I bought an OEM internal LG Super Multi DVD Rewriter DVD drive/writer (model GH22) and some Fujifilm DVD-RAM discs that the drive is supposed to be compatible with. ("Fujifilm DVD-RAM discs are also compatible with DVD-RAM compatible DVD-ROM drives. Simply remove the disc from the cartridge and insert into a DVD-ROM drive for read-only access.") The DVD writer worked out of the box with DVD-R discs after I installed it. It can read and write DVD-RAM media, making it compatible with all the DVD media formats. The DVD-RAM discs are housed in a kind of jewel case that has a sliding door at its rear. It's a similar design to a Zip disk's case, but bigger. The discs in the case don't fit into the LG drive. There is an opening bar at the front of the case, so I tried loading a naked disc into the drive, but Windows XP just sees it as an ordinary CD-ROM disc. I expected that it would install as a removable drive and that I would be able to copy files to it or read files from it with Windows alone. Therefore, I need to know if DVD-RAM requires special software and/or drivers, none of which were provided with the drive.

These are the specifications:

Interface: E-IDE (PATA) - Buffer underun technology
- Buffer: 2MB - Vertical / horizontal installation
- LightScribe feature - SecurDisc technology

Writing speeds: DVD+R 22x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD-R 22x,DVD-RW 6x
16x DVD+R DL, 12x DVD-R DL, DVD-RAM 12x, CD-R 48x,CD-RW 32x

Reading speeds: DVD-ROM 16x DVD, CD-ROM 48x

Answer

DVD-RAM was the original kind of recordable DVD discs. It was followed by the competing DVD+R/DVD+RW and DVD-R/DVD-RW standards. Your LG Super Multi DVD Rewriter is compatible with all three of those formats/standards (in fact all of the CD and DVD formats).

As is always the case as a technology matures, the prices of the DVD-RAM discs have dropped considerably from what they were to begin with, but DVD-RAM discs are always more expensive than the other two formats of rewritable discs - DVD+RW and DVD-RW. You can find the current prices by entering the format name (dvd-ram) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled.)

There are two types of media - Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 will hold up to 5.2GB on a single double-sided disc, with one-sided discs storing up to 2.6GB of data.

The unremovable double-sided discs are encased in a cartridge, but the single-sided discs are often available bare, in ordinary DVD cases, or in a cartridge from which the disc can be removed. In the UK, a supplier of DVD-RAM discs in an ordinary DVD case is PC World.

Type 2 is able to store 4.7GB on a single-sided disc, and 9.4GB on a double-sided disc, and can be removed from the cartridge so the disc can be used in other drive types if the data is in a compatible format.

The unremovable type of discs have to be used in a special DVD-RAM drive that is capable of using them. If the disc can be removed from its case, it can be used in any DVD writer that supports the DVD-RAM standard.

A DVD-RAM drive will read other CD/CDR/CD-RW and DVD media. Depending on the quality of the media, the DVD-RAM discs can be overwritten up to 100,000 times, making them a very attractive alternative to other removable media storage options.

DVD-RAM was designed for reliable industrial archive use. It has comprehensive built-in error and data integrity checks that are lacking in DVD+RW and DVD-RW. Because the data discs is arranged in sectors (in the same way as on a hard drive or floppy disk) instead of a continuous spiral, DVD-RAM discs are able to withstand 100 times more write cycles than the media for the other two technologies, and because the drive records on the lands and the pits of the disc, it is capable of higher-density storage. So, if you want to store large raw images, only recordable (BD-R record once) and rewritable Blu-ray discs (BD-RE) can beat them for storage capacity.

You were correct in believing that no special software is required. All you have to do is format the DVD-RAM discs with the FAT32 file system. Even Windows XP, which uses the NTFS file system itself, has to format the drives with FAT32 because the NTFS file system isn't supported due to its unsuitability for the purpose. Windows XP supports DVD-RAM directly for FAT32-formatted discs only. Windows Vista and Windows 7 are able to write directly to both FAT32- and UDF-formatted DVD-RAM discs from within Windows Explorer. Device drivers or other software are required for earlier versions of Windows (98/98SE/Me), which do not support UDF, or any format, on DVD-RAM.

However, note that Windows Vista/Windows 7 use their own version of the UDF format giving compatibility problems. Windows Vista/Windows 7 also have issues with Windows-XP formatted FAT32 discs, because Windows Vista and Windows 7 use the CPRM features Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media (CPRM/CPPM).

