Available free space not seen on Blank DVD[Partly Solved]

[Fredledingue]

I installed two new DVD RW drives. (Tec AD5170A)

They can read contents on DVD and CD-R but they system doesn't recognize blank DVD (+ and - R) or blank CD-R.

Explorer shows properties same as without disc while Nero see that there is an empty DVD inserted but fails to see the available space on it. Any attempt to burn will trigger a "please insert a compatible media" error.

I updated the firmware and uninstalled and reinstalled Nero, with no result.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Fredledingue

[submix8c]

!@#$ Latest Nero... Same problems with older OEM Optorite "Generic DVDRW 8xMax". My particular problem also involved the firmware (backed it up by one version; !@#$ Generic), uninstalled Nero 7.x, reinstalled last Nero6.x, problem went away.

Try Nero 6.1.1.15a (last one available) first to see if it helps. Also latest Adaptec ASPI(?) as well...

HTH

[Fredledingue]

I completely uninstalled Nero (version 6 anyway) and the problem remains: Windows OS, I mean, Explorer, doesn't recognize the media inserted in the tray. It shows "bytes available: 0 - bytes used: 0".

Same problem with CD-R.

No firmware update and other system manipulation helped.

[submix8c]

Well, ??? blah!!!

I re-checked on my 98SE. Two blanks (one CD-R 700MB and one DVD+R) indicated space available incorrectly (at 650MB). Then I inserted a burned DVD-R; wouldn't even recognize it. Then I disabled DMI and AutoInsert and rebooted; it recognized it and was accessible. I then re-inserted the two blanks and space available displayed correctly. FWIW, also have disabled on 2K3.

I seem to have read somewhere that this sometimes helps alleviate the oddity. Go figure...

No other suggestions (from me ennyhoo) available...

Edited July 24, 2007 by submix8c

[Fredledingue]

I did that. Didn't help.

The store service checked the drives on another PC and they are fine. But they won't thouch a w98 system with a ten feet pole (for them it's like stinking poo-poo or something) so they didn't even try to fix my problem.

I'm more and more puzzled.

[Fredledingue]

Explorer tells me in "properties" that it's impossible to read the disc catalog (or table)

[submix8c]

Explorer tells me in "properties" that it's impossible to read the disc catalog (or table)

Won't be a TOC on a blank, only on "burned". Does Properties display "Space Available" correctly (ref previous post) at all? On burned, will show Bytes Used GT-0 and (usually) NO space available (if not multi-session). Try installing suggested version of !@#$ Nero and try again. Ther are some patches for Win98SE (look for "Complete List of Hotfixes.." in forum) for some potential patches for CD/DVD as well.

Otherwise, I too am at a loss. Maybe the burners are just "too new" for 98SE and/or Nero 6.x...

[Fredledingue]

Hi, submix8c!

I spent 3 days trying to fix it when finaly my father, on the phone, told me to select DVD on a small drop down list (with only CD and DVD) in the Nero's 'new project' interface. And, Hop!, all of suden both drives became DVD-W, at least inside Nero.

It's a very simple thing to do but you have to know it and all the informations you get from the system are strongly misleading. For example the DVD drives apear as CD-R, and no "blank cd" as before with the old CD-W drives (It' the first time I install a dvd on a pc).

Also in the system panel, there was only one drive under "CD-ROM", while, materialy there are two, but identical.

I thought the problem came from the fact that the system mixed up on this. So I even bought a thirdDVD drive of a different brand (thinking these two first ones were not compatible with my hardware and\or w98).

I didn't solved the problem and turned me :mad: even further.

At sme point I thought that me MoBo wasn't DVD-W capable (!).

Well now i find myself with 3 DVD-CD writersw. Not even too much given the number of CD I had burned in the past with the CD-R double combo: about 1000. I'm sure I'll have to replace one within 3 years and this technology won't evoluate as much as in the past IMO.

My Windows partition has been formatCeed

A totaly new install didn't help neither but it was not a luxury after 4 years.

I just lost a lot of time uninstalling and reinstalling Windows, backing up all the datas, playing with the BIOS, playing with the ribbon cable, turning on and off the PC, and every time correcting the system.ini file for the 1Gb memory support when the BSOD didn't preceded me. Upgraded the firmware. Reading the ineternet tech forums for hours...

I can say from what i have read that this problem is common and appers frequently on XP platforms.

I left my PC 2 days {two days} at the store just hear that "I have windows 98" (and so they won't even try it on my machine - You know: consumer service) They could have told me about this F%@!# selection on Nero.

I also downlaoded Nero 6.6.1.15a, the last W98 compatible version (I think). It wasn't obvious because it seems that Ahead only offer Nero 7 and Nero Linux. I had to go to Major Geek.

I advise you to download Nero 6 and save it because one day you may not find it at all.

I don't like much the bloat that comes with nero and all the stuff I'll never use, but it succesfuly do what I need while other softwares even didn't see I had two DVD-W installed.

Even more surprisingly it's the only app I know of which copy disc to disc directly without using the HD at all.

A very simple thing to do, yet no 200Kb freeware nor payware do that. (I someone know of such program...please tell me). Of course to connect to the internet, they always succeed.

Now i just burned a DVD to another DVD on the fly in 35~40 minutes. That's about the same speed as with the CD-R combo I had before (8 min for 700Mb).

The system still doesn't see blank DVD correctly but at least Nero see them and used them. I have watched the movie on the mentioned burned DVD and it played fine until the end.

That's the only test i have done and the most important thing to do for me at this stage.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving abroad. I won't be doing other tests and won't posting here for one month so i say thank you for your replies.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Fredledingue