I have a new computer, which has a NEC DVD-RW, and my older computer was using Hewlett Packard CD-Writer. Both devises work and read each other’s data. Problem is when writing to open CD-RW's. I can only write to a particular CD-RW if it was started in that machine. I can not write to CD-RW in my NEC if it was first recorder by the HP, nor the other way either.

Are there format issues?

It depends on the method used to burn them initially.

Packet writing, for example, requires the same machine to read or write to.

Burning the "normal" way however, can be read and written to on any machine as CD's use a common standard, namely ISO 9660.


(In rare cases, it can sometimes depend on the burner or media itself. Burning is an art, not a science.)