Can't write to CD in Windows XP

Frustrating problem: Windows XP SP2, Dell XPS Inspiron notebook computer, NEC ND-6550a DVD/CD reader/writer drive. I can read and write DVDs no problem, using a variety of programs, and I can read and write CDs no problem with programs like Nero. But what I cannot do is drag and drop data files in Windows Explorer to write them to the CD. Used to be able to do this, don’t know what happened. The “enable recording (or writiting, don’t remember what it is)” check box is checked in the appropriate properties tab, I can drag the files and Windows Explorer accepts them and says they are ready to be written to the disc, but when I go to actually write them I get an “insert disc into the drive” message, and it acts as if there is no writeable disc in the drive. Same discs will accept the same data if written by, say, Nero, and I can write to them in my other notebook or desktop machines. I.e., this is specific to this computer and not the media. Different brands of CDs yield the same problem.

I can read a disc in the same drive in Windows Explorer no problem. I’ve tried every “fix” I could find in the MS KB. IMAPI CD writing service is set to automatic, I can manually start it but no difference. Tried a couple of registry edits that came up on Google.

Anyone have any ideas why Windows Explorer won’t allow me to write to the disc, and why it apparently won’t recognize the disc in the drive as writeable media?

Thanks.

Any sort of third-party packet writing software installed?

If I remember correctly, Dell uses Sonic DLA for packet writing… perhaps you need to download and reinstall that?

I had Sonic DLA installed, but someone said that it and Nero may conflict, and that might be the problem, so I uninstalled Sonic DLA. Didn’t fix the problem.

The CD writing software I have installed are Nero and (until yesterday) Sonic.

I’m sure Starforce is to blame. :)

No idea, but if you have Nero, why do you care?

Make sure you don’t have Nero’s packet writer (InCD?) installed.

I had the same problem as well, all I wanted to do was just a simple drop and drag burn but for some reason it stopped working in XP. So now I just use Nero and not worry about it.

Because, as you know Denny, I’m just an anal retentive about things like this. ;)

Hmm - gotta look and see if I have Nero’s packet writer installed.

Have you tried throttling down the recording speed (under properties of the CD drive then the recording tab)? I know I had trouble with drag and drop on my desktop computer until I brought the recording speed down. Of course, I was using super cheap media.