The CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive on your computer may not be able to write or record (also called burning) files to a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disk.
Use the troubleshooting instructions below if your CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive is not able to write/burn files to a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disk. The instructions help you resolve the problem in some instances if the drive has not failed completely.
The instructions below can be used for both internal and external CD, DVD or Blu-ray drives but some of the fundamentals might be a little different.
The instructions below applies to the following Microsoft Windows operating systems:
This issue may occur due to:
Before you begin troubleshooting:
Click the troubleshooting steps below for more instructions. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next troubleshooting step.
devmgmt.msc
then press the Enter key.It is essential to check the disk that you are using to write or burn for storing your files. There are many different brands and types of recordable media, and some perform better than others. Try different brands of CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, BD-R, or BD-RW disks as they are supported by most recordable drives.
Some reasons why the disk you may be using is not working:
If the optical drive cannot write or burn disks, try removing the CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive.
devmgmt.msc
and then press the Enter key.Dell Technologies recommends updating the BIOS as part of your scheduled update cycle. Like operating system and driver revisions, the BIOS update contains feature enhancements or changes that help keep your system software current and compatible with other system modules (hardware, firmware, drivers, and software) as well as providing security updates and increased stability.
To learn how to update the BIOS on your Dell computer, see the Dell knowledge base article Dell BIOS Updates.
Dell systems that have an optical drive come with a factory installed CD, DVD, or Blu-ray recording software (for example, Cyberlink Power2Go). The Dell provided recording software enables your computer to write or burn files to a recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disks.
If you are having trouble with recording, try to uninstall and reinstall the Dell provided recording software.
My Computer or File Explorer can recognize a blank recordable (R) or rewritable (RW) disks and write or burn data on them. If you are using a third-party recording software to write or burn a disk and if you are experiencing any issues, it is recommended that you try burning a disk using Windows burning engine. This helps you identify if the issue with the third-party recording software or the optical drive.
The instructions below explain how to use the Windows Explorer to write or burn a data disk (a type of disk that is used to store and share files among different computers). If you want to create other types of disks, such as a DVD-Video disk (to play on a standard home DVD player) or an audio CD (to play on a standard home CD or DVD player), use a different program or feature of Windows or a third-party CD, DVD, or Blu-ray recording software.
System Restore is an integrated Windows tool designed to protect and repair the operating system. When something goes wrong with your computer, System Restore should be used prior to restoring to factory condition.
See the Dell Knowledge Base article How to Reinstall Windows 10 on your Dell computer.
If the Dell personal computer Diagnostics on the optical drive has passed, it is most definitely an issue related to software installed on your computer. If the above troubleshooting steps have not been able to resolve the issue with the optical drive, you could try to restore your computer factory defaults as a last resort.
Dell computers are built with a small amount of hard disk space reserved for reinstalling your operating system. This method is the easiest way to restore your computer to factory condition. The restoration process deletes all user data from the computer, so be sure to back up all your files prior to starting this process.
See the Dell Knowledge Base article Restore your Computer Using SupportAssist OS Recovery.
When you experience a situation where you have updated or reinstalled Windows, and it is no longer able to burn CDs or DVDs with the Optical Disk Drive using the Windows integrated tool in File Explorer, see Dell Knowledge Base article Systems Unable to Burn CD/DVD with File Explorer
For any other issue with the CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive on your computer, see the Dell knowledge base article Troubleshooting CD/DVD or Blu-Ray Drive Problems in Microsoft Windows.
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