My disks are DVD-RW and want tp use them over gain and don't know how. Also when do I finalise then and what for

For RW discs, you need to reformat them to reuse them. For your laptop, you should see a format option if you right click on the DVD icon when you have the File Explorer open to Computer (My Computer). (This assumes that the computer has a DVD writer.)

Finalizing the disc enables the contents of the disc to be read on other DVD players. (This isn't always an issue. For example, a disc burned with WinXP should be readable for a computer with Windows 7 without finalizing. However, if the disc was burned by a DVD player, the contents will not be accessible on any other units without being finalized.)

If the disc has been finalized, you need to take another step before reformatting the RW disc. Put the disc in the unit that initially finalized it. Then look for an Unfinalize option. Then format the disc again. (I've never used this feature on my computer. It's easily accessed on my DVD recorder in the same section of the submenu as finalizing the disc.)

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Your disc burning software should have an "erase disc" command somewhere, and all you need to do is pick that. Then the program will erase your disc and you'll be able to record new data on it. You don't say what burning program you are using, so I can't be specific. I would recommend giving CDBurnerXP a try. It's completely free and very easy to use, and the erase disc command is right on the opening menu screen.

It's possible to burn some data onto a CD (a recording session), then add more data at a later time in another session. This is called a multi-session disc. Finalising (or finalizing, on my side of the pond) a disc marks it so that no more information can be added. Some devices, such as an audio CD player, can't read a disc that hasn't been finalised. But a computer can read a multi-session disc without any trouble, and sometimes it's handy to keep adding data to the same one (for use as a backup disc for a financial program, for example). In this case you'd only finalise the disc when you weren't planning on adding anything more.