Can't Format CD-RWs

[The VCR King]

I want to format some CD-RWs to use like flash drives between my gaming PC and laptop (mostly for images and ISOs), but when I go to format the CD-RW in Windows Explorer, it gets about 50% into the format when it says "FORMAT FAILURE" and ejects the disc. I even tried the format with my Memorex external burner and I got the error again. I thought it was the disc at first but after trying several other CD-RWs on both burners I got the error again.

I also can't format the CDs in the laptop because the CD-RW drive in it stopped burning a while back.

I am not having formatting troubles with DVD-RWs, or DVD-RAMs but I NEED to do CD-RW because my laptop only READS CDs!

Do any of y'all computer geeks know of a free format utility that I can use to openly format CD-RWs?
or
Can you format a CD-RW in Ubuntu 13.10? My gaming PC dual-boots into Ubuntu 13.10 so if I can format it their I'll just do that.

 

[spirit]

Seriously just buy a flash drive or an external HDD or cloud storage and wave goodbye to CD-RWs. You seem to have way too many problems with them.

A CD-RW holds what? 700MB? That's tiny by today's standards... just saying!

 

[The VCR King]

Still, how can I get it to format?

 

[johnb35]

If all you have a is cdrw drive, then most likely its dead. They quit making them years ago and they don't last forever. Buy a dvdrw drive for $20 and call it a day.

 

[The VCR King]

*facepalm
I have a CD-RW drive AND a BD-RW drive. The issue is happening on BOTH DRIVES with MULTIPLE DISCS. Is there a SOFTWARE to FIX IT or NOT? Please ANSWER my QUESTION.

 

[johnb35]

Have you tried this?

http://www.ntfs.com/dvd_eraser.htm

If it still don't work I can only assume its an issue with windows.

 

[The VCR King]

I can erase a media just fine, I can't format it though.

 

[spirit]

Try using ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP to format your discs. Looking around on the internet a lot of people are having similar problems to you with the Windows Explorer method.

If all else fails, this will format a CD-RW drive for sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Vfu60KdP4

Then buy a USB flash drive.

 

[The VCR King]

I use CDBurnerXP for ISOs all the time and I've never noticed the format feature.

Duh...

 

[OvenMaster]

It should go without saying that you gotta have good quality discs, like Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden.

 

[spirit]

I use CDBurnerXP for ISOs all the time and I've never noticed the format feature.

Duh...

Yeah. Of course I knew that you use CDBurnerXP all the time. I should have known. It was silly of me not to know that really.

Why must you use re-writable discs? Does your laptop not have a USB port? These discs have always been hit and miss.

Looks like the only solution for you then is to spin it at 3000 RPM. That will format it.

Now can you please tone down the attitude a bit and stop talking to us like we're idiots? Thanks.

 

[beers]

Man, you have the most ridiculous problems that are compounded by a poor attitude.

A USB drive would be a better solution.
Transferring files over the network would be a better solution.

Why do you go out of your way to make things as painful as possible?

Is there a SOFTWARE to FIX IT or NOT?

When the issue is user related it's kind of irrelevant.

Are you doing a full format pass on the media? Just set the disk to 'use as USB' and manage things on a file level like everyone else.

 

[The VCR King]

When I set it to "use as usb" it fails also. I CAN NOT FORMAT A CD FOR WHATEVER REASON

 

[johnb35]

Forget about cdrw and use flash drives. Don't know why you want to format them. Data can be added to them without formatting.

 

[StrangleHold]

If you can write data to them I don't really see the point either. Don't know, maybe try going into device manger, right click on the drive. Pick uninstall, reboot and let windows reinstall the driver and see what happens.

 

[Agent Smith]

I'm not sure about Win 7, but back in my XP days I used DLA (Drive Letter Access) I would have a Truecrypt container on the CD and would delete and write files on the fly to a CD/RW.

You may need to check out Nero.

Do these instructions not work? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/format-cd-dvd#1TC=windows-7

 

[voyagerfan99]

Man, you have the most ridiculous problems that are compounded by a poor attitude.

I agree on this.

 

[The VCR King]

I'm not sure about Win 7, but back in my XP days I used DLA (Drive Letter Access) I would have a Truecrypt container on the CD and would delete and write files on the fly to a CD/RW.

You may need to check out Nero.

Do these instructions not work? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/format-cd-dvd#1TC=windows-7

For some reason I can't get my computer to run Nero. It will open the install package and suddenly it will close out and nothing happens.

 

[voyagerfan99]

Nero is crap anyways. ImgBurn is the best one. Never liked CDBurnerXP because it was always so buggy.

 

[Agent Smith]

Yeah, I like Imgburn too and that is all I use, but researching this problem on the net had people recommend Nero.

If Nero can't install I suspect adware or malware or corrupted system files. I would scan the computer with malwarbytes, adwcleaner and Super antispyware free edition. If that still does nothing open a admin elevated CMD prompt and type in SFC /scannow.