Initialize a DVD-RW?

I have become convinced that a DVD-RW disk must have an initial setup
to render it usable. Along the lines of a track0 or some such. And if
that is gone for whatever reason, then the disk becomes an unusable
coaster. So my question is - it there any software that will set up
an otherwise unusable RW disk for subsequent recording? Or is it that
once this happens, you may as well pitch the disk. Seems a waste.
Hell, I am finding that if I try to read a RW disk in this condition,
it even knocks the drive out of existence (?unmounted it?) even in My
Computer so that I have to re-boot XP SP2 to get the drive back.

Thanks

Gecko

I had the same problem, because the "erasable" flag was set on the
disc. I found that Nero 6 would erase them. Start Nero before you
insert the disc.

I hate that windows grabs the devices before anything else.

Keith

gecko wrote:
> I have become convinced that a DVD-RW disk must have an initial setup
> to render it usable. Along the lines of a track0 or some such. And if
> that is gone for whatever reason, then the disk becomes an unusable
> coaster. So my question is - it there any software that will set up
> an otherwise unusable RW disk for subsequent recording? Or is it that
> once this happens, you may as well pitch the disk. Seems a waste.
> Hell, I am finding that if I try to read a RW disk in this condition,
> it even knocks the drive out of existence (?unmounted it?) even in My
> Computer so that I have to re-boot XP SP2 to get the drive back.
>
> Thanks
>
> Gecko
>

I read a recent post that I can't find today, but I recall it said the
author had successfully rendered his DVD-RW's reusable by placing them
in his DVD player.

Well, I tried that in my players, and none would work on PC
afterwards. I tried.

However, another traumatic event - the bad DVD-RW's now knock the
drive out of recognition on the PC by XP PRO SP2. Cute!
I had to re-boot to get the drive back (removed the disk of course).

Is this a wonderful world, or what?

Gecko

"gecko" <alpha@olympus.net> wrote in message
news:rq8fn399veqal41gpof6rrmsfgot44t7pl@4ax.com...
>I read a recent post that I can't find today, but I recall it said the
> author had successfully rendered his DVD-RW's reusable by placing them
> in his DVD player.
>
> Well, I tried that in my players, and none would work on PC
> afterwards. I tried.
>
> However, another traumatic event - the bad DVD-RW's now knock the
> drive out of recognition on the PC by XP PRO SP2. Cute!
> I had to re-boot to get the drive back (removed the disk of course).
>
> Is this a wonderful world, or what?

Did you try to upgrade the firmware in your drive yet?

Here is one more, rather extreme thing you could try. I once have revived a
DVD+RW by heating it to 100 Celsius in boiling water. Another I did at the
same time was still unusable. It's difficult to do without scratching the
disc though. If you can think of a way of going a little above 100 Celsius
in a well controlled way you may have more success. (Boiling Salt water?)

Try at your own risk.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)
ng@bgdsv.co.uk
To email me remove the letter vee.

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:39:59 -0000, "Brian Gregory [UK]"
<ng@bgdsv.co.uk> wrote:

>Did you try to upgrade the firmware in your drive yet?
>

Not yet.

>Here is one more, rather extreme thing you could try. I once have revived a
>DVD+RW by heating it to 100 Celsius in boiling water. Another I did at the
>same time was still unusable. It's difficult to do without scratching the
>disc though. If you can think of a way of going a little above 100 Celsius
>in a well controlled way you may have more success. (Boiling Salt water?)
>
>Try at your own risk.

That sounds like fun,