topic Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

penneck — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:03:45 GMT

I haven't used my DVD drive for a long time, but today I tried to burn a video onto a DVD R. After a lot of trying I managed to get the video onto the DVD (I've tested it in another pc which has Win 11, but my Win 7 equipped pc now wont even see there is a DVD in the drive leave alone read it or write to it. The drive can see CDs immediately, and plays them too without problems.

Any suggestions please to fix this.

Many thanks

Penneck

Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:04:51 GMT

1) Are we discussing one USB external DVD Writer that works on Win 11 but not on Win 7 ?

2) Or is it the Win 7 PC's internal DVD drive that is the problem ?
Try other DVDs to see if the fault persists and points to a drive defect.

Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

penneck — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:44:48 GMT

It is the built in DVD Drive in my desktop pc. It seems to be a bit intermitant. I was able to write to a DVD, and I have tested that DVD on a Win 11 pc. Also, I have just tried two DVDs that had video written on them a couple of years ago, and it started each times I started tthem. However, the DVD I wrote to yesterday just doesn't seem to be noticed in this drive. It may be a dickie drive - I have got a spare drive so I will try changing it later today.

Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

Townman — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:47:34 GMT

Try a lens cleaning disc.

Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

Batfrog — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:12:35 GMT

Given we’re talking Windows 7 then some years ago. If the drive is of a similar age and the lens has been cleaned as @Townman suggests then it may well be the spin motor at fault?

Some many years ago, when it was economic to repair such devices, Pioneer CD/DVD drives developed a fault with the spin motor where the drive was selective over which discs it would read intermittently, a very confusing fault.

Re: DVD R/W Drive sees and reads CDs but doesn't see DVDs

penneck — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:00:40 GMT

Fortunately I found I had a spare DVD Drive of the same type in an old pc in the scap pile, so I swapped the drives and now my every day use pc can now use DVD-Rs. Just as well, because I didn't know how to test for a software fault.

Thanks for your help.