external usb dvd combo install

[DeerParkWater]

Alright so I borrowed a usb dvd-rw combo drive from a friend. He didn't give me any software to go with it so I connect everything together and download the driver and install them and everything. Problem is that it still won't give me the option to burn a dvd like where windows pops up and says, "files to be written to cd" for cds. The computer picks it up as a dvd-rw combo but when I insert a dvd-r it won't give me the option to burn to it like it does with the cd-r. It gives me some kind of error thing saying that it it can't write to it.

I'm thinking maybe I need to have a dvd writing software to go with it, but I was under the impression that this isn't necessary like burning cds. I have none on the computer. Is this the problem?

 

[The_Other_One]

Drives typcially don't need software unless you're running 98 or something... But yeah, you might need some other software if youre trying to burn to a DVD-R. Deep Burner would probably work...

 

[Praetor]

Problem is that it still won't give me the option to burn a dvd like where windows pops up and says, "files to be written to cd" for cds.

Good! IMAPI burning is horrible!

I'm thinking maybe I need to have a dvd writing software to go with it, but I was under the impression that this isn't necessary like burning cds. I have none on the computer. Is this the problem?

Yeah well you'll want to burn using a proper burning application anyways to do the job properly. In either case, try kickstarting the IMAPI service: start --> run --> type "sc start imapi"