JackE

I am unfamiliar with the way this one works. It is a new computer and came with Window 10. I am thinking there is no drive in this thing, for writing my data, though it did delete what was there and reformat the disk (I read a comment here somewhere that said there was no diskdrive in their computer so wondered if that was the problem). I am not even sure anymore of the terms people use although I have been making copies of disks for many years. This particular disk is one I have copied over before, on a different computer, with no trouble. I have dragged the documents over into the disk drive, and it does something to them which takes about 5 minutes, but it is not burning them. But the titles of the cocuments I dragged over are there. o bytes.  This isn't about reading the disk. It is about copying my files into the disk. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I can find no instructions nor information on this drive, if there is one, although there is some kind of p[ower drive for watching movies. So I am wondering, do I have the means to copy my files onto a disk? Can you help?

This particular disk was blank. I had on it some of my files - my own data - things I had written. I need to update the disk so I deleted the contents, by inserting it into the compyter's disk drive. It then went through a process of reformatting, which seems to be a priority because I have now done it about 10 times in the last few days, and before that, only once in ten years. The dvd is fine - was fine - and probably still is.  I wanted to save my data, which I had put onto the new computer 3 months ago. But now I want to go in the other direction, from the computer's hard drive to the disk, so I can put it in the drawer and know I have a copy of the data no matter what. I don't seem to be able to do that.

I dragged the files over to the disk drive (not a method of transferring files that I am familiar with). But they got copied there, according to the titles that appeared under the Disk Drive title in the Acer computer listings. It took 5 minutes.  They weren't burned on to the disk. There are zero bytes in the files listed under Disk Drive Disk. I don't know what to do next. If something doesn't p[op up and say, Click to burn, or something similar, I am stuck. 

Something has happened. Not good though. I had taken the dvd out of the drive after I last spoke with you. So after seeing your latest msg I put it back in the drive. Immediately I got a notice informing me there was an error with the drive (perhaps removed dvd too soon and that I must run it through the scan to fix it. So I did that.

Next, after formatting the dvd again, I dragged the files over to the drive. It started to do its thing but I soon got another msg saying:

"This DVD-ROM Drive is read only. You can copy files to this writable DVD, but you must insert it into a writable drive."

I had seen these msgs before but couldn't make any sense out of them. It was possible to click on "skip" and just go on to the next file, but I discovered no files were being copied any more onto the drive. I was just having to click skip, over and over. 

I don't know what that notice even means, about the writable drive. I am wondering now if it has something to do with the files that I have, many of which are from my last computer, that were saved by me and put onto this Windows 10. I saw that the new files I was saving had the suffix .xdoc instead of .doc. I have no trouble with the old documents. I can open them on the computer and make changes and save them. But I wonder if this could be a problem with the drive in this computer.

This has turned into something quite complicated. I don't know if you have had any experience with this sort of thing. But is there a different place on this Acer Computer site where I can seek help with this. I wouldn't expect you to know about this old computer document problem, if that is the problem. I appreciate your help, but if this is new to you, as it is to me, can you point me in the right direction for advice. This new computer is not under warranty. It was on sale and was past the warranty date. 

Jack

It says on the sticker that it is an AXC-704 (not TC-704).

I can't understand this. I read somewhere that it is capable of showing movies, which may be all this can do. I am also surprised that there is no proper summary of what is included. 

If that is the problem, I can either try to install this Retial Plus USB 2.0 DVD+/-RW, which I used for another computer some time ago. I also have a USB memory stick but am unsure how to use it. I did put files onto it, but now I don't know how to delete them so I can update it from the files in my computer. Do you know anything about wither of these solutions.

I do regret buying this. From Staples. I thought I had someone who knew what he was doing when he sold it to me. Turns out he wasn't familiar with it at all.

Well first of all, I used a rewritable disc, to experiment, as you suggested. In fact, it had more data on it that I had from the old computer - files ending in .doc (not .xdoc). But I could add to the disc, more than likely, so I did that. I dragged one file over (also ending in .doc), and put it on the disc drive. And then I clicked on burn, in the menu. And it indicated it could do that. But within a minute it said, "There was an error burning this disc. The disc might no longer be usable."  That last part wasn't true. The disc is fine.

But one could assume the drive cannot burn .doc files.  I didn't want to try to burn another file, a .xdoc. It would be mixing two kinds of documents on the same disc, which is probably what caused the trouble before, when I asked for help. I had been adding .xdoc files to my original data (ending in .doc), and then tried to put them all onto a disk. And it wouldn't work. 

I am wondering what to make of this problem. When I got the computer I put my files onto it, no problem. But now they are getting mixed up with the new files. I wonder if this is a compatibility problem.

Do you know anything about this? I also put the files from my old computer (ending in .doc) onto a usb thing, but never did anything more with it because I didn't know of I should delete them all and then redo to save all my new data onto it (mixed files, .xdoc and .doc.  Does everyone in the world today use .xdoc files? 

There was nothing wrong with that DVD-RW until I tried to re-burn it with data stored on the new computer (same data, new computer). I did it for several years, on the same DVDs.  So, by coincidence (no), the DVD I tried to use quit working. It is now ruined. It was not the DVD that was the problem. It is ACER.

Anyway, I used a brand new disc and copied a file onto it. I still get strange messages I am unfamiliar with. It did not burn file nto the disc. It just copied it. I was informed that I could copy this file onto another computer (not available to me). Presumably I could then edit it but I don't really know. What I could also do, because I did it, was to delete the copied file from the disc and put a different file onto it. It was not burned onto the disc. It is just there. This is imporant for me to know because I have used this method to send a files or two to someone and may still want to do so.

I realized I had no choice but to use the Lexar memory stick, which I used only once before, to put all my files onto before I closed down the old computer.  I deleted secions as required, and then added the updated sections from my new computer. I don't know if there is another way of doing this. It didn't come with instructions. But it worked and I have updated my files. But I do see I will have to buy another memory stick, so I can put my updated files onto it before deleting the old files.

Thanks for your advice, Jack. However, I see that one can have something around for years and it will work well, but when technology changes, one has to adapt or give up!

I don't know about the newer faster better DVD drives, but I do know this Lexar memory stick is slow to move files around. 

I have no idea how or if I formatted the Lexar. I would have followed the directions to do so, if I had formatted it. I bought it 4 months ago - 64GB. I may have used it to copy the files off the old computer. I don't recall. I do recall it was slow. That was probably the problem. I may replace all the files with those on the new ACER now.

The greater problem is whether the file I copied on to the disc is actually there and can be copied onto another computer.  Just because my new computer says it is so doesn't mean it is. I need to be able to send the odd file or so to other people, by mail not email, in the cheapest way possible.

I am using only one disc drive now, the Acer AVC DVD-Super Multi drive, as it is described. And of course, it can burn discs, just not the kind I am using. So what kind can it burn, or does it just burn movies - a particular kind of file?

You're right. I wouldn't want to send a file that can be altered by the reader, or deleted. I don't want to have to keep experimenting with different discs, and I don't even know if they are available to buy. I haven't looked into this, or the cost of memory sticks, but I may have to.

I think the first time I used the 64gb memory stick it was for saving my old files before giving up the old computer - just as a backup for the same data I saved on the DVD rewritable disks. Looking forward now, to being able to back up successfully although I will still have a lot of .doc files around as well as the newer ones.