Incorrect Function

[rkw]

According to the Microsoft support, the message "D: is not accessible - incorrect function" happens because of an incompatibility between Windows XP and Roxio Creator. See the info here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315350

Microsoft says to download "the Windows XP update that is available from Roxio" but I cannot find it on the Roxio site. I am extremely frustrated by this. I need to have a CD for someone tomorrow morning. I thought it would be simple! But I cannot create it, cannot read any CD's I put into my D drive, etc., because I keep getting this error.

[sknis]

According to the Microsoft support, the message "D: is not accessible - incorrect function" happens because of an incompatibility between Windows XP and Roxio Creator. See the info here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315350

Microsoft says to download "the Windows XP update that is available from Roxio" but I cannot find it on the Roxio site. I am extremely frustrated by this. I need to have a CD for someone tomorrow morning. I thought it would be simple! But I cannot create it, cannot read any CD's I put into my D drive, etc., because I keep getting this error.

 

Did you really read the instructions? Do you have one of those old versions of the product? If so, why are you posting in Creator 2010?

 

Does Windows see your drive from Windows Hardware manager? What version (SP)of XP do you have? What is your "D" drive? Has it worked in the past? How/what are you trying to burn to the CD?

[rkw]

Did you really read the instructions? Do you have one of those old versions of the product? If so, why are you posting in Creator 2010?

 

I'm frazzled and frustrated with the repeated error messages and no clear way to solve the problem, so apparently I didn't look as closely as I should have. Nonetheless, I have a genuine problem that I can't seem to solve despite searching the best way I know how. I'm not perfect, so no doubt I've missed something. That's why I asked for help. I have Creator 2010 and that's why I'm posting here.

 

Does Windows see your drive from Windows Hardware manager? What version (SP)of XP do you have? What is your "D" drive? Has it worked in the past? How/what are you trying to burn to the CD?

 

I tried to burn a data CD using Roxio Creator 2010. Creator did not generate any error messages. It looked like it was working normally, and gave me a message indicated that it was complete - it even ejected the CD as expected. It seemed like everything was normal and okay. But when I tried to read the CD using Windows Explorer, I got that incorrect function message. When I took the CD to someone else's computer and tried to read it, there was no error message, but it showed that there were no files on the CD. It would seem that burning the CD had not really worked.

 

This is repeatable. I've tried several times today with the exact same results. I disabled ZoneAlarm (which wasn't generating any error messages) and still got the same results. Then I decided to just used Windows Explorer to "send" the files to the CD. Got the exact same "not accessible - incorrect function" error. That's when I started searching for online help and found the Microsoft information.

 

The D drive has worked in the past. It's apparently working to some extent now, since Creator was able to communicate with it enough to eject. Windows hardware manager sees it and tells me, "This device is working properly." It's identified as PBDS+-RW DH-16W1S. Prior to installing Creator I never had any problems reading the D drive. Since installing Creator I have made a couple of DVDs but never a data CD. I have XP Home version Service pack 3. I have all the latest security updates from Microsoft.

[Brendon]

RKW,

 

The Microsoft support page you quoted is for people who had version 4 or earlier installed on Windows98 or earlier, and then installed XP over the top of their OS as an upgrade. It has no application here.

 

Your drive has two main assemblies - the electronic one consisting of the printed circuit board and electronic parts, and the mechanical one consisting of the optical and motor assemblies.

 

If the electronic assembly is working okay, Hardware Manager will see the drive and identify it and tell you the drive is working okay - despite the fact that you may have serious problems in the mechanicals.

 

e.g. If the writing laser is faulty and not burning, you will get an empty disc and the symptoms you're describing.

A different setup is used for reading, so it is possible to read a disc on a drive which is faulty and can no longer write.

 

I'd suggest you test your drive with one of the cheap free CD-writing programs, as well as with XP's built-in writer. If it will burn with one of those then it's okay. If it won't burn with the cheap program, XP, OR Roxio then you need to look very sternly at your burner drive because it seems to have failed.

[rkw]

Thanks for your response. I didn't realize at first that the Microsoft page was outdated - sorry about that. In the meantime I did try using XP's built-in writer, with no success, but I wasn't convinced it was a hardware problem. I decided to try a fresh start, so I uninstalled and reinstalled Creator 2010 as well as the device D. After that, things are looking better. I can now write to discs and read them. I don't know what was really the problem, but at this point I don't care as long as it works.

[Brendon]

No problem, RKW.

 

Whatever the trouble was, it'd have to be at a rather low level to affect the Windows writer too. I'm glad you were brave enough to reinitialize everything and your hunch paid off.

 

We'll probably never find out just what broke in your system, but it has probably shown that driver failure can mimic hardware failure and most importantly it's now working again for you.

 

Well done.