Faulty discs, or faulty drive?

[stebbinsd]

I'm using my old laptop. It's an old Dell Latitude D630. I'm trying to try and save some data to a DVD-R disc, since my laptop is the only computer I have old enough to actually has a DVD-reader in it.

When I insert the disc into the laptop and click on the DVD Drive in "Computer," it takes about a minute to load, only for nothing to happen. When it does load, I can double-click on the DVD-Drive multiple times, and it just says "Please insert a disc into Drive D," indicating that either the discs or the drive itself is faulty.

I can try multiple discs and it doesn't work. However, I don't think that immediately means that the drive is the problem, since they were all stored in the same location and gathered the same amount of dust for the same amount of time.

If I try to load the disc drive with it being truly empty, it immediately tells me to insert a disc in there. It doesn't go through the minute-long loading time. This suggests to me that the discs are faulty, because the drive can tell something is in there, but it just can't use it!

What do you guys think? Does this suggest that the discs are faulty, or the drive?

 

[jpe1701]

What happens if you try to use the burn utility? Does it recognize a blank disc?

 

[stebbinsd]

What happens if you try to use the burn utility? Does it recognize a blank disc?

The option doesn't even show up when I insert the blank disc into the drive. How do I even make the option appear?

Also, you mentioned in an earlier response that the problem may be due to the fact that this isn't even a DVD-RW drive in the first place. How can I tell? All the "Computer" folder says that Drive D is a "DVD Drive."

Also, I inserted a disc that already had stuff written on it. I was able to read those files without difficulty.

So I know the DVD drive itself isn't faulty. The problem at this point is either my blank discs are unusable or the DVD drive just doesn't allow writing.

 

[jpe1701]

That was my first response so you must have me confused with someone else. What utility are you going to use to burn with? Open it up and see if it recognizes that there is a blank disc in the drive. What model laptop is it? maybe we can find specs for it.

 

[stebbinsd]

That was my first response so you must have me confused with someone else. What utility are you going to use to burn with? Open it up and see if it recognizes that there is a blank disc in the drive. What model laptop is it? maybe we can find specs for it.

What are you talking about? What utility? I'm used to just putting the disc in the drive and having the burn wizard just come up!

I went and bought some brand new blank CDs. The drive now actually recognizes the disc, but I keep getting this message every time I try to open it up.

https://s5.postimg.org/514x62b7b/Disc_Read_Error.png

 

[jpe1701]

You won't be able to open anything because it has nothing to read yet. What version of windows? I looked up the dell laptop and it is a dvd/rw. If you have windows 10 right click on a file and choose send to dvd drive and see if it works. On my computer with windows 10 it doesn't automatically open a burning wizard when a disk is inserted, I use nero.

 

[stebbinsd]

You won't be able to open anything because it has nothing to read yet. What version of windows? I looked up the dell laptop and it is a dvd/rw. If you have windows 10 right click on a file and choose send to dvd drive and see if it works. On my computer with windows 10 it doesn't automatically open a burning wizard when a disk is inserted, I use nero.

My OS is Windows 7 64-bit Pro.

 

[jpe1701]

So in that case if the burning utility doesn't automatically pop up the go to the start menu click on computer then double click the dvd drive and that is supposed to bring up the autoplay with the burn wizard you need.

 

[stebbinsd]

So in that case if the burning utility doesn't automatically pop up the go to the start menu click on computer then double click the dvd drive and that is supposed to bring up the autoplay with the burn wizard you need.

I do double-click on it. That's when I get the error message saying it can't read the disc!