Windows 7 Need some serious help with disk formatting & file types

[Chrixx]

Been working on this for along time and to no avail. When I try to format a standard 4.7gb disk (which is rounded to 4.38gb before format, tried several times and different brands), error message recieved if 'windows was unable to complete format'. The file type comes up as RAW (also says 0 used, 0 free), which I assume is the default before formatting. Tried many many solutions including: 'testdisk' which was unable to detect anything & some disk partition stuff; none of which worked in the slightest. I wiped my entire hardisk clean including OS and reinstalled every piece of software 1 by 1 for nothing. tried formatting before installing anything or doing any customisation, apart from the essentials. I can only assume that it is the disk drive, I did this thing once where you disable then enable the driver in the past and that worked, but it must be something different this time. Finally the drive can still read commercial disks fine, its just trying to format and burn files that is the problem.

 

[Highwayman]

gonna have a wild stab and ask a really dumb question...

Are you trying to format a blank bluray/dvd disk? seriously?

No wonder you are having an issue as you dont need to format them, you simply use a burning application to write the data, such as Nero or many of the free apps on the web that can do it.

 

[fjgold]

gonna have a wild stab and ask a really dumb question...

Are you trying to format a blank bluray/dvd disk? seriously?

No wonder you are having an issue as you dont need to format them, you simply use a burning application to write the data, such as Nero or many of the free apps on the web that can do it.

Formatting a DVD +\- RW allows the user to simply drag and drop files to the DVD using windows explorer.
No need to use Nero or any other utility.

As long as Chrixx is using RW disks he should be able to format them in Win 7.
Either there is a hardware issue or the disk isn't RW.
Are you trying to format a write once disk? A DVD-R?
If so, I would think that formatting it would ruin it for any use since formatting it writes data to the disk.
Being write once this would preclude being able to write any more data to it.
I would think a RW disk is the only option for formatting.

You are using RW media, right?

BTW: I just successfully formatted a blank DVD+\-RW on my copy of Win 7 so I know it can be done.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Never mind I just realized that the BD-RE refers to the drive not the disk that's in it.

I did notice that when I put a blank RW disk in my drive, that quick format isn't available as an option only a full format.

I also notice that when I left click on the drive with a blank disk in it, it asks me "How do you want to use this disk" and the top option is to format it and use it like a USB Flash Drive, as apposed to being unwritable after use.

Perhaps if you click the first option it will do what you want.

Mike

 

[fjgold]

I don't know Mike, With a DVD+\-RW I can do a quick format.
When I place a CD-RW in my drive the only format option I get is full format.
Left clicking the DVD icon brings up a regular explorer window with this message at the top "Drag files to this
folder to add them to the disc".
Left clicking a CD-RW brings up the dialog you describe.

When I format a DVD-\+RW I can drag and drop files or simply copy and paste them just like with a harddrive or Flash drive.

This is with a DVD +\- RW, what you are describing is options with a CD-RW

With a CD it took a long time (10 minutes) or so.

When done a left click opened an explorer window with the message at top
"Drag files to this
folder to add them to the disc" same as with a DVD.

I think this is what Chrisxx is trying to do but either Win 7 or his hardware is preventing it.

At any rate I think we need the OP, Chrixx to chime in here with some more info like for instance the make\model of his optical drive
and the exact wording of the error message(s) if any.

Below quote from askville.amazon forum

Link Removed - Invalid URL

If it's DVD+R or DVD-R you do not need to format. It's one time use only.

DVD+RW or DVD-RW you don't need to format but you will need to format if you want to reuse as a blank disc.

Make sure your DVD drive recognize the disc before you try to record it.

Maybe the error is recorded in "event viewer" for instance.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

We are having different things happen.

When I left click on the drive with a Blank DVD-RW in it, my computer asks me "What do you want to do with this disk?" (it also asks me this when I first put the disk in the drive) and gives me the options to either format it, or write data to it on a one time basis.

When I clicked the top option it formated the drive and I can use it just like a hard drive now.

I can ad and delete files from it just by dragging etc, just as I would a hard drive, although a lot slower.

I just tried it and it worked for me, the drive shows a capacity of 4.37 Gigabytes.

Mike

Ps. I notice that now that the drive has been formated it is now possible to do a quick format.
This was not an option on my computer when the disk was blank.

Also I don't get the what do you want to do with this disk message now that the disk has been formated.

 

[fjgold]

I think maybe the difference is that my DVD+\-RW disk had been used before (I had burned a Win 7 beta installer.iso to it before using Nero).

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Can you try and start over with a new disk and see what happens.
I know that when you burn an ISO image to a disk to make it bootable it formats the disk in a particular way.

Maybe once that is done the disk can't be formatted again using Windows.
I'm just guessing on that, but I'm pretty sure it is why you aren't getting the same options that I do when you put the disk in.

Mike

 

[fjgold]

Mike, I'm not the one with the problem, the OP Chrisxx is.
He hasn't responded since his original post.
I'm merely reporting that Win 7 is capable of formatting optical media.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I got carried away there.

I did learn a few things about formatting DVDs anyway.
I have one in the drive now and have been swapping stuff in and out of it as a temporary storage location that's off my hard drive.
Seems to work fine.

Mike

 

[fjgold]

Yeah it was a learning experience for me too.
I tend to use a Flash drive for temporary storage it's quicker than optical media.
It is neat that a DVD\CD can be used that way though.

 

[Chrixx]

optical: Blu-ray disc Drive BD-R/-RE/-ROM/ DVD-+RW/-+RDL/RAM Drive

sorry about the late response, had some medical issues.

Files are going on to disk to be played on dvd player (so video files), this worked for along time, it was a simply format then 'drag and drop'
maybe its a hardware issue and I'll have to get new disc drive, which will be hard to replace on laptop