Unable to access blank DVD on WIN-10 PRO workstation-works on laptop.

A right click and 'properties' on the Z-Book laptop running WIN-10 PRO (10.0.19045 Build 19045) brings up the dialog showing 4.38GB free and none used on a blank DVD. This is with several different USB based DVD reader/writers.

On the ASUS based workstation running WIN-10 PRO (10.0.19045 Build 19045) the dialog shows 0 free and 0 used selecting that drive brings up "Windows can't read disk in drive H:" or with a different USB drive or with the internal Blu-Ray.

I've gone through the process of downloading and running "Add_drives_to_SendTo_context_menu_for_current_user.reg" along with rebooting. I've uninstalled the drivers rebooted and plugged in the drives again with no luck. It did work once. I transfered a full folder of photos to a blank DVD. This one is always readable by the system. But after that one time inserting a new disk results now in the same error and I can't fix it now.

None of that is needed with the ZBook. I've rebooted the workstation now more times in the last few days than I have in several years. Oh and the WIN-7 system, as usual compared to WIN-10 runs perfectly and has no problems other than now some software meant for WIN-10 won't run on it anymore.

Berton said:

It's very possible that is normal, frequently newer software doesn't work on older machines. I've had better success with older programs on newer versions of Windows such as Microsoft Office 2000 on Win10.

True. But it doesn't explain why the same version of WIN-10 can detect a USB based DVD drive and write to it if it's plugged into the HP ZBook but not into the workstation.

Still looking for suggestions on how to solve this.

spunk said:

Is the blank a DVD+-R or is it a DVD+-RW? RW discs are harder to work with and may need to be formatted before they can be used.

Perhaps I wasn't clear on my description of the problem.
1. Plug USB cable into Transcend or ASUS USB DVD drive.

2. Drive shows up if there is a DVD in the drive.
3. Click on drive letter and when it works correctly the dialog to set up the disk shows up.

4. I Click on next and then the drive letter and I can drag files from one folder onto this one.

5. Once that's done I right click on the drive letter and from the menu select Burn to Disk.
6. When it's burning the progress bar shows up.

7. The disk is now readable from both the original drive used to create the disk and the Blu Ray drive inside the workstation.
8. Now here's the odd thing. Insert a blank CD-R into the USB drive and suddenly it works. I click on the drive letter and I'm asked if I want a CD or USB image. This time I chose USB image and it formats the disk. As I write this now 400MB of a Z180-S100 CPU board folder are being written to the disk. I chose to right click on that folder and Send to G:

And now for some strange reason I can now also insert blank TDK CD-R into the LG Blu Ray M-Disk drive and it now also works.

Somehow the workstation has fixed itself. I haven't rebooted it after the last time I had issues and it did not work.

Now it does. Maybe next week it won't again. Very strange.

- - - Updated - - -

OK. Problem not solved but can now be better described with these photos.

I use remote desktop a lot. Running from the ZBook WIN-10 laptop down to the WIN-7 system I can work with a new CD-RW mounted in that workstation. This screen shot shows the system is ready to format and then write to it (which it can).


Now run back down to my office and move the CD-RW over to the WIN-10 workstation. From the workstation monitor/keyboard/mouse I can also click on the BDE drive and get the dialog for formatting. And yes from the workstation I can save files to either CDs or DVDs.


Run back up. Sign in with Remote Desktop and what do you know. What works with WIN-7 doesn't with my "Enhanced User Experience" WIN-10.


So the problem appears to be access to the DVD/Blu-Ray devices through Remote Desktop. A problem not see with either WIN-7 or even WIN-XP.


So perhaps this is some sort of other registry parameter that has to do with sharing optical media?

Malneb said:

Maybe the disk itself is old?

i have some cd-r from like early 2000 i burned a lot of music disks back then like everyone else and those many of the time come up with 0gb used 0 gb free and are hard to run sometimes but eventually they will just run.

they same sort of stuff you have been describing except its on already burned disks.

Not really. The is a repeatable problem with the brand new Blu Ray unit. It's repeatable in the sense that I can't access the empty DVD from Remote Desktop.

For example this user is having the same problem.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/an...remote-desktop

The problem as I see it I can do this when the target machine with the DVD or CD burner drive is WIN-7 or WIN-XP.

It's WIN-10 that has the problem which suggests it's a registry issue. But what?

Malneb said:

Well then there is an issue with windows 10 then we are both saying that its possible. In my case I know 100% that these disks are fine i can tell by looking at them and they eventually read but after time but a lot of what you are describing i am experience the same sort of stuff with but with already burned media.

When i put these same disks into the xbox they start no issue.

You are doing remote over win 10 and win 7 which over complicates the issue externally to others. But i am saying lol that much of the things you are describing i am seeing in totally different context, so there is an issue some where.

Totally agree. I really wasn't sure when I went down to the old WIN-XP machine and inserted the blank CD-RW. Then back up to the WIN-10 ZBook and remote desktop into it. And yes. As the previous screenshot shows, the drive is recognized to have a blank CD and ready for formatting either as a CD or USB file system.

I might even be able to get an old laptop with VISTA up and running and remote desktop into that. If I plug in the USB DVD and can also format and write a disk then clearly the problem lies with the WIN-10 workstation installation and not the WIN-10 ZBook laptop.

But what? So far google searches haven't turned up anything yet.