I just started getting the problem this week, last week it was still burning DVDs fine. I've tried so many times but Nero keeps telling me all my DVD-Rs are empty DVD-ROMs. All I've ever used on this pc is Nero, Alcohol and DVD Decryptor. I've tried updating the firmware, didn't work. Tried removing the device from device manager, didn't work. Tried removing device, then updating firmware, didn't work. Tried plugging it into 'Primary IDE' in my Asus A8N-E motherboard, didn't even recognise it. Plugged it back into 'Sec IDE', but still doesn't work. I've run out of ideas. The drive still reads discs fine, and I've tried burning with 2 different media, but just keeps thinking its an empty DVD-ROM! Been working fine for a year. It's a Samsung SH-W08a on winxp pro sp2, ASUS A8N-E
I hope you're using good media like Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim (stay away from the ones made in India!). this is the first step...... using the good stuff stops many problems. I suggest you try using other programs too and see if your drive responds or is recognized by the programs before giving up on your burner. use DVDDecrypter and Shrink and ImgBurn ..... here are guides and where you can download your programs. AnyDVD and CloneDVD have a 21 day trial period so try those programs, too! use the guides: http://webpages.charter.net/bacitup/index.htm hopefully it's just Nero getting buggy again and with these other programs you'll be able to burn again successfully! good luck!
I got it working, I uninstalled Alcohol 120 and it worked instantly. Didn't even have to restart. I've been using them both for a year fine, so I don't know how it suddenly stopped working. I heard the device disconnected sound when I uninstalled it, like it was using emulation, but there weren't any virtual drives in my computer.