How do I finalize a disk (CD-R and DVD+/-R) using Windows ?

Hi:

From what I can gather,

Closing a DVD burns the information to a DVD, but then allows you the capability of

burning information to the same disk at a later time.  That is why they call it "closed".

You close the DVD (like a drawer) but can open it a later time to burn more files to it.

Finalizing a DVD allows you to burn to the DVD "one time", then the disk gets "finalized":

it has zero bytes available to be written to.  You can see this if you click on the disk icon,

the select Properties from the drop-down menu.

One major probelm:

Many, many times, I have tried just Closing the disk, then ejecting it ... but Windows will display

a message in the System Tray that it is preparing the disk to eject.  When this occurs,

I usually have not been able to burn more files to the disk at a later time.

Some times, I have been able to circumvent this problem, by ejecting the disk via the Eject button

on the laptop, or by clicking on the C: drive icon that appears when you select Computer from the Start menu, then, selecting Eject from the Properties pop-up menu.  I have had success this way,

but I have also have failure.  I may get the same message (listed above) pop-up in the System Tray.

-DaleB

We are having the same problem. I think M$ is misunderstanding, or not making it clear, that "finalizing" a disc and "closing" a disc are not the same thing. We are using Win 7 Enterprise, and have to xfer files from different networks and the IA policies require that discs not be able to be modified (over-written or modified) once the disc is burned (in other words finalized). Everyone keeps pointing to the article at this link, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Close-or-finalize-a-CD-or-DVD, but it is mis-leading in that they only mention, in the Notes, that burning using Windows Explorer does not finalize the disc.

It looks like we are going to have to resort to a 3rd party application to meet our IA requirement. That is unless there is some undocumented way to actually finalize a disc using Windows Explorer.

Hi:

Be careful !

As I mentioned in my previous replies to folks on April 28th, 2013,

Roxio seems to have some nice User Friendly  utilities.  The version that I have is "old"

so I can't tell you the prons/cons of their latest software...but...if you finalize a disk

or burn a rewriteable disk that is not finalized (you want ot be able to add files at a later date/time)...you cannot access the files on those disks...unless... you use Roxio's program ! 

You are stuck !   The disk is unreadble by other programs.   I do not like this !!!

-DaleB

I've read four pages of answers and still don't have a resolution to my problem.  I've tried everything that has been suggested and nothing has worked.  When I go to the Start menu and click on Computer and then select the CD drive.  The toolbar does not offer the option Finalize the disk.  If I right click on the CD drive, the pop-up does not offer the option to finalize the disk.  I can still add files to the CD.  I cannot, however, delete or rename files on the CD.  When I click on Properties it shows that there is free space remaining which would indicate the disk has NOT been finalized. 

So does anyone have any other suggestions?  Preferably ones that work as I've spent about four hours chasing my tail on this issue and getting nowhere fast.  I need to create these disks for a pending lawsuit and definitely don't want anyone to be able to change or add files.  And they have to be able to be read on various other computers. 

morlaine