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]

"Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> 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]

"Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> 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!!!!!!!

"Sunny" <wombathouse@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:1w_co.4438$Yv.574@viwinnwfe01.internal.bigpond.com...
>
> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> 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.
>
>

 

[Buffalo]

Seth wrote:
> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> 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".

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]

Buffalo wrote:
> Seth wrote:
>> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>> 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".
>
> 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?

--
Crash

I always thought Mensa was a Japanese import.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Buffalo wrote:
> Seth wrote:
>> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>> 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".
>
> 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?
--
Crash

"The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do."
~ B. F. Skinner ~

 

[Gordon]

On 25/08/2010 19:17, Buffalo wrote:

>
> 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]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:175 -0600, Buffalo wrote:

> Seth wrote:
>> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>> 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".
>
> 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

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

 

[Buffalo]

Dave "Crash" Dummy wrote:
> Buffalo wrote:
>> Seth wrote:
>>> "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:i51rh8$fuk$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>>> 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".
>>
>> 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?

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]

Gordon wrote:
> On 25/08/2010 19:17, Buffalo wrote:
>
>>
>> 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...

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]

Buffalo wrote:
> Gordon wrote:
>> On 25/08/2010 19:17, Buffalo wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> 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...
>
> 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]

Gene E. Bloch wrote:

> 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.

--
Crash

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
~ Robert Frost ~

 

[Char Jackson]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:51:01 -0600, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid>
wrote:

>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]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:20:58 -0400, Dave "Crash" Dummy wrote:

> Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>
>> 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.

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).

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Char Jackson wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:51:01 -0600, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> 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.

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.
--
Crash

What happens online, stays online.

 

[Char Jackson]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:41:46 -0400, "Dave \"Crash\" Dummy"
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>Char Jackson wrote:
>> On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:51:01 -0600, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> 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.
>
>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]

On 25 Aug 2010, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

> 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%2Br+vs+dvd-r>

 

[Buffalo]

Nil wrote:
> On 25 Aug 2010, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in
> alt.windows7.general:
>
>> 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

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]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:239 -0600, Buffalo wrote:

> Nil wrote:
>> On 25 Aug 2010, "Buffalo" <Eric@nada.com.invalid> wrote in
>> alt.windows7.general:
>>
>>> 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
>
> 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.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)