Windows 7 DVD/CD burner creates a CD but cannot play the CD it creates

[Jack Harmell]

I am running Windows 7 Pro. My DVD/CD drive (HL-DT-ST_BDDVDRW_CT30F) plays commercial CDs fine. And it can (usually) burn a CD from a file on my laptop. But it is never able to play the CD it just burned. Any idea what is going on?

I say it can usually burn a CD, because often it does not even recognize that a blank CD has been inserted, and thus I cannot begin the burning process.

But if I can burn a CD, when I insert the burned CD, the autoplay "box" shows that the CD is unburned and asks with what software I want to burn it.

It has been a long time since I burned a DVD, but my recollection is that the "process" is exactly the same.

Thanks.

 

[HenkB]

Your burner may be bad, or your burner may dislike this brand or type of CD's or some problem with the program you use.
Maybe we can figure it out:
- Are you using CD+R, CD-R or CD+RW or something else?
- Will the CD that won't play on your laptop plays somewhere else?
- Which burning program do you use?
- Are you burning in the format of an "Audio CD'' using that option in Nero or another burning program
- Or are you burning just some audio files to a CD, just like you burn any other data file?
- Have you ever tried any other brand of CD's or that -R or +R thing?

Henk

 

[Jack Harmell]

Agreed. The CD burner hardware may be bad. The laptop is almost five years old. Although I did reinstall Windows 7 a few months ago.

I have been using CD-R - - That is something I could try, that is, CD+R and CD-R. Thanks.

Yes, CDs burned on my laptop will play on other computers and players - just not the laptop.

I have tried several burning programs - RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, the Toshiba program that came with the laptop and the Windows Explorer option. All have the same result.

Yes, I am burning in the Audio CD format.

I think I have tried other brands of CD, but when I experiment with the CD-R and CD+R I will make sure to also get a different brand.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[HenkB]

Sorry, my fault, there is only CD-R, CD+R does not exist.
(but DVD+R and DVD+RW do exist)

So it not the burning program.

Lets think, if CDs burned on your computer will play on other computers, but won't play on there 'home' computer, would that mean that reading is the problem?
- will cleaning help
- or perhaps a firmware update

 

[Jack Harmell]

I cleaned it, but did not resolve the issue.

No sure what you mean by firmware. I tried to update the driver but it said the best driver was already installed.

Here is a new wrinkle. In order to write to the CD, I now have to uninstall and then reinstall the DVD/CD drive every time.

 

[HenkB]

I don't have the solution but can you try the following:
- go to Device m
Manager
- Remove the DVD - CD device completely
- Reboot
Windows will reinstall the device, let's see what this will do.

 

[Jack Harmell]

That's actually what I was trying to say. This was rather random before, but now every time I want to burn a CD I need to uninstall the device and then reboot, so that it will re-install.

I think this device is pretty much a lost cause. Thanks for trying.

 

[HenkB]

Sorry to hear that.

That firmware story: either the manufacturer of the DVD player or the manufacturer of the computer may offer upgrades for the "firmware" of the player it self. They may change parameters used for burning or reading some types or brands of DVDs.

You may want to check that.