Vista Tutorial - How do I format a blank CD-RW disk?

My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate ver
6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD drive and
a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn files to
disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However, when I
insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give the
messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows cannot
read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that windows
recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it before using
it". This is hardly helpful.

Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?

"Stan Kay" <stan.kay@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:AC2E9ABD-E483-42AA-8C5C-45ECB4FF331C@microsoft.com...
> My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
> ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
> drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
> files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
> when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
> the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
> cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
> windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
> before using it". This is hardly helpful.
>
> Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?
Open Windows Explorer. Find your drive in the Computer section of the
treeview on the left. Right-click the drive where you have the blank CD.
Select Format from the context-sensitive menu.

Many thanks for the prompt response.

I have done exactly as you explained but right clicking on my drive does not
reveal a "Format" option. The only item that relates to my drive is
"Eject".

On the assumption that I am supposed to have a "Format" option, can you
please suggest how I can restore the missing "Format" option?

"pvdg42" <pvdg42@newsgroups.nospam> wrote in message
news:urOg$GDfHHA.4868@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>
> "Stan Kay" <stan.kay@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:AC2E9ABD-E483-42AA-8C5C-45ECB4FF331C@microsoft.com...
>> My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
>> ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
>> drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
>> files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
>> when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
>> the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
>> cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
>> windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
>> before using it". This is hardly helpful.
>>
>> Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?
> Open Windows Explorer. Find your drive in the Computer section of the
> treeview on the left. Right-click the drive where you have the blank CD.
> Select Format from the context-sensitive menu.
>
>

Normally you should just be able to insert the blank disc and it will then
open an empty window where you can drag your files to it for burning.
I would guess that there is an issue here with your burner not being
recognised as a DVD writer and only as a DVD-ROM.

Does the burner work using other software like Ahead or Nero?

I would suggest search Pioneer website for help or alternatively if your new
PC is an off the shelf one from a big name store that you contact the
manufacture of said PC.

M.B.G (MCDST)

"Stan Kay" wrote:

> Many thanks for the prompt response.
>
> I have done exactly as you explained but right clicking on my drive does not
> reveal a "Format" option. The only item that relates to my drive is
> "Eject".
>
> On the assumption that I am supposed to have a "Format" option, can you
> please suggest how I can restore the missing "Format" option?
>
> "pvdg42" <pvdg42@newsgroups.nospam> wrote in message
> news:urOg$GDfHHA.4868@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "Stan Kay" <stan.kay@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> > news:AC2E9ABD-E483-42AA-8C5C-45ECB4FF331C@microsoft.com...
> >> My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
> >> ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
> >> drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
> >> files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
> >> when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
> >> the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
> >> cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
> >> windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
> >> before using it". This is hardly helpful.
> >>
> >> Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?
> > Open Windows Explorer. Find your drive in the Computer section of the
> > treeview on the left. Right-click the drive where you have the blank CD.
> > Select Format from the context-sensitive menu.
> >
> >
>

You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a burner?

Retired wrote:
> You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a
> burner?

Wow....where have you been. LOL

What brand of CDRW's are you using? Some of the drives won't work with
junky media.


"Stan Kay" <stan.kay@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:AC2E9ABD-E483-42AA-8C5C-45ECB4FF331C@microsoft.com...
> My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
> ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
> drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
> files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
> when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
> the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
> cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
> windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
> before using it". This is hardly helpful.
>
> Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?

"LG" <nowhere@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:%23BxnRNFfHHA.2640@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Retired wrote:
>> You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a
>> burner?
>
> Wow....where have you been. LOL
>

Where have I been? I've been building computers for 2 decades. Up to now
I've never had to format a CD-ROM or a DVD disk. If I want to copy a set of
files to a CD or DVD disk, I just copy them. Do it all the time - without
ever going through any formatting process.

I am using Memorex CD-RW (part 837240) which work fine in my Windows XP
laptop at anything from 16x to 24x. Under Windows XP I cannot get it to
work at any speed. Since submitting the question, as a test, I have loaded
Nero and found that it will format the disc and I can burn files. However,
the real issue is why can't this be done with Windows Vista Ultimate when
the documentation and help files say it can?


"Bill Yanaire" <BillYanaire@viceman.com> wrote in message
news:eQCOXZFfHHA.1388@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> What brand of CDRW's are you using? Some of the drives won't work with
> junky media.
>
>
> "Stan Kay" <stan.kay@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:AC2E9ABD-E483-42AA-8C5C-45ECB4FF331C@microsoft.com...
>> My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
>> ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
>> drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
>> files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
>> when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
>> the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
>> cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
>> windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
>> before using it". This is hardly helpful.
>>
>> Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?
>
>
>

"Retired" <retired@my.hom> wrote in message
news:ONoXvGGfHHA.3508@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> "LG" <nowhere@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:%23BxnRNFfHHA.2640@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Retired wrote:
>>> You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a
>>> burner?
>>
>> Wow....where have you been. LOL
>>
>
> Where have I been? I've been building computers for 2 decades. Up to now
> I've never had to format a CD-ROM or a DVD disk. If I want to copy a set
> of files to a CD or DVD disk, I just copy them. Do it all the time -
> without ever going through any formatting process.
>

I should add that it's called "burning a disk", which is not exactly the
same as formatting - which you can't do with DVDs and CD-ROMs.