What's the most compatible way to burn a DVD-R?

Burning Software
#1

I’m asking this because something really weird is going with my DVD-RW (it’s ASUS DRW 0402P/D). First, I’ll tell you what I tried, then the problem. I tried to reboot, tried to switch IDE cables, tried to burn with both Nero Express and Nero Burning ROM, while trying both multisession and not (um, Disc-At-One? Eh, so that you can’t burn any more data afterwards), tried to upgrade firmware, but it says I already have this version of firmware, therefore nothing to upgrade. Also, I installed ForceASPI, it did help a bit…

Now, what’s the problem? The problem at first was that the DVD wouldn’t read ANY type of DVD, any at all. After I installed ForceASPI and rebooted, suddently it could read a few DVDs (from what I’ve tried), but after a while (I think after I got into Nero Express/Nero Burning ROM), if I took out the DVD then insterted it again, it wouldn’t read it again… Claiming it’s a blank one, when Nero doesn’t let me to burn on it, but it’s not because Nero thinks it’s a full one, it’s just that Nero thinks there’s no DVD inserted…

Though, I can burn DVD-R’s (don’t have DVD+R’s) with Nero, but afterwards the DVD-RW wouldn’t read them. So, what I did was… Well, I took my brother’s DVD-ROM, plugged out the IDE cable out of the DVD-RW (so that the DVD-ROM is the only CD/DVD drive installed. That’s the same thing I did with the DVD-RW), plugged it into the DVD-ROM, turned on my PC, and voila. Somehow, I don’t know how, the DVD-ROM can read CD/DVDs (although it’s obvious), but can also read the ones the DVD-RW burned (DVD-ROM model as it says in Device Manager; HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8163B. On the DVD-ROM itself it also says “LG”).

So, what should I do to fix my DVD-RW problem? Sometimes it reads DVDs, sometimes not. Oh, it can read all CDs without any problem. And what’s the most compatible way to burn DVD-R with Nero, so that practically any DVD-ROM would be able to read the burned DVD-R afterwards?

Oh, I’m on WinXP. Please tell me anything you think I should try… Thanks.

#2

First topic: Is your Asus a new drive, or one that you used for some time before having problems?

Second topic: compatibility with readers is more about medias used than anything else. Of course you must finalize the discs and use -R (or +R and set booktype to DVD-ROM).

But the media is the most important consideration for compatibility… visit the blank media forum :wink: - interestingly, medias that give better scanning test results also show greater compatibility…

You could consider avoiding to ask two different questions in one single thread next time, you’ll probably have more replies :wink: