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wln_ats

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CDROM will not read CDR or CDRW but reads commerical CDs

I have a HP Pavilion Laptop with XP Home. It no longer will read any CDR or CDRWs but it has no problem with commerical CDs. It worked in the past but after reloading the OS and installing Roxio CDmaker 6, it cannot read any CDR/Ws. Please help. thanks.
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sirbounty
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Wonder if it will work with this: http://download.com.com/3000-2100-9497911.html
Although XP should have support for it already.
Have you tried removing it from device manager and rebooting for it to reinstall (Start/Run/Devmgmt.msc)?
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mlynch24

Is your CD maker version  6.1.1.7(help, about)? If not go to their website roxio.com and get into the support section and download the update. Can you still burn fresh CDS or format RWs?
Check Windows Update for any service packs.

Also, check the HP site for firmware update for the CD drive.  I had similar issues in a Sony Vaio, once I updated the firmware, it was fine.

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Gobi_Lux

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Hi Wln,

To see if it's a hardware or software problem update and or uninstall CDmaker and see how that goes. You could remove CDmaker and install a free 30-day demo version of Nero Burning (www.nero.com) to see if it works with it. I find Nero more reliable than Roxio products.

Good Vibes!

Lobo
Get a CD cleaner, you've probably got dust on the laser lens. This happens with optical drives every now and then as they get older, it makes the laser less sensitive.

However, you might have lots of small scratches on the lens as well due to age, these obviously won't wipe off! (Laptop optical devices are more prone to this than desktop ones as the laser is often attached to the tray that is ejected from the laptop).

Both dust and small scratches make the laser beam less powerful, this makes it harder for it to read the pits on CDs. The pits on commercial CDs are pressed into the thin metal physically with a press. CD-Rs and CD-RWs produce slight reflective differences by literally burning the metal slightly, these differences are less easy to read than the pits of commercial CDs.
Also, make sure that when burning cds you are finalizing, or closing, the disk.  Many CD-Rom drives won't read a burned disk unless it has been closed.

-Brian