hi i have a toshiba and i copy dvds and stuff. when i am loading in the movie itself i have no problem. but when i am putting in the blank dvd+r's they seem to have a hard time reading and loading. i was using the memorex brand but they stopped working so i am now using sony. i was wondering if anyone has came across this problem or know's what the problem could be? i was thinking maybe the drive where i put the dvd+r's into but not sure. if anyone knows. please help. thanks

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Problem reported by — a Toshiba laptop plays commercial DVDs but struggles to recognise blank DVD+R media. Likely root causes are media compatibility/quality, drive firmware or wear, or burn-software/settings. correctly highlighted media/format differences and rightly raised a hardware/laser possibility; the guidance below expands those ideas into a focused diagnostic workflow.

A useful diagnostic sequence:

  1. Identify the optical drive model (Device Manager → DVD/CD‑ROM drives or System Information) and check the drive maker’s support page for supported media and firmware updates. Firmware can add compatibility but must be applied exactly per vendor instructions.
  2. Test the same blank discs in another computer or an external USB burner. If other drives read them, the Toshiba drive is the likely cause.
  3. Try a burn simulation or a test burn with a different burning program and set a lower write speed (4x–8x). Different software or slower speeds often succeed where defaults fail.
  4. Check Windows Event Viewer for cdrom/imapi errors and Device Manager for driver conflicts; these logs can show whether the OS or the drive is failing.

Cleaning and hardware notes:

  • A gentle burst of compressed air into the tray and a visual inspection under a bright light are safe first steps; avoid aggressive swabbing of the lens.
  • If the drive is several years old or multiple discs fail across different brands, replacing the slimline laptop drive or using an inexpensive external USB burner is a practical, low-cost solution.

Priority path: confirm model + test the discs in another drive → attempt a lower-speed/test burn with alternate software → consider firmware update or lens cleaning → replace or use an external drive if failures persist. This sequence isolates whether the problem is the blank media, the burning chain, or the optical drive itself.

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hi, not sure about sony disk ,but I just recently tossed a 3 year old [got a good deal at cosco ,hated to waste them]50 spindle of memorex that rarely worked ,I usually use tdk or Ridata with great success.
why are u using +r's ,see If you can get a dvd-R to try ,
also check the autorun setting for blank media, go to [my]computer ,right click the dvd-rom icon and check autorun tab ,and see what its set t odo with blank dvd's

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