Optical disk recorder optimizing laser power for initial writing and overwriting

Abstract

A method is designed for recording data on a recordable area of an optical disk by irradiating thereto an optical beam having a writing power effective to write the data in the recordable area including a non-recorded area which is blank and a recorded area which is recorded with old data. The method is performed by the step of performing either of an initial writing operation or an overwriting operation for recording of new data on the optical disk, the initial writing operation irradiating the optical beam onto the non-recorded area to initially write the new data, the overwriting operation irradiating the optical beam onto the recorded area to write the new data over the old data, and the step of controlling to change the writing power of the optical beam between the initial writing operation and the overwriting operation so as to secure the recording of the new data in both of the initial writing operation and the overwriting operation.