USB DVD/RW drive problems.

anotherbob

My pc has a read-only optical drive. I bought a USB DVD/RW drive because I need to make some copies of a DVD of family videos. When I connect the new drive it will play the DVD I want to copy, but when I put a blank DVD/RW in and try to format it I get the message that there is no disc in the drive. Any ideas I could try? 

Neil_Jones

Are you sure your PC is read-only optical drive?  DVD writers have been standard in computers since at least 2008, and the writing technology for CDs was available in home computers from at least 2004.  I know because I bought one in 2004 and a DVD writer a couple of years later.

But anyway if you want to copy a disk you don't need to format the blank one yourself - depending on how you're copying the software will do what you need to, or you can let Windows do it:

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c03453031

anotherbob

Thanks for your response.
The door of the optical drive on my PC has the DVD ROM symbol, and under Properties/hardware I see TSSTcorp DVD-ROM. SN-108BB.

When I try the process described in the link I get as far as stage 4 but when I double click the drive icon the blank disc is ejected and the message " please insert a disc into drive F" appears. I'm using a Memorex DVD+R blank.

grumbler

Are you sure DVD/RW  needs formatting?

anotherbob

I am sure of very little
But I've tried to format, then tried to copy to a blank disc with the results I've described.
Si I'm stuck

prowla

You could try using Device Manager to remove both drives and then do a search for New Hardware.

But before that, a silly question: are you clicking on the right disc drive?

400ixl

Is the disk you are using a DVD-R or DVD-RW? If the former, you do not format them as they are write once.

If you are making a copy of a DVD for someone, then you ideally want a DVD-R disk and not a DVD-RW (which is designed for multiple writes) and DVD-R's are compatible with more players.

anotherbob

Thank you for your responses. I am otherwise occupied today but I'll continue my efforts asaic.

Heedtheadvice

More or less as above but..

Find the model of your new dvd drive and look it up on the net (or post on here) to confirm it is a writer (most are) and which discs it is compatible with. You need to use a compatible disc. Dvd rom is read only is it not...