I have an hp pavilion a6506 running Windows XP Home Edition using cable through a linksys router (wireless). I just did a Destructive Recovery for the same problems: i.e. my hp dvd writer 400c (Note: can't even find it with the "c") won't recognize DVDs. Particularly, since I've installed Nero #7 Premium, DivX Player, and VSO ConvertXtoDVD, when I go to burn, Nero won't accept my DVD+R blanks, and it has in the past. Moreover, if I go to MyComputer, the drive DVD/CD-RW Drive (E:), I'm fairly sure was +RW, or, it's -RW, but it won't burn to +RW now. The same drive lists as CD Drive (E:) when I insert a DVD+R blank (I wonder that the problem might be here in that the system opens to the desktop listing this drive as above, i.e. DVD/CD-RW, then when I insert a DVD+R, it not only doesn't recognize the blank, but the drive is re-listed to CD Drive (D:). Moreover, if I use a CD, then the drive lights up, indicating in My Computer a CD is in the drive, but if I use the DVD blank, the drive won't light up with the disc icon in My Computer.
To sum, when I go to System folder, the drive is working and usable, but as pertains to DVDs, I can't burn to them, and I think Nero #7 Premium, DivX Player, and VSO ConvertXtoDVD are not able to work their stuff because one of them, or all together have corrupted my system's ability to recognize a DVD blank and therefore are all unable to burn to anything DVD.
Bottom line, I can't read or write to a DVD. Can anyone help?
I'm not sure what you mean by a destructive recovery. At this point it is difficult to tell whether your problem is hardware or software based or whether it is a combination of both.
The first thing I'd do is reset the IDE controllers and the drive.
To reset the controllers:
Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
Click the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager button.
Click the "+" symbol beside IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers to expand.
Right click on Primary IDE Channel and select Uninstall.
Right click on Secondary IDE Channel and select Uninstall.
Click the "+" symbol beside DVD/CD-ROM Drives to expand.
Right click on the name of your DVD burner and select Uninstall.
Restart the system
After restart go back into Device Manager (see above).
Expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers group.
Double click on the Primary IDE Controller.
Click the Advanced tab.
The Transfer Mode should say DMA if available.
Do the same for the Secondary IDE Controller.
See if your burner will recognize a blank DVD. WinXP sees blank DVDs as CDs since WinXP only has native support for CDs. However, DVD Decrypter, Nero and other programs will be able to distinguish between a DVD or CD in the burner.
