Consider the following scenario. On a Windows Vista-based computer, you insert a writeable DVD into the computer’s DVD drive, and then you click Burn files to disc. Next, you click Show formatting options in the Burn a Disc dialog box, and then you click Mastered to burn the DVD by using the Mastered format. In this scenario, incorrect recording speeds are displayed in the Recording speed list in the Burn to Disc dialog box.

For example, if the DVD drive supports an 8x recording speed, Windows Vista displays 3x, 3x, 2x, 1x, and 1x in the Recording speed list. Therefore, you cannot select the correct recording speed for the DVD drive.

In Windows Vista, when you try to burn data to a DVD-RAM disc in Windows Media Center, you receive the following error message:

INSERT MEDIA
Please insert writeable media that is compatible with your CD or DVD recorder, and then select Retry. (Retry/Cancel)

For example, you receive this error message when you try to burn music or a TV show to a DVD-RAM disc.

Or, when you try to burn music to a DVD-RAM disc in Windows Media Player 11, the disc is ejected, and you receive the following error message:

Insert Media
Please insert a blank disc in CD Drive (Drive_Letter:). Once Windows Media Player detects the new disc, it will automatically start burning.

After you install Windows Vista on a computer that uses an SiI Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) chip from Silicon Image, the computer does not recognize an attached optical drive as a drive that supports recording. Therefore, you cannot use the computer to burn CDs or DVDs.

In Windows XP I always used Nero to burn CDs and DVDs. I can’t count the number of times a user asked for help with their CD they brought from home. They dragged the file to the disk, which added it to the index, but they never did the final Burn process to create the CD, so of course the files don’t end up on the disk. With Vista I figured I’d give it another try and see how the built in burning facilities work. Here’s an area that Vista hasn’t improved. It’s virtually identical to how it works in XP. Yes you can burn discs with this feature, but there are better alternatives. Keep reading →