW Drive
(F"
"The media needs to be formatted before it can be used. Formatting will
completely erase all data on the media."

1)If I choose Format, then it stays on forever and ruins the disc
2)If I choose Cancel, then it cancels

I have tried around 7 new DVD+Rs and all it does is end up making them
unusable while trying to format them.


How do I set it up so that it doesn't do that?

I even tried to just copy some files & folders to another DVD +R and after
it copied them it tried to finalize the disk and again it failed.
Does this sound like a hardware failure, a software failure, or just an
operator failure?

I read the help files on this and it says to select Burn Files to Disc using
Windows Explorer and then either choose how I want to use this disc.
1)Like a USB Flash drive: Live File System
or
2)With a CD/DVD Player: Mastered

Thanks,
Buffalo

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Thanks for the replies. The computer tries to format them when I use the
Backup feature in the "Bsckup and Restore" feature (and letting Windows
choose what to backup) while using a DVD +R disk.
It then asks "Are you sure you want to format this media" and (DVD RW Drive
(F"
"The media needs to be formatted before it can be used. Formatting will
completely erase all data on the media."

1)If I choose Format, then it stays on forever and ruins the disc
2)If I choose Cancel, then it cancels

I have tried around 7 new DVD+Rs and all it does is end up making them
unusable while trying to format them.


How do I set it up so that it doesn't do that?

I even tried to just copy some files & folders to another DVD +R and after
it copied them it tried to finalize the disk and again it failed.
Does this sound like a hardware failure, a software failure, or just an
operator failure?

I read the help files on this and it says to select Burn Files to Disc using
Windows Explorer and then either choose how I want to use this disc.
1)Like a USB Flash drive: Live File System
or
2)With a CD/DVD Player: Mastered

What do you have against DVD-RW?

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Thanks for the replies. The computer tries to format them when I use the
Backup feature in the "Bsckup and Restore" feature (and letting Windows
choose what to backup) while using a DVD +R disk.
It then asks "Are you sure you want to format this media" and (DVD RW Drive
(F"
"The media needs to be formatted before it can be used. Formatting will
completely erase all data on the media."

1)If I choose Format, then it stays on forever and ruins the disc
2)If I choose Cancel, then it cancels

I have tried around 7 new DVD+Rs and all it does is end up making them
unusable while trying to format them.


How do I set it up so that it doesn't do that?

I even tried to just copy some files & folders to another DVD +R and after
it copied them it tried to finalize the disk and again it failed.
Does this sound like a hardware failure, a software failure, or just an
operator failure?

I read the help files on this and it says to select Burn Files to Disc using
Windows Explorer and then either choose how I want to use this disc.
1)Like a USB Flash drive: Live File System
or
2)With a CD/DVD Player: Mastered

What do you have against DVD+RW?

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for the replies. The computer tries to format them when I use the
Backup feature in the "Bsckup and Restore" feature

I didn't think that the built-in Windows backup feature was able to use
a writable DVD....certainly the prior versions couldn't.
Try making the backup to your HDD and then burning the file to a DVD
using Windows Explorer or a third-party burning application...

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Thanks for the replies. The computer tries to format them when I use the
Backup feature in the "Bsckup and Restore" feature (and letting Windows
choose what to backup) while using a DVD +R disk.
It then asks "Are you sure you want to format this media" and (DVD RW Drive
(F"
"The media needs to be formatted before it can be used. Formatting will
completely erase all data on the media."

1)If I choose Format, then it stays on forever and ruins the disc
2)If I choose Cancel, then it cancels

I have tried around 7 new DVD+Rs and all it does is end up making them
unusable while trying to format them.


How do I set it up so that it doesn't do that?

I even tried to just copy some files & folders to another DVD +R and after
it copied them it tried to finalize the disk and again it failed.
Does this sound like a hardware failure, a software failure, or just an
operator failure?

I read the help files on this and it says to select Burn Files to Disc using
Windows Explorer and then either choose how I want to use this disc.
1)Like a USB Flash drive: Live File System
or
2)With a CD/DVD Player: Mastered

Thanks,
Buffalo

Get one of the free applications, such as CDBurnerXP (that's the one I use;
there are others) and kiss your troubles goodbye. At least, that's been my
experience.

To answer Crash Dummy's question: what I have against RWs is that when I
used CD and DVD RWs for backup, I found that the disks would fail after a
few, maybe 10, reuses. Of course, they're OK up to that point

 

[Buffalo]

What do you have against DVD-RW?

