How do I know if I have a DVD burner?

[Lakai]

I always thought I had one. How do I know?

[Ethilrist]

If you purchased it separate from the computer, you should have the manual for it. That would probably clarify matters immediately, so, assuming that's not the case, it came with your computer.

What's it listed as in the system resources?
Is there anything in the computer manual?
Are there any folders in your Program group that have dvd burning programs in them? If so, do they work?
What, if anything, is printed on the front of the DVD player? Any product names you can search for on Google?

[Mikahw]

They usually have logos on the front of them. If you see DVD-RW and/or DVD+RW written on the front, it's a DVD burner.

[Lakai]

Originally Posted by Ethilrist

Are there any folders in your Program group that have dvd burning programs in them? If so, do they work?

I have Easy CD Creator 5. When I try to burn a dvd it won't work.

The thing should have come with the computer. I was sure of it. Maybe it is inside somewhere and need to be installed or something?

[tomndebb]

I have Easy CD Creator 5

which will allow you to burn a CD (including .mpg software) but will not actually burn a DVD. It is simply not a DVD device.

You might want to look over the comments on the Amazon sale site, then use that information to seek out what you really need to know.

(Note that there is a claim near the top that Win 2000 needs a third-party patch to make the product work and a complaint near the bottom that says it does not work at all on Win XP.)

- - -

In general, if you need to see what your hardware can do, you can find the current hardware using Start >> Settings >> Control Panel >> System (provided you're on a PC, not a Mac) and then use Google to look up the hardware and its specifications (and problems). In Win 2000, from System, you open System Properties, then select the Hardware tab, then select the Device manager button in the center of the window. For other versions of Windows, the procedure/path may differ slightly.

[astro]

OS and inspection programs cannot always parse out a DVD+CD burner from a plain CD burner. Open the case and look at the model number of the drive then google it . You should get one hit or another that will ID the unit specifically as a DVD burner or not.

If the only burning program you onboard have is Roxio 5 then it unlikely you have a DVD burner. The Roxio Creator 6 release (and subsequent Roxio releases) did burn DVDs but 5 did not.

[Dewey Finn]

Originally Posted by tomndebb

which will allow you to burn a CD (including .mpg software) but will not actually burn a DVD. It is simply not a DVD device.

That's not true. I'm running Easy CD Creator 5 on my system and can burn data DVDs. One thing the OP should check is whether he's inserted a writeable DVD in the drive. Also, I second the suggestion to check the logo on the front of the drive. If it just says DVD, it's just a DVD reader, not a burner.

[Dog80]

A dvd burner has the RW logo on the front (either printed or etched on the surface)

http://www.hhb.co.uk/hhb/global/imag..._DVDPLUSRW.JPG
http://www.shbear.com/2/lib/200403/16/141/rw_logo.jpg

[Dog80]

Hit submit too soon

A cd burner has this logo: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...img/hscdrw.jpg

If it has neither logos, it is just a CD/DVD player

[astro]

Originally Posted by Dewey Finn

That's not true. I'm running Easy CD Creator 5 on my system and can burn data DVDs. One thing the OP should check is whether he's inserted a writeable DVD in the drive. Also, I second the suggestion to check the logo on the front of the drive. If it just says DVD, it's just a DVD reader, not a burner.

Creator 5 was not a particularly stable release, and it had some epic battles with the Win XP OS, and was one oif the few programs that could give XP a serious BSOD heart attack if it got confused. It would burn some DVD media on some DVD burners, on some XP installs, and some computers, but it was never marketed, IIRC, as DVD burning software.

[Dewey Finn]

Originally Posted by astro

Creator 5 was not a particularly stable release, and it had some epic battles with the Win XP OS, and was one oif the few programs that could give XP a serious BSOD heart attack if it got confused. It would burn some DVD media on some DVD burners, on some XP installs, and some computers, but it was never marketed, IIRC, as DVD burning software.

Yes, but there's a big difference between saying that version of the program isn't very good at burning DVDs and saying that it cannot do so at all.

[Nanoda]

Well, EZCD creator 4 (and I'm sure 5 also) has an option under Tools for "CD Drive Properties".

This will display as much info about your burner as the program can garner. Check the Product ID, and it should say what type of device it is. If it doesn't explicitly say CD-RW or DVD-RW (of if you want to double check), just paste that entry into Google and see what comes back.

[Lakai]

Originally Posted by Dog80

Hit submit too soon

A cd burner has this logo: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/prod...img/hscdrw.jpg

If it has neither logos, it is just a CD/DVD player

That is exactly what it says on the drive. But when I try to copy anything on a DVD-R with Creator 5 it says "no support DVD-recorders were detected in your system."

[InvidiousCourgette]

Originally Posted by Lakai

That is exactly what it says on the drive. But when I try to copy anything on a DVD-R with Creator 5 it says "no support DVD-recorders were detected in your system."

That logo means that your drive can write CDs not DVDs. If you don't have another logo which refers to DVD writing capability, it is probably a fair bet that your drive does not have that capability.

[astro]

Originally Posted by Lakai

That is exactly what it says on the drive. But when I try to copy anything on a DVD-R with Creator 5 it says "no support DVD-recorders were detected in your system."

If it has that logo it's not likely to be a DVD recorder just a CD recorder. Most DVD recorders will have the regular "DVD" reader symbol and an "RW" logo with the text "DVD Rewriteable" underneath.

[astro]

Amend last post "If it has just that logo not likely to be a DVD recorder just a CD recorder".

See also

Identifying your recordable DVD drive

Here a picture with another DVD writer logo

[Chronos]

The thing should have come with the computer. I was sure of it. Maybe it is inside somewhere and need to be installed or something?

A DVD burner is a piece of hardware which looks very similar to a CD drive. It needs to have a tray that slides out, or a slot, or some other way of putting in discs. Such a device would absolutely not be hidden somewhere inside the computer case inaccessible from outside.

If you do not have the piece of hardware, then no software is going to turn what you have into a DVD drive. Depending on exactly what you have, if you try to burn a DVD but don't have a DVD drive, your software will tell you "I can't burn DVDs" or the like, or at the least "I don't recognize the disc you put in".