Why can't I read come recordable CD's?

Why won't my Cd-rom or cd-RW read some cd-r's burned on other system's? Most peoples are ok but stuff burned on my bosses computers won't even be recognized by my cd-rom as having anything on them.

This question was answered on January 10, 2003. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Well, it could be your drive, or it might be your boss's Since he's the one with deep pockets, I'd tell him he has a bad drive and try to convince him to replace it The if the problem persists, you can go ahead and suspect your own drive After all, it’s just a job.

CD-RW drives get tired with age The lasers get somewhat weak, lose alignment and accumulate dust, turning the drives into purveyors of bad CD's

Older drives don't read all that well, either There are a slew of minor incompatibilities among older drives Add to the mix the great variability in quality involving recordable CD's on the market, and it's surprising anybody ever gets things done.

Good name brand CD's and a clean new drive are the best route to good copies

Don't leave recordable CD's in the sun, either Bad practice And, of course, never touch or scratch the surface of any CD.

Disks are available with brushes attached which purport to clean drives and make them work better, but I have had little luck with these devices On the other had, they are pretty cheap, so knock yourself out I've never done any damage with one, either.

One more thing When recording a CD, try not to set your software to the fastest speed your drive can burn Back off a notch, if you have this capability.

RG

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Posted by Robert of Mesa Community College on January 10, 2003

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