Windows 7 Trouble reading DVD-RW

Kaylee Self

New Member
I am running Windows 7 and recently came across a DVD-RW that I had burned several old pictures to a few years back. It is from the Nexxtech brand.

Once I put it in the computer, the DVD drive began making all kinds of racket and, after about fifteen minutes, claimed to be unable to read the disc. I was able to look at the properties of the disc to see that its file system is UDF and that there is no free space on the DVD.

My computer has never had a trouble playing any other DVD, so I do not know why it's having such trouble with this one. I also tried to read the disc on an XP computer - with similar results.

Is there any way at all I can salvage these photos? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
I downloaded it and ran the program, but it returned saying there were no files on the disc. Perhaps this DVD is just beyond repair...

Thanks, though. This program will definitely be useful for other CDs/DVDs that have been giving me trouble!
 
About "no files on disk", you might have a multisession on the disk. Try to read it with ISOBUSTER http://www.isobuster.com/

This program is very good at reading defected disks:
http://www.dvd-cloner.com/order.html

This one too:
http://www.anyreader.com/

There are also ways to clean disks and make them readable. (Some ways are strange but many work from expirience!)
1. How to Fix a Scratched CD - wikiHow
2. With a banana peel: HOW TO: Use a banana to fix a scratched CD or DVD
3. With Toothpaste: Clean Any Scratched CD Or DVD With Ease!!!! - Video
4. With soap: Link Removed due to 404 Error
 
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It sounds like one of the oldest CD bugs in the business.
I tried to use RW disks, years ago now, for my Utilities that I take with me on service calls. They would read just fine on the drive what burned them but on any other drive, Rots O Ruck Charlie! So from then till now, I always use a brand new CD-R to make my Utilities CD before I go out on a call. I carry the same files on a 4 gig Flash Drive too, just in case......

I finally gave away the last RW's that I had in the house. They are much more trouble than they are worth. Without the drive that wrote that particular CD, good luck trying to get your stuff back.
Advise? NEVER use a RW disk again! Eh?

Old Timer
 
Just sitting here thinking of the problems I've had with CD's and DVD's over the years, a few things come to mind.

One thing I'll never buy again is the BLACK cd's. They look cool but will not work on every drive. So that's one type of disk to stay away from. I bought a spindle of 100, used about four of them and gave the rest away. They would write and verify OK on my brand new drives but would not read on my customer's older drives.

Then there is Laser Diode Frequency drift. As a well-used laser diode gets older the frequency of the light it puts out changes. That effects the burn on the disk.
I tried to Google that topic to get some technical data on it, but there doesn't seem to be much data out there on the topic.

But I'm painfully aware that drift does exist and for that reason I use a new CD/DVD drive for about a year and then retire it and install a brand new one. Also I try to stay with the same brand. For me that's "LG". LG drives are nice and smooth and quiet and are not too finiky on what brand of disks I buy. I like to be able to buy whatever brands of disks that I can find on sale somewhere. Verbatim are my favorite, but I can't always find them when I need them.

Cheers Mates!
Old Timer :cool:
 
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