hmm found this exchange:

Recently I started having problems with both my CDR and DVD Rom drives. When I insert a new info disc the drives cannot read the disc till I right-click on the drive's 'Properties', then 'Eject', then locate "volume' and then click 'Populate'. This will return 0 disc info. Upon reinserting disc, I have to again click the drive's properties , volume and 'populate' to get the drives to recognise the disc contents. The drives retain an image of the previous disk's contents, it seems. Installing multidisk games and software I have to do the same thing.

This happens with both drives. Never had the problem since I had them for about 2 years now.

I'm using XP Pro, CDR drive is Plextor PleXWriter 24/10/40A and my DVD rom drive is a Pioneer DVD-Rom 106.

I have always used NTI CdMaker, VCDEasy, Blindwrite/BlindRead. CloneCD, Alcohol, Nero with no problems.

I'm not sure which recently installed software has affected the drives. Recently installed are NTI Backup Now and Acronis Disk Image and Editor. Other than having made a bootable CD image for recovery purposes with Acronis Disk Image, I haven't done much with the others.

Hope someone here can kindly help.
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Went through all my recently installed programs and found out that the CloneCD version 4317 by Slysoft has automatically checked the option to lock drive. Everything runs fine now after unchecking the option. Hope this message helps someone else who should be having the same problem.

http://club.cdfreaks.com/lite/t-85893.html

And check out the main forums!

http://club.cdfreaks.com/

Thanks Jephree

In answer to your question about having a third party CD utility program installed. I dont know exactely what you mean, I have Nero 6 burning software, is that what you mean ??

When I say "The disc contents are still not visible or accessible", I mean that the drive thinks it is still empty. If I click on the disc volume in windows explorer the computer gives me the standard error message saying no disc present.

i remember when i first ever used a nero package that i got with a CD-burner, that i had a problem with the cd thinking my blank discs were full and there were some other oddities. it was all remedied by uninstalling IN-CD which is part of nero, and runs in the background. welll worth checking to see if its running, and if you have, then uninstalling it.

Thanks very much, I'll try this evening and let you know how I get on.

Scott