How can I tell if my CD/DVD drive burns CDs or DVDs?

Answer: If the drive only says "CD-ROM" or "DVD-ROM" then it probably does not burn CDs or DVDs. If it says CD-R, then it can burn recordable CDs and if it says CD-RW, it can write and rewrite to rewritable CDs.

If the drive says DVD-R or DVD+R, it can burn DVD-R or DVD+R discs. If it says DVD-RW or DVD+RW, then it can burn rewritable DVDs.

Drives that can burn CDs and read DVDs are often referred to as "Combo Drives" by many PC manufacturers. Apple Computer uses the term "SuperDrive" to refer to drives that can read and write to both CDs and DVDs.

Published: December 26, 2005 — by Per Christensson