WinXP stopped burning CD! Please help

I have WinXP Pro + SP2 + All online updates. Things were well until I formatted my HDD & installed Windows again.

Whenever I try to burn files on a CD (data) using explorer (built in CD burning of WinXP), it keeps me telling that there is no writable CD in the drive!

I can still burn files with 3rd party softwares like DeepBurner. WinXP can still read files from the CD/DVD.

I am using SAMSUNG SM-352B Combo drive (CD R/W/RW, DVD R).

Guys pleese help me out.

Hello SKJoy2001.

Go to start > Run and enter: services.msc

Scroll down to "IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service" and make sure that service is running. If it's not, double click on that service and then click 'Start'. Make sure the Startup Type is set to 'Automatic'.

If it was already running, try following these steps:
Go to start > run and enter: devmgmt.msc
Open DVD/CD-Rom Drives
Right click on the drive you are having a problem with and select "uninstall".
Click Ok
Right click on DVD/CD-Rom Drives and select "Scan for hardware changes". Let it reinstall the drivers.

u r right, the IMAPI CD Burning COM Service was set in Manual mode & were not running. I set it to Automatic & also started the service.

But now it behaves abnormal! I am getting the same error messege that there is no writable CD in the drive! Now when I am checked the service list, I found the IMAPI service stopped automatically without any kind of notification! There were no system error messege, no notification, no nothing, the service just stopped silently! I checked for it's dependancies, there is no dependancy for the IMAPI service.

I have no idea what is going on! Now i really should try uninstalling & reinstalling it from the device manager

Go to start > run and enter: eventvwr.msc

Go to System and see if you can find any errors related to the Imapi service.

Normally it should work fine when set to manual. The service will run only when needed.

well, i've uninstalled & reinstalled the drive, things gone more weired this time, now WinXP detects it as a CDROM only, not as a burner!

Did drive come with your computer or did you buy it separately? If separately, did it come with a driver disk?

If not, try uninstalling and rebooting the system. I'm searching for drivers for that drive in the meantime...

i've bought it seperately, there were no driver CD, but I've downloaded a firmware patch from SAMSUNG site & also have applied & that didn't correct the trouble. I have rebooted the system & still helpless! I'll reapply the firmware patch now & let me see what happens...

applied the firmware & rebooted the system... no improvement still the WinXP gets it as a standard CDROM, no burning facility

Try uninstalling the device again and then reboot.

Are you sure you applied the right Firmware patch? Do you have a link to that page?

i've always applied the patch right when i start installing hardware drivers after an OS reinstall, this weired trouble began only this time. i am trying uninstalling it & rebooting the system.

the patch is called "SM-352B Firmware T806 Combo drive"

Look at this hotfix:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883523



The page, however, does not support a link for the hotfix. They want you to call Microsoft.


Also, since you just reformatted, I would suggest reformatting again and NOT installing Service Pack 2. Seriously, from what I have seen it does so much more harm than good.

well, the uninstall & reboot didn't work my CDRW is still a CDR

Please LucasSix, say something good to me, I am frustrated!

I'm going to have to say it is a SP2 issue with your CDRW drive. You are probably going to have to either (1) Call up Microsoft and try to get the hotfix, or (2) Get rid of SP2.

I agree LucasSix it is a WinXP SP2 issue. But it is hard to be logical. I have reinstalled my OS only a week ago, before that, there were no trouble with this though my system had SP2 from the begining!