Nothing at this time, but I have a bunch of DVD+Rs right now.
Do they not work with Win7 Home Premium or is it just this laptop or ?
Thanks
Buffalo

 

[Buffalo]

I didn't think that the built-in Windows backup feature was able to
use a writable DVD....certainly the prior versions couldn't.
Try making the backup to your HDD and then burning the file to a DVD
using Windows Explorer or a third-party burning application...

Sounds like a good idea. I will try that and report back.
Windows Backup lets me choose the DVD drive and it also states, in the help
section, that I could use an UDB drive or a DVD for backup.
Thanks
Buffalo

 

[Buffalo]

Sounds like a good idea. I will try that and report back.
Windows Backup lets me choose the DVD drive and it also states, in
the help section, that I could use an UDB drive or a DVD for backup.
Thanks
Buffalo

Whoops, of course I meant an USB drive.
Buffalo

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

To answer Crash Dummy's question: what I have against RWs is that
when I used CD and DVD RWs for backup, I found that the disks would
fail after a few, maybe 10, reuses. Of course, they're OK up to that
point

I've never had that problem, but I don't use DVD's for backup. I use an
external drive. For long term storage, a remote site. I use rewritable
DVD's for file and image storage, though, and never had any lost data
problems.

 

[Char Jackson]

I have a bunch of DVD+Rs right now.
Do they not work with Win7 Home Premium or is it just this laptop or ?
Thanks
Buffalo

DVD+R's work fine with Windows 7. To see if they work with your
laptop, check the laptop's specs, but chances are very nearly 100%
that they work fine with your laptop. So that leaves the application
you're using, and of course the possibility of user error.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I've never had that problem, but I don't use DVD's for backup. I use an
external drive. For long term storage, a remote site. I use rewritable
DVD's for file and image storage, though, and never had any lost data
problems.

Because of the problems I had, and because USB hard drives got pretty
cheap, I gave up on DVDs & CDs maybe 5 years ago. It wouldn't surprise me
if the disks and drives are better today. And for all I know I was using
cheap RW disks (I just don't remember any more).

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

DVD+R's work fine with Windows 7. To see if they work with your
laptop, check the laptop's specs, but chances are very nearly 100%
that they work fine with your laptop. So that leaves the application
you're using, and of course the possibility of user error.

I believe the DVD+R's work fine for general file saving, it is only when
you try to use them with the Windows Backup program that problems arise.

 

[Char Jackson]

I believe the DVD+R's work fine for general file saving, it is only when
you try to use them with the Windows Backup program that problems arise.

In that case, the fault lies with the brain dead application, and my
advice would be to use a different backup app, (there are many, some
of which are free), or to save the backup to different media such as a
hard drive. Once saved, it can still be burned to DVD's, if desired.

 

[Nil]

Nothing at this time, but I have a bunch of DVD+Rs right now.
Do they not work with Win7 Home Premium or is it just this laptop
or ? Thanks

It's not a question of whether they work with Win7 or not, or with the
laptop or not. It's a question of what kinds of disk the optical drive
itself will support. Some take +Rs, some take -Rs, some take both. You
have to look at the drive's specs.

There are many online essays about the differences between the discs
themselves:

<http://www.google.com/search?q=dvd+r+vs+dvd-r>

 

[Buffalo]

It's not a question of whether they work with Win7 or not, or with the
laptop or not. It's a question of what kinds of disk the optical drive
itself will support. Some take +Rs, some take -Rs, some take both. You
have to look at the drive's specs.

There are many online essays about the differences between the discs
themselves:

http://www.google.com/search?q=dvd+r+vs+dvd-r

Thanks,
The optical drive is supposed to take this kind of DVD.
Buffalo
PS: I can't even burn a simple data disk with this computer and look at it
on the same or on another computer.
I cab see (visually) that something was recorded, but the computer(s) read
the disk as empty or needing to be formated
Damn, I thought Win7 was supposed to make things simpler and more operator
friendly.
Buffalo

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Thanks,
The optical drive is supposed to take this kind of DVD.
Buffalo
PS: I can't even burn a simple data disk with this computer and look at it
on the same or on another computer.
I cab see (visually) that something was recorded, but the computer(s) read
the disk as empty or needing to be formated
Damn, I thought Win7 was supposed to make things simpler and more operator
friendly.
Buffalo

What you wrote there is a typical result of not finalizing the disk, which
is usually done during the burn process. I.e., *before* you start the burn,
you tell the software whether or not to finalize the disk.

But there is this caveat: it *should* still be readable on the same
computer if you use the program that wrote it.