Only One CD-R or CD-RW Disk Drive Can Be Used to Create Compact Discs in Windows XP (294652)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
This article was previously published under Q294652

SYMPTOMS

When you have a computer with more than one CD-R or CD-RW disk drive, only one disk drive may enable you to create compact discs. If you click to select the Enable CD Recording on this drive check box for either the CD-R or CD-RW disk drive that is not enabled, the computer seems to apply the change, but the disk drive remains disabled. When you examine the CD-R or CD-RW disk drive properties, the Enable option is not selected.

CAUSE

This problem can occur because the creation of compact discs in Windows XP is limited to the first CD-R or CD-RW disk drive that had been specified at startup.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, change the physical location of the preferred CD-R or CD-RW disk drive on the device chain.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The initiated disk drive is the first disk drive that is detected as a CD-ROM recording device during the device enumeration process. The order of the enumeration process is:

Onboard integrated device electronics (IDE): primary master
Onboard IDE: primary slave
Onboard IDE: secondary master
Onboard IDE: secondary slave
Small computer system interface (SCSI) devices (including add-on IDE controllers)

For additional information about the enumeration of SCSI controllers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

141832 How to Change the Boot Disk Order with Multiple SCSI Adapters

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/15/2006
Keywords:kbHardware kbprb KB294652
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