Thinkpads Forum

I have a new T61p with Vista ultimate. I tried to burn data to a CD, it seems to burn to the disk OK. You can physically look at the disk and see that the disk has been written to, yet when you try to read the disk it seems to see it as blank (both on my laptop and other pc's). A window comes up saying "Burn a Disk", Prepare this blank disk, then offers to format the disk. I have tried to use Nero and the lenovo multimedia software to burn the data both with the same result. I have never had this problem with nero on other PC's so put this down to something specific to the thinkpad. Any ideas?

Mike, it sounds like you are accidentally or intentionally doing "packet writing" and not finalizing, aka closing, the disc.

Whatever software you are using (the Roxio app hidden in the Lenovo apps, or Windows itself, or another thrid party app) they all tend to do things a bit differently but you want to look for "disk at once" options, meaning "burn it all at once and close the disc" or options to "finalize" the disc when you are done with it.

You should be able to finalize/close the discs you made--with the same software you have used--and then read then elsewhere.

Packet writing software in general (that lets you use the disc as a large floppy, adding in different sessions) is unreliable from one computer to the next.

Well, problem seems to be solved. After trashing 9 Memorex CD-RW disks I tried a different brand (imation) and they seem to be working fine..

I believe it just happened to be the DVD-ROM that having hard time with Memorex brand.
Thank you to CSR replaced me new DVD-ROM which works with Memorex.

I've wasted over 15 disks.