How Can I Fix a CD Burner That Does Not Accept Blank CDs?

Blank CDs may look the same, but manufacturers don't always follow the same standards.

If your computer doesn't recognize blank CDs when you insert them, use the process of elimination to determine what is causing the problem and what you can do to solve it. It's also always helpful to have another computer around to try to determine if the drive itself is the source of the problem.

Things You'll Need

• Extra blank CDs

Instructions

1. Restart your computer. Sometimes this works without the need to go through any more steps in the troubleshooting process.

2. Try another blank CD. If that one reads, the other CD you tried was faulty.

3. Try a CD from another company. Sometimes CD manufacturers use non-standard features that your disc drive might not recognize.

4. Uninstall the drivers for your DVD/CD drive and install them again. You may access the drive by going to the "Start" menu and clicking "Control Panel," "System," the "Hardware" tab and "Device Manager."

5. In the Device Manager, expand the item called "DVD/CD-ROM drives." Right-click your drive and click "Update driver." Let Windows connect to the Internet to find an appropriate driver and follow the driver update wizard so it gets the latest drivers for your drive.

Tips & Warnings

• If none of the steps worked, consult a technician to see if the drive needs replacement. If it worked fine previously, your drive probably malfunctioned and no longer reads or recognizes blank discs. Although this doesn't happen frequently, a technician can also determine if your computer has other problems that require technical expertise to repair in order for you to use blank CDs.

References

• Microsoft: How To Configure Devices By Using Device Manager
• Microsoft: How to manage devices