While copying a big batch of files to a DVD this msj appeared: "This DVD-ROM drive is read only. You can copy files to this writable DVD but you must insert it into a writable drive".
It is a writable drive. It has written happily to DVDs before and since. The disc was a DVD-RW, and it has received files before and since.
I told it to skip files as appropriate, and it eventually finished the transfer after a fashion. Trouble is, you can't be sure it has copied all the files when this happens.
I've searched the Net and found 2 other people on other forums who have had the same msj, but no-one seems to know how to cure the problem.
So here's your chance: beat the other experts... :-)
grvale 0 Newbie Poster
rubberman 1,355 Nearly a Posting Virtuoso Featured Poster
This has been a Windows problem for just about ever, especially with XP. It is basically the software trying to push data to the drive faster than it can write it until the hardware buffer overflows... The OS then puts the device into read-only mode. You can remove and re-insert the disc, but you will need to determine the last file that was being written, and overwrite it as it will undoubtedly be corrupted and/or truncated.
FWIW, there are good 3rd party CD/DVD burning software out there that can handle this much better than the ones provided by MS. Two that are recommended are Nero and Alcohol. I have used Alcohol 120% (the high-end version) for years, and was very happy with it. These days I use Linux tools... :-)
grvale 0 Newbie Poster
Thanks v. much, Rubberman. I have Nero StartSmart but find it difficult to tell what I'm doing with it. There are so many other problems with DVDs, I think I'm going to ditch them and do all my storage on flash drives in future. Though dead ones aren't so good as bird-scarers in the garden. :-)
rubberman 1,355 Nearly a Posting Virtuoso Featured Poster
Trust me, you may have similar problems with flash drives on Windows as well - I know that I do! :-)
My advice is to copy one file at a time, wait a bit, and then continue... Windows does NOT deal with buffer overflows to devices very well. :-( This has been a serious PITA for me, even with Windows 7. Linux, not so much of a problem. It seems to deal with the speed mismatch between system drives and external CD/DVD/USB/Flash drives a lot better. FWIW, Alcohol for Windows does have an evaluation period - you might want to check it out. For me, on Windows, it has produced the fewest "coasters".
PhilliePhan 171 Central Scrutinizer Team Colleague
Just wanted to add my $.02...
My solution is to build an .ISO (image) of the files I want to transfer and then burn the ISO to DVD.
You can use the freeware ImgBurn to both build the ISO and burn it.
Works great.
PP :)
grvale 0 Newbie Poster
Thanks to both. One file at a time--I was copying over 1000 data files! I bought a couple of USB3.0 sticks, will see how that goes. Next step and extl HD?...or 2...
BW
GRV.
PhilliePhan 171 Central Scrutinizer Team Colleague
I like external hard drive + DVD backup for stuff I really want to save. Both my brother and a friend have had external hard drives get dropped on the floor and stop working - in my friend's case, he had to have the data recovered by a shop that specialized in such matters. Ugh.
It is pretty darn easy to build images of large numbers of files and burn them to DVD that way.
PP :)
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