DVD-RW can't be read

I have Windows XP home, Sp 3 on two computers, and there are 3 DVD drives available. I use Nero to burn disks. I use DVD-RW's to accumulate pictures as my files in the computer grow, and then when the files (mostly home videos or slides) are complete, I burn them to DVD-ROM.

I have literally burned hundreds of dvd-rw's over the years with no problems. What has happened is that the DVD's will burn and verify, but cannot be read. This is true on all 3 drives.

If I burn to DVD-ROMs, they can be read and all seems well.

What also seems to be true, but hard to believe, is that if I try to read a DVD-RW which has always been OK, not only does it not read, but the data seems to be wiped out because I tried it out with the DVD player on the TV and it wouldn't work! I thought maybe the DVD-RW's had deteriorated with age and got some new ones to no avail. Since the RW disks have been read with no problems, it seems that "closing the disk" isn't involved.

All the drives will read DVD movies, data files, slide shows and music with no problems. It just seems to be the RW's that are the problem. I've used HP, Memorex and Sony. Never had a problem with any before. I just cannot believe it is a drive problem with all 3 involved but cannot think of any other reason.

I use McAfee on one computer and Avast! on the other. Also, I use AdAware and SpyBot. One of the computers rarely gets on the internet so I don't think a similar bug could be affecting both, even if such a bug existed.

There is a Microsoft autofix file which I ran and it couldn't find anything wrong. Here is the printout:
__________________________________
AutoFix [V5.2.3790.67]
Time [2010-11-17 14:10:27]
Microsoft Windows Version [5.1 (Service Pack 3) <2600>]

Test [The Shell Hardware Detection service is running.] - Instance [N/A]:
Result [AutoStart Setting]: OK
Result [The Shell Hardware Detection service is running.]: OK

Test [Policies] - Instance [X:\, Drive Type: 5]:
Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDrives]: OK {Absent}
Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDriveAutorun]: OK {Present}
Result [HKCU\...\Policies!NoDriveTypeAutorun]: OK {Present}
Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDrives]: OK {Absent}
Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDriveAutorun]: OK {Absent}
Result [HKLM\...\Policies!NoDriveTypeAutorun]: OK {Absent}
Result [Driver level policies]: OK {
HKLM\...\Services\cdrom!Autorun (Present) <Allows>
HKLM\...\Services\cdrom\Parameters!Autorun (Absent) <Allows>
HKLM\System\CCS\Enum\...!AlwaysEnable (Absent) <Not set>
HKLM\System\CCS\Enum\...!AlwaysDisable (Absent) <Not set> }

Test [Drive Notification] - Instance [X:\, Drive Type: 5]:
Result [Legacy Notification]: OK
Result [AutoPlay V2 Notification]: Problems {
Service (Silent)
Shell (Deaf) }
>> Repair << [Autoplay V2 Event]
Step: No steps to take.
Result: This AutoPlay setting cannot be fixed. Either the device is malfunctioning, or the wizard cannot determine the problem.

>> Required action: The wizard found problems but cannot fix them -> None
_____________________________________________________________

I am really at a loss for ideas and would appreciate some help.

 

Thanks for the response. Of nine disks, two were -RW and seven were +RW. I have used HP, Memorex and Sony, all of which have worked well in the past and are the only ones conveniently available.

Other symptoms to consider are these: After a RW disk has been erased/destroyed/written, if one attempts to erase it, the reader will usually not accept the disk for erasing. Of nine disks all but two returned the message: "LITE-ON DVDRW SHW-160P65: Drive not ready. Please insert a rewritable diskâ€. Two of the disks erased, but after a few erases one returned the message: "Windows cannot read from this disk. The disk might be corrupted, or it could be using a format that is not compatible with Windowsâ€.

One of the disks erased consistently, so I burned a jpg. It stated that the burn was successful, but when I tried to read the disk in Windows Explorer, it returned the message: "Please insert a disk into drive E:â€. Then when I tried to erase that disk, it returned the message: "Erasing Failure. Illegal diskâ€. It is possible that disk had never been written previously, but once written it was no good.

Failure to erase or burn has occurred in the past, rarely, but then I threw the disk away thinking it was just a bad disk and the problem went away when the next disk was ok.

 

I've had something similar to this problem with DVD-R discs only to find I had a bad batch of discs, most of the pack was OK but the last few gave unreadable results after burning.

I also use a lot of DVD-RW, which should be good for anything up to 1000 rewrites but although none of my discs have done anything like that number of rewrites, occasionally one will fail.

Have you just the one burner? perhaps this is showing early signs of failure or the lens needs to be cleaned.

Nothing worse than trying to find an intermittent problem, good luck.

 

I have 2 burners in one computer and 1 in another. I have used HP, Memorex and Sony in both + and -. I've been doing this for years. The problem started recently. I just purchased new disks and the problem remained. I got a disk cleaner and used it on all 3.

I have lots of storage space and don't rely on RW. I create a file of videos and pictures of the events over the year. Then as they accumulate I put the latest on a RW for family to see on TV with the DVD player. Then at the end of the year I burn it on ROM.

The way the slide show software works, if there is anything on the disk it asks to erase, so I can't use the same rw or rom over and over.

 

Unless there is a virus in the system no action should ever take place without it asking first. It's a long shot but maybe a virus scan with MSE might reveal something. My only other thought is that something has corrupted your optical drive software or firmware, it may be worth re-installing all the drivers and seeing if you have the most up to date firmware. As the error is common to both burners this may be the way to go.

Another thing to consider is if you have added any new software/hardware around the time when the faults started to occur.

This is the link for MSE:
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/support.aspx?mkt=en-us

 

Ran MSE. Nothing found.

As far as I know there was no installation disk with the burners. They just installed with the Windows drivers. They are literally years old and there have been no problems with them except this recent one.

What I meant about the "asking" was that the software requires an empty disk, else it will ask if it's ok to erase. Otherwise it won't burn.

 

After what you have already tried these are my final thoughts.

From this I would suspect that the drive is starting to produce read/write errors and as you have said the drives are many years old it may be time for a new burner. Thankfully these days they are quite cheap to purchase.

And from this it may just be a case that the software cannot do a multisession disc, so no matter what type of disc you use it has to be completely blank. In Nero (which I use myself) you can make a multi session disc but if you forget to select "Start Multisession" on the first burn, again it cannot be added to.

So, my conclusion is that a new burner will solve the problem. I can't think of anything else that could be the cause of these errors. The lasers do wear out in an optical drive with regular use.