Is there such a thing as a DVD drive that is shipped as a read only
drive but that can have a write function that is locked through
software?

wrote in message
oups.com

Is there such a thing as a DVD drive that is shipped as a
read only drive but that can have a write function that
is locked through software?

As close as I've seen to that is DVD-ROM+CD-RW "combo" drives that are sold
as if they were just DVD-ROM drives. The write function is available to any
CD burning software that recognizes the model of drive for being what it
is.

IOW most if not all CD & DVD burning software is table driven, and will only
burn discs using drive models that are in the table. If you don't have the
right software, the unrecognized "combo" drive is only usable as a reader.

Recently I found a Dell computer that had a combo drive that was only
recognized as a burner by the burning software that Dell provided with that
particular computer.

Arny Krueger wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com

Is there such a thing as a DVD drive that is shipped as a
read only drive but that can have a write function that
is locked through software?

As close as I've seen to that is DVD-ROM+CD-RW "combo" drives that are sold
as if they were just DVD-ROM drives. The write function is available to any
CD burning software that recognizes the model of drive for being what it
is.

IOW most if not all CD & DVD burning software is table driven, and will only
burn discs using drive models that are in the table. If you don't have the
right software, the unrecognized "combo" drive is only usable as a reader.

Recently I found a Dell computer that had a combo drive that was only
recognized as a burner by the burning software that Dell provided with that
particular computer.

I don't really know why the idea came to me, I guess a tiny bit of
wihsful thinking.

These days DVD burners are available for computers at prices in the
$50.00 range, so there probably is no real reason to rig a drive in the
fashion I described any way.

Thanks.