My Home CD Player Will Not Play My Burned CD

Some older CD players will not play recordable media no matter what you do.

CD's burned on a home computer should work on any CD player but it's not a guarantee. There are several common causes for this problem, but not all of them can be fixed. Some CD players just aren't updated enough to handle newer discs.

Compatibility

The age of the CD player plays a key factor in its ability to play CD-R or CD-RW discs. Recordable CDs did not gain ground in the home market until the second half of the 1990s. Many players made before then cannot support the format and nothing can be done to make them compatible.

Solutions

Try different brands of discs, and try CD-R discs if you were only using CD-RW discs. Some players are more compatible with CD-RWs. Special discs that clean CD player lasers may increase its ability to read recordable discs. Invest in a cleaning product for discs too. If the disc itself has dirt or some other defect it can keep temporarily block the laser from reading anything on it.

Misconceptions

Stick to the recommended settings for the media when you record. According to the writers at The Digital FAQ, burning media too slow to try to overcome an audio problem will actually create a less readable burn.

References

• OSTA: Understanding CD-R & CD-RW
• The Digital FAQ: Media Guides - DVD Burning and Media Quality Concepts

Resources

• Burnworld: CD Burning 101