Format?

[the_hofers]

Hi, Just wanted to burn a TDK DVD+RW with my new Acer 371 TMi and its "dual burner" (they say). NTI (the OEM burning software) failed, and so did DVD Decrypter & ImageTool (following the use of DVD Shrink). DVD Decrypter speaks of "incompatible format. When the TDK DVD-RW is in, Explorer call the drive a "CD drive". I better try DVD-RW tomorrow? The rewriter is not really "dual"? Or is TDK to blame? Thanx!

[wmansir]

This is an external device right? Does it have a model number? Try looking on the TDK website, or doing a google (or google groups) search for just TDK and the model number and see what you can find out.

ps you probably should have posted this in the burning forum.

[writersblock29]

@the_hofers

It might be an operating system problem as well... I know that Windows ME gave me trouble when using external drives via the USB ports, while Windows XP does not. Also, if you have more than one USB port (most computers do) then try them out as well. Otherwise, it's sounding like your system doesn't recognize the firmware of your burner. If your drive is a "dual format" burner, then it won't matter whether you're using + or - media.

Of course, if your drive is an internal burner (this is showing how lazy a researcher I am :p ), then it's got to be a firmware issue. You can run a Google Search on "the firmware page," then use that site to find the most current firmware for your drive.

... Now that I think about it, it just occured to me that many software CD burning applications have different interfaces between CD burning and DVD burning... Nero, for example, grumps whenever I forget to specify "DVD" and I'm using the CD interface -- in fact, it gripes about the format of my media. Perhaps your OEM bundle is doing the same thing! As far as Windows Explorer identifying your burner as a "CD drive," I wouldn't worry about that: My DVD burner is also recognised as a CD drive (it's slaved off of my DVD ROM, which is properly identified by Windows XP).

This reply may be a rambler, but I hope it gives you some leads!
Good luck!