Trying to add a new printer but machine isn't picking it up or even reading the disc. At other times I can't backup onto CD as the screen keeps telling me that no CD is inserted. Can you help?

This can often be solved by opening the cover and blowing on the optical head to displace dust and any debris that is fouling between the optics and the actuator that controls the head position. It isn't fool proof but will fix perhaps 40% of units. Take a can of air duster (aerosol blower) and blow the little pick-up form the distance of about 1 inch. It will bounce around in the wind but don't blow to hard. Give it a gentle blast and then try the player. If it doesn't work then try again this time but blow harder.

For RW discs, you need to reformat them to reuse them. For your laptop, you should see a format option if you right click on the DVD icon when you have the File Explorer open to Computer (My Computer). (This assumes that the computer has a DVD writer.)

Finalizing the disc enables the contents of the disc to be read on other DVD players. (This isn't always an issue. For example, a disc burned with WinXP should be readable for a computer with Windows 7 without finalizing. However, if the disc was burned by a DVD player, the contents will not be accessible on any other units without being finalized.)

If the disc has been finalized, you need to take another step before reformatting the RW disc. Put the disc in the unit that initially finalized it. Then look for an Unfinalize option. Then format the disc again. (I've never used this feature on my computer. It's easily accessed on my DVD recorder in the same section of the submenu as finalizing the disc.)

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Probably need more info, such as what utility you're using and where you're trying to back up to. If you?re trying to back up to a CD, make sure it is a fully functional CD-R/W or other writable drive. In most cases folks will try to copy directly onto a CD that is not formatted or to a disc that has been finalized (made readable on other computers), with little or no data on it. Once finalized the "available" disc space is inaccessibly. If you think this is the case, format a new CD-R or CD-R/W disc and try your backup again. If you are trying to back up several directories, such as /My_Documents, you may indeed have too much data for a CD to handle; particularly if you have subdirectories you forgot you had. Try backing up smaller chunks of data to see if that helps. If it does, you can back up several times, or gradually increase the data amount to maximize the disc space usage.

While you write on cd first time, there is a option, whether you mant to make it a multisession ( add files later ) or not.

you have to make it multisession on the first time of write.

If you did not do it, then, you can not add files after the first burning.

Hope it is clear to you. if not please comment with your question here or make a Rating if your problem is solved :D

try cleaning your cd player

When you place the CD, you need to close the CD tray by pressing the button below the CD tray. Click on Start on the screen and go to my computers and see if you are able to see the CD. if you are on the net, we can chat online and i can guide you.

Sounds like a bad pick up assy (Laser)

Is this an original music CD or songs copied onto a blank CD?

Try cleaning the head, if that dont work reinstall drivers

Its possible that the disc has gotten too rough to be read right. Something you can try doing is making a copy of the disc if you have a CD burner. Sometimes the software that CD burners use are a little more sensitive than just the regular windows reading software. Make a copy of the disc then try using it like you did the orginal. Just be sure you keep the orginal copy, just in case.