Cd burning help

[yoshiapplecachetitos]

I'm having a problem burning music discs.
Whenever I insert a recordable CD-RW disc in the drive, the computer says, There is no disc in the drve. Please insert a recordable disc in drive E:/.
My operating system is a Windows XP Home Editon computer. Please help. 

[kpac]

Are you sure your drive is capable of burning discs? How old is the PC?

Also, there are two kinds of writable discs - CD+RW, and CD-RW. Make sure which one we're talking about...

[yoshiapplecachetitos]

Are you sure your drive is capable of burning discs? How old is the PC?

Also, there are two kinds of writable discs - CD+RW, and CD-RW. Make sure which one we're talking about...

I think my computer was bought in 2003 or 2004, and the cds I am burning are CD-RW.

[patio]

Are you sure your drive is capable of burning discs?

[Broni]

Computer brand, and model, please.

[squall_01]

since we aces all the round an about question how about, is are they blank?

[kpac]

since we aces all the round an about question how about, is are they blank?

That doesn't matter.

CD-RW

= rewritable.

[2x3i5x]

exactly. CD-RW should normally be erased before any new burning is done if there is already data on it.

Now are you sure your pc's cd drive is capable of burning cd's?

[Rob Pomeroy]

Now are you sure your pc's cd drive is capable of burning cd's?

AFAIK, Windows would not invite the user to insert a recordable disk, if it had not already ascertained that the drive was capable of burning something.  Sounds to me like a simple format/media incompatibility issue.  Check the specs of the drive - if it does not support CD-RW disks, you will not be able to burn to them.  Many CD burning programs (such as InfraRecorder) will report to you the capabilities of the drive. 

[squall_01]

Sorry I must of missed that. 

[kpac]

But, the computer also says:

There is no disc in the drve.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Which is a clear sign that the drive has not recognised the media.

[yoshiapplecachetitos]

What I don't get is why... My aunt has a computer exactly the same computer as mine, she bought it the same time I did, and it is like 4 or 5 years old. Her computer can burn, but mine cannot. My computer brand is compaq. Drive E can record, but when I put the disc in, it doesn't detect it... Also, it did use to burn, but it can't anymore.. any suggestions? I've tried almost everything.. 

[squall_01]

do you burn alot of disks?  The lens could be dirty or something along that.

[Karnac]

Check to see if there is a patch available from the software website......recent windows updates may have caused a problem. Are you using a cheaper brand CD than you did when the burner worked? Try a different brand CD-RW, or try a different burning program.......Check data cable/power connections to CD burner.