Audio & video software: Windows Media Player won't recognize CD-R

Windows Media Player won't recognize CD-R

I have Windows Media Player 11 on a computer running Windows XP Pro SP3. I have anti-virus and anti-spyware, and I keep both updated and run regular scans. I never have had an infection. My Microsoft operating system and all Microsoft software is also kept fully updated.

I have several .mp3 files which are one-hour long, and which I have been burning onto new Sony 700 MB CD-R's. Yesterday, I burned 10 such files onto 10 CD's, and every burn went easily and was successful.

This is the method I used to burn a CD. First, I insert a blank CD-R into my E: drive. Then I move the file I want to burn (which is one-hour long) into WMP. Then, I click on the "Burn" tab and drag and drop the file into the "Burn List". The animated bar above the "Burn List" activates and lets me know how much of the CD-R will be used up by burning this file, and how much blank space will be left on the CD-R after I burn the file.

Today, I want to burn some more hour-long .mp3's onto CD-R's, however, no matter what I try to do, the animated bar above the "Burn List" does not activate when I insert a CD-R into Drive E:. I continue to use blank CD-R's from the same package as I was using yesterday, but they do not activate the bar. I even tried inserting a CD-R which I had successfully burned yesterday, and which still had a few blank minutes left on it, but today it would not activate the bar above the "Burn List".

When I go ahead and click on "Start Burn", all that happens is that my D: drive slides out again and I get a notice from WMP that I need to insert a blank CD into the drive (which, of course, I have already done).

I tried restarting my computer, but that did not solve the problem.

I tried searching the Microsoft website, and I went through the Technical Assistance area in Windows Media Player, and I searched this Forum, but I could find no place where this issue was addressed.

I would very much appreciate it if someone could give me a couple of ideas of things to try to get WMP to again recognize when a CD-R is put into the E: (burning) Drive.

Thanks so much for any assistance you can provide.