DVD RAM

  • Thread starter Thread starter J e r
  • Start date Start date
J

J e r

In My Computer I have a D drive that's listed as DVD_RAM. When I right click
on it the Format selection does not appear. This is preventing its uses as a
RAM drive.

When a blank DVD is inserted, it changes to a CD drive.

The drive is capable of using both CD's & DVD's. It has no problem reading
and recording movies.

Basically all I want to do is use it to back up files in a write once read
many mode, preferably using drag/drop on the Explorer screen.

How do I get XP to recognize this capability ?
 
I think you will need third party software
to do this. XP's built-in optical write capabilities
don't extend to DVD's.

Check the CD that come with the drive for the
software.
 
Thanks for your prompt reply, VGreen.

I have Drag'n Drop installed, unfortunately it requires the DVD to be
already formatted and in its users guide tells you the format is performed
in the Explorer window by right clicking on the drive.
 
You need special DVD-RAM software, usually provided by the PC manufacturer
or DVD-RAM drive manufacturer.
 
The name is Drag'n Drop. It came preinstalled on my Toshiba laptop. There is
no version given in the About menu, only that the developer is DigiOn Inc.,
Easy Systems Japan Ltd, copyright 2000-2004.

This same condition appears on another machine, a desktop equipped with a
Sony DRU500.

Thanks Jaymon and Cari, you've given some avenues to explore.
 
Jaymon said:

If you would have Read the article you would notice it says specifically
that Windows needs a 3rd party product like In-CD to work. Yes it
specifies that Windows XP should write to a disk, But only if it is
pre-formatted as FAT32. Since Windows XP has no ability to format the
disk you can not use it.
 
The only software I have come across that recognises and reads/Writes
DVDs is Roxio Media Centre version 7 and 7.5 (not tried version 8 which
was relased last week).

Even Nero (ver 6) isn't doing the job properly. In fact most Toshiba's
come with Sonic software (now part of Roxio) but is not a full version.
Nero InCd will not install unless you uninstall Sonic or disable it
before anything else. This is risky especially if you don't have
original Sonic CD.

hth
 
"Unlike the competing formats DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW, you do not
need special DVD burning software to write or read DVD-RAMs on a computer."
"DVD-RAMs can be accessed like a usual floppy disk or hard drive."
The above is quoted from the article I didn't read BTW..
Perhaps you need to read through these links, I'd be interested in yours or
Cari's perspectives, pro or con..
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/may03/05-08writabledvdpr.mspx
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283588
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310525/EN-US/#XSLTH3139121123120121120120
XP should be able to format 4.7 GB on either a HD or a supported DVD-RAM
drive...
What do you think..?
j;-/
 
Jaymon said:
"Unlike the competing formats DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW, you do not
need special DVD burning software to write or read DVD-RAMs on a computer."
"DVD-RAMs can be accessed like a usual floppy disk or hard drive."
The above is quoted from the article I didn't read BTW..
Perhaps you need to read through these links, I'd be interested in yours or
Cari's perspectives, pro or con..
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/may03/05-08writabledvdpr.mspx
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283588
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310525/EN-US/#XSLTH3139121123120121120120
XP should be able to format 4.7 GB on either a HD or a supported DVD-RAM
drive...
What do you think..?
j;-/

It would be nice if XP supported every new piece of hardware as soon as
it was available, but it doesn't. It has to wait for the supporting
software and or drivers to be released. Your links all say the same
thing, that XP will Write to a DVD-RAM drive, nowhere do they say they
will format an unformatted disk, and the Microsoft link states
explicitly that XP will Not write to a DVD-RAM disk that has been
formatted to the CDFS specification. As I do not have a DVD-RAM drive I
can not try using Disk Management to try formatting a disk. Maybe the
OP can try and post the results. It doesn't specify in the article if
it will work with DVD-RAM disks.
 
Im having a similar problem with my dvd drive. Its a lg dual layer dvd-ram
superdrive with the latest firmware installed. I have dvd re-builder, cinema
craft encoder sp, dvd decrypter, AVI Synth installed to backup dvds. My
antivirus is PC Cillin 2006. I also have PowerDVD software installed. The
drive is brand new(3 wks old). Recently it started changing to a cd drive
whenever i inserted a blank dvd. Is it a hardware or software problem? What
can i do to fix it?
 
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