Troubleshooting a DVD burning issue

Q I am having problems creating DVDs on my computer, which came with Windows Vista and so isn’t very old.

I get similar problems no matter what disc burning software I’m using. I’ve mostly Windows DVD Maker and Serif Movie Plus 5. The writing progress bar reaches about half way before a message appears that says the DVD writer is no longer connected, and that I should check whether it is plugged in.

This is difficult because it is an internal drive. After I see this error, I can no longer access the DVD drive, or load a new disc in My Computer without restarting the PC.

Andy Talbot

A As you say you are having similar problems no matter which software you use, it sounds as though the problem is with the hardware in the PC rather than the software.

Even so, it is important not to overwhelm the computer when burning discs. Close unnecessary programs and make sure there are no updates available for Windows that might start installing in the background.

Assuming that the problem is hardware-related, there are three potential causes: the most likely is that the DVD writer is broken, but the cable connecting the DVD writer to the computer could also be damaged, or the computer’s power supply may not be powerful enough to write to DVDs. The last suggestion is unlikely with an up-to-date computer, but still possible.

Replacing any of these, especially the power supply, is not easy unless you’re absolutely confident you know what you’re doing with PC components.

If your PC is under warranty, contact the retailer to arrange a repair. If not, the best thing to do is take the PC to a computer repair shop and ask them to test your DVD writer and, if needed, replace it with a new one. They will charge both for labour and for the new DVD writer.

The good news is that a new DVD writer is very cheap, you can find them for as little as £16 online, though you should expect to pay slightly more from a retail store. Watch our video on how to install a disc drive here.

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