Windows media player 11 will not recognize a CD in the drive. I loaded "Nero" and it will not recognize the CD in the drive. I can not burn and I can not find out what is wrong. Help!!
The drive is a MITSUMI CR-487ETE ReWritable

Is it detected under My Computer?

Is it detected in the Device Manager?

My Computer and Device Manager both detect the CD drive E. The drive works all other times with no problems. Only when I try to burn an audio or text file does it tell me there is no disc in the drive. But there is, and I have tried many different CD's. I have tried CD-R data, CD-R music, CD-RW with no luck.

Are you using Nero? Or should I ask will Nero work?

Third party burning software often disables XP's burning functions.

Nero does not work. Media player would not work either. I tried Media Player first and when that did not work I loaded Nero and that did not work either. They both tell me that there is no CD in the drive.
I should also add that this is the first time I have tried to burn something. I just retired and now I have a lot of time to play with the computer so I thought I would make some Audio CD's. I have had this computer for a year and a half but I have never tried to burn anything before. This is very frustrating

Right click the drive under My Computer then click Properties.

Open the Recording tab.

Is there a check in the box that says: Enable CD recording on this drive?

Yes, the "Enable CD recording" box is checked.
Does "Rewritable" always mean a burner? My old computer had a burner and it had "rewritable-recordable" writen on it. This computer only says "rewritable" on it. Does that mean anything?

Rewritable should mean rewritable across the board. Older drives were restricted by formats but most new ones cover all formats. Such as:

RW

+RW

-RW

+&-RW

Some disks and drives may also not be compatible due to disk speed versus drive speed.

Anyway that checkbox should allow the XP software to burn. Most third party softwares uncheck that box when installed as it only applies to the XP burner.

Try unchecking that box then use Nero again.

I unchecked that box and still could not burn. It said the media required is CD-R/RW. I can not find any disc's marked CD-R/RW, only R or RW. I did see some disc's in the store marked R- High Speed but I have not tried these.
On my drive it says "Ultra Speed" but does not give a number. The disc's I have been using are 4x and 16x. I assume the drive is faster than that.
When I tried Nero I slowed down the burn speed from Fastest (52x) to 4x and it made no differance.
I am about ready to take the burner out of my old computer and install it in this one and see if that works. The old computer has a bad power supply and I don't know why it went bad so I am reluctant to put that drive in my new computer. Only as A last resort

Do you get the Auto Start prompt when you insert CD?

Or is blank CD seen if you right click the drive then choose Properties?

If so try Formatting the blank CD via the right click option Format...