HP CD-Writer Plus 8200e doesn't format CD-RW disc

[Dude Dudely]

As the subject says, my 8200e drive won't successfully format a CD-RW disc as UDF, even if the disc is brand new and untouched. The error message is "Format failed due to general failure".

Please advise.

P.S. This thread has been moved from Disk to Optical Jukeboxes & Drive. - Hp Forum Moderator

[Bill McNAMARA_1 · Accepted solution]

Firmware upgrade to be on the safe side: See this link:
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xdb2b8f960573d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html

However, the problem is more than likely one of burner software (I had a problem with an 8100 and nero < 4) and/or your antivirus software interupting things. disable AV during burns.

Good Luck,
Bill

[Dude Dudely]

Thanks Bill, but the link you gave me had no direction to a FW upgrade. I had already installed HP RecordNow, HP DLA, and the proper USB driver listed at
http://www.hp.com/cgi-bin/cposupport/swindex.pl?p=hpcdwriter22106&l=en&c=MicrosoftWindows2000Pro
and still nothing. I bought the unit 'out of the box' at Future Shop so it didn't come with any software or manuals at all. I downloaded the manual from the HP site already. The only SW I installed was that mentioned above.

From the photo at
http://www.hp.com/cposupport/prodhome/hpcdwriter22106.html
I guess my drive is actually an 8220e, although the USB driver Win2000 chose was for CD-Writer Plus. Nice of them to make it so easily marked with a model name :)

Any further suggestions? Thanks for you help so far.

[Eric Carleen]

Just piling on here: I've got the same problem with an HP cd-writer 8200. I've downloaded all the latest HP software for it. I access it from a dual-boot Win 98 / Win 2000 System, and it fails from either OS. I use brand-new Memorex CD-RWs, fresh out of the shrink wrap. CD-Rs run fine.

[Damon Tracy]

Just a Related Note-
My DVD200i writer will not format a CD-RW either. I am using brand new Memorex media (700mb) and after 23 to over 40 minutes of waiting it will say "Format failed due to general failure". It also will not format a CD-R disk, But it will write to a CD-RW and CD-R as long as it is not using DLA. I have not tried to format a DVD+RW yet.

[Claudio_12]

piling on top of the pile....

Same issues as stated above. The downloadable XP drivers from HP support are not recognized by XP. XP recognizes the HP8220e/8230e as HP8200f.

I've received the "bad block" message and the "disk is dirty .... etc". Other times the CD light just stays on forever and never completes the format.

Finally got one to burn today, but it is only recognized by my internal CD drive, and not by the HP drive. The HP drive tries to read it, but then just ends up flashing red.

I'm running XP Pro with SP 1 on a Toshiba 2800 laptop.

Support, please come through for us!!!

CJBE

[SL_1]

Go to: http://www.hp.com/cgi-bin/cposupport/swdl.pl?c=co618&i=co618en&p=hpcdwriter18534&n=hp+cd-writer+plus+external+8200e+drive and download and install HP DLA.This is an alternative to Direct CD and seems to work better and doesn't conflict as much.Direct CD will have to be uninstalled also as they can't be on the same system.Let me know how you get on.

[matt colgan]

Having the same difficulties. I am using an external 8230 and it will not format new Memorex 4x CD-RW media. It fails after 70 minutes on my win 98 machine with an error message every time. This is rather frustrating.

[Dude Dudely]

Most of my problems were alleviated by disabling anti-virus, shutting down pretty much EVERYTHING else running except my burning program, and not touching anything during burning. So much for multi-tasking!

[Ron Demery]

Making the pile a little taller. My PC, fresh out of the box won't format CD-RWs. Many emails and telephone calls later, experts are evidently stumped and sent me here to get the answer.

[Curtis Killman]

HP is aligned with dvd+rw format. Manual on my 300n says it won't read a dvd-rw.
I learned this today, after purchasing dvd-rws.

[Ted_34]

I jump on this pile, too.

I've had an 8230e for a couple years now, and once I upgraded to WinXP (which HP says is supported with their software), it's just been a piece of plastic as far as I'm concerned. The thing has only burned like 3 CDs.

I've bitched and moaned about it, and guess what HP says? "Try reinstalling Windows." Which we can all translate to mean ... duh, we can't help.

Two days ago, my hard drive died completely. I figured that this was my chance to follow HP's advice to the letter. Well, right from the start, their Readme in cdrm_usb is wrong - WinXP won't ask for drivers on a reboot. I've tried other things, and once again, with an entirely clean WinXp installation, the HP CD-Writer does not work.

And this leads me to my boycott of HP products...

[Ted_34]

Did I mention that Windows XP Professional crashes whenever your (HP's) crappy drive fails, which is does everytime I try to write/erase/format anything?

[Louis Baker]

I'm in too!!!

My Windows XP keeps trying to use the HP8290 drivers for my 8200. Before I left to Iraq for 3 months it worked fine. I can only assume the "update" windows so nicely downloads for me screwed it up. So now I can't install the 8200 drivers it just finds the HP-8200 and slaps the 8290 drivers to it without so much as asking me. I also tried using the device manager to update the drivers to the 8200 drivers I DL from HP, but Windows XP wont hear of it. What do I do?!?!

[D. Panter]

Add me too, Hp 7500, used it for years, new computer and new XP on it, finialy got it to burn Cd-R's,still got DLA flopping up a bunch of crap every startup though. Cd-Rw's dead in water. Reminds me of the support or lack there of with my old Deskjet, next time I am product buying HP will not be on it anywhere. Duhh, have you reloaded Windows, sat on a tack, never not every is it HPs fault in their support chain.

[Jeff_319]

I agree with and am having the same problems as Ted and Louis (system crashing due to the drivers and my computers' insistence on using the 8290 driver). Here's an additional fact: When I can actually open RecordNow and begin burning an audio CD, it gets stuck at 98%. The program doesn't freeze (the disc and pencil are still moving in the upper right of the window), but it never pulls the trigger to seal the deal on burning the disc - it just stays at 98% progress. Many emails back anbd forth HP and they, for the most part, recite the instructions included when you download the RecordNow software.

[John_966]

My hp 8210e worked beautifully for a long time. nothing has changed on the system until today when the program group disappeared from my system, and it started hanging up during format. tried ALL troubleshooting tips. no avail.

in fact they left me worse off than before. it won't read a disk nor format though sometimes it starts to format. i do have the drive letter detected, and all updated drivers in. when i try to reinstall the software that comes with it, it says the drive is not there.

i run ME with the hp8210e, and internal lg cdrw and cd drives. tried ALL possible combinations of software changes and such. can't figure out why it started this in the first place.

i'm NOT a novice, but expert level. the problem has escalated after 20 continuous hours of work on the hp, and now it is deteriorating the whole machine it seems.i'm afraid it's burned out a channel on the mobo.

can't get the toolbox to install because of said issue above, no part of the software will work because it says the drive's not there. however, the system sure does see it in device manager and such.

as i said, it worked great for a long time then dropped the program group, is how it started it seems, and went from there.

the FAQ and help at HP is NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.