To format a DVD-RAM disc, right click on the DVD writer's icon in Start => My Computer (in Windows XP) and click Format. (In Windows Vista and Windows 7, open Start => Computer and do likewise.) You can enter whatever you want for the Volume label. Full, illustrated instructions are provided on this page:

Using DVD-RAM disc under Windows XP -

http://www.mytechguide.com/26/using-dvd-ram-disc-under-windows-xp/

The formatting process is slow. It can easily take up to an hour, but after it's done, the discs can be used just like big removable floppy or Zip disks, which is very convenient given their large capacity to hold data.

However, note that if you're using Windows XP, it's built-in CD-writing capability might prevent using a disc as a large floppy disk, because Windows regards a DVD-RAM disc as a CD-RW disc, which can't be written to in the manner just described. Therefore, you should turn off the CD-writing feature in order to get things running properly. To do that in Windows XP, click Start, open My Computer, right click with the mouse on the DVD-RAM drive's icon, click Properties, and then click on the Recording tab. Use your mouse to uncheck the option called Enable CD recording on this drive.

Note that the device drivers for many DVD-RAM drives are incompatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). If so, you will have to update the driver. Service Pack 3 - SP3 - is available and is the last service pack for Windows XP. If you have problems with SP3 installed, you may also require a driver update for a DVD-RAM-supporting DVD writer.

If you want to record to CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs with your LG drive, use the software that came with the retail, boxed drive. Packaged retail LG DVD writers supported by the manufacturer currently (April 2009) come with Nero or Cyberlink PowerDVD software, but OEM drives that aren't supported by the manufacturer, only by the vendor, often come as bare drives (without any CD/DVD-burning software).

If you don't have any CD/DVD-writing software, try the excellent free program CDBurnerXP Pro 3 from http://www.cdburnerxp.se/.

Computer diagnostics: How to solve or fix common desktop and laptop PC problems

To diagnose and troubleshoot specific and general problems with Microsoft's software (Windows 95, 98, Me, XP, Vista, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express) using the MS Knowledge Base, visit the Diagnostics page on this site.

Click a relevant link below to visit the information it describes on this website:

1. - Recovering and repairing Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Recovering and repairing Windows Vista when a computer crashes or fails to boot

3. - Windows Vista problems: How to fix problems with Windows Vista

4. - Recover, restore and repair Windows 7 (Win7) when a computer crashes or fails to boot

5. - Windows 7 problems: How to diagnose and fix problems with Windows 7

6. - Windows XP: How to troubleshoot and fix shutdown, restart (reboot), and startup problems

7. - Typical DLL (Dynamic Link Library) device driver problems

8. - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities

Also visit the Software pages on this site for more information on specific software-related information and problems.

9. - Motherboard and power supply problems: How to fix common problems with faulty motherboards (mainboards) and power supplies (PSUs)

10. - RAM memory problems: How to fix problems with the Random Access Memory

11. - Hard disk drive problems: How to fix computer hard disk drive (HDD) problems

12. - CD/DVD drive problems: How to fix problems with CD and DVD drives and discs

13. - Processor problems: How fix common processor (CPU) problems

14. - Video/graphics card problems: How fix common computer video and graphics problems

15. - USB and FireWire problems: - How to fix common USB and FireWire problems

16. - Network problems: How to fix common wired and wireless networking and internet problems

17. - Laptop/notebook problems: How to address or fix the most common laptop/notebook problems

How to fix problems with device drivers in Windows XP and Windows Vista and Windows 7

Although the information on the following page is specific to Windows XP, much of the advice is relevant to the earlier versions of Windows. Click here! to read Troubleshoot Device Driver Problems. Click here! to go to Tips for fixing common driver problems in Windows Vista. Those tips should also be applicable to Windows 7.

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Visit the Build a PC page for information on how to build a desktop PC and solve self-build problems, and visit the other pages, such as the Video/Graphics, Sound, Motherboards, and Monitors pages for more problem-solving information, all of which can be accessed via the menu items and jump menu on the orange navigation bar, or via the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages.

The Tips & Tricks pages of this site contain additional useful tips, tricks, and problem-solving advice.

The safest way to upgrade RAM memory: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, who was the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The best way to choose RAM memory for a brand-name desktop or laptop computer, or memory for a particular make/model of PC motherboard is to make use of the Crucial Memory Advisors (provided under the brief guideline on the minimum memory requirements for Windws XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7). If the Crucial memory you receive does not work, you are guaranteed a refund and standard shipping is free.

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. Note that if you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, up to 4.0GB, it requires twice the amount of memory as a 32-bit version, which can only use a maximum of about 3.5GB. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site, which includes information on the lower memory requirements of Windows 7.

UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK

USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA

How to Use the Crucial Memory Advisor

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

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