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DVD drive will read/play some dics,but not others


[NH]4x

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I have a Sony DVD-ROM DDU1615 drive in my pc that will play/recognize some disc but not others.

It will play some movies,but not others,the same with games. Arma Combat Operations (Atari copy) it'll recognize and install,but I've been unable to get it to successfully recognize/read and install Arma II (Idea games copy).

I've noticed after ejecting a new/unused disk,that it has scratches.........hmmmm.....thats not good,is it.

PC has a few years on it,but meets min. requirements for Arma II..........I'm stumped.

Ran dianogstic test on said drive......same story as above...........didnt recognize Arma II at all,but passed test after Arma Combat Operations was put into bay.

Any ideas,suggestions,advice and help will be appreciated .

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It's a DVD-ROM drive? That must be more than a few years old as you can hardly find any pure DVD ROM drives anymore (mostly all burners).

Good chance that with all the new copy protection on games these days your drive won't be able to keep up, and it's unlikely Sony is still producing firmware updates as they probably want you to buy new hardware.

I'd suggest you just buy a new DVD burner for $30 to replace your old one. Get it from a place you can return it if you run into problems

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@ firefly......dont have any compressed air handy,but it is time to pick some up,because pc is in need of a good dusting.

@ CR6.........yes it is a DVD-ROM.

I googled it to make sure it is "Dual Layer Compatible",as that is a requirement for Arma II and this confirms that it is.......I think... http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/stor...ecs.htm#general.

What's strange is.....the first few attempts(a couple weeks ago) to install Arma II..nothing happened........drive wouldnt "spin up" nor was game recognized in the drive. I continued trying and drive finially spun up(but sounded like it was going to "throw a rod"),got to install screen and after entering "key code" started installation...but an error popped up midway of install(can't remember what it said) and aborted installation. I try a few more times......same thing happened ,until the last time......when I entered key code......got message saying incorrect code.

Last night,before starting this thread,I tried to watch a "new out of box"dvd movie that my girlfriend got for Christmas......a no go. So I"hmmmmed"it a few seconds and put my dvd of Stevie Ray Vaughan ,playing at Austin City Limits ( Thank you Greyhaired/Rob) that I knew would work,in and now it's "skipping",when it wasn't a couple weeks ago,because I tried it when Arma II wouldnt install,and it worked fine then.

So,I'm not sure if my drive is on it's last leg or if what you say ........"Good chance that with all the new copy protection on games these days your drive won't be able to keep up, and it's unlikely Sony is still producing firmware updates as they probably want you to buy new hardware."........is the case.

I've never changed/installed a drive........is there much to it? And have no idea as to what name brand to get,should this one need replacing,which I'm thinking is the case.Would appreciate some opinions.

Thanks for the responses.....would like to hear more thoughts,before I make a decision as to how to proceed.

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Hey Clay!

I don't like it when you say it is scratching new disks and maybe throwing a rod.

I had to replace mine a couple of years ago and got it from Wally World. The brand is Lite-on and it is A DVD/RW.

If you want some ratings/reviews shop at New Egg for one.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?...D-Burners-Media

I think most newer ones use a SATA cable to connect to the motherboard but in my case(old computer) mine uses an IDE cable. The wide flat kind. SATA cables are much narrower. Might check to see what kind yours is using and if you have some open SATA connections on your motherboard if you have to go that route.

I had some issues with this new one. I can't remember if it would not read or would not burn.

My fix went like this and might be worth a try in your case.

-Go to Control Panel and click on System.

-You get a system properties window.

Under the hardware tab click on Device manager

-In the Device Manager window expand IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers

I have three entries listed but only the first is active:

Nvidia nForce 250 Parallel ATA Contoller (yours will probably be a different model but choose the active one)

Under the secondary channel tab:

-If the transfer mode is PIO mode switch it to "Ultra DMA 1" from the drop down menu available.

PIO mode is no good in my experience.

-There is also the option in the same tab to check "Let Bios select transfer mode". Never tried it but might be an option if all else fails.

If you get a new one you will need a screwdriver to take some screws out that hold the drive in its bay. Slide the old one out and the new in. Connect it to the power supply and the motherboard. Probably comes with some instructions if all else fails. :lol:

I'm pretty bad to check You tube for how to videos if I think it might help me.

Hope you get it sorted.

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If your drive is now actually damaging blank discs then I wouldn't be loading anything in it that you'll likely want to keep...such as SRV. If it was your sole ODD and it was kept busy for a few years and is suddenly acting up then it's a good bet that it's time to retire it.

As noted above, go brave the return lines today and pick up a replacement (Phillips, Sony, Etc., )

I would shy away from Lite-On products -IMO more trouble than their worth.

Also noted above -if your Dell MoBo allows- go SATA over IDE...if for nothing else better cable management.

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@ wombat50

Hello Don,nice to hear from you. I checked the properties of said drive and it's IDE..what ever that means....it's all "greek"to me.

Also followed your instructions,"In the Device Manager window expand IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers".......and have three entries :"Intel[R] 82801G {ICH7 Family] Ultra ATA Storage Controllers-27DF"...it's "enabled"....:"Intel[R] 82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller"....it's disabled ,and : "Primary IDE Channel"......enabled.

All of the above is way over my head,and I have not a clue what any of it means(will leave settings "AS IS"),but posted the info so ya'll know what's there.

@ NoQuarter

PC has two drive bays ( DVD......CD),both used equally,I'd guess....time wise. CD drive bay works fine though.Not sure if there's SATA cables available inside for bay drives or not......maybe above info confirms yea or nea,for those in the know,but I have not a clue.....time to have a look see at "Owners Manual" and/or open this baby up to find out.

Also,I'm with you,NoQuarter, about not putting anymore disc in bay....only to be ejected with more scratches,I'd cry a river if I rendered my SRV dvd unplayable/watchable.

Decision to replace DVD drive has been made......however,I'm still not certain as to what to ask/look for when I go to purchase..........it needs to be " Dual Layer Compatible" per Arma II requirements. Will all the DVD drives available at stores meet this requirement,or is this something to make sure that it is? Probably a dumb question,but want to make sure,before I go purchase and bring the wrong one home.

Thanks for the continued input...more is welcome.

I'm "Chomping at the bit" to get this thing fixed ,so I can install Arma II ,and jump in the Alpha Squad server ,for a coop fix...these DTs are about to drive me to drankin. :blink:

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oddly enough, same here. <_<

but mine are from the DVD-ROM of our 5-7yr old Karaoke DVD player and the DVD-ROM from our PS2, which is a backup DVD-ROM for the Karaoke.

I'll more like buy a $150 BR or a <$100 DVD player than muck around the trying to replace it with OEM DVD drive

good luck, those Lite-On WK posted looks good.

MicroCenter once in awhile would have Samsung DVD-ROM for $23 OEM

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You won't go wrong with a Plextor drive - that brand regularly makes "Editor's Choice" lists in PC mags/websites etc, but can be a bit pricey. WK found a good deal though

I personally have run Lite-On drives without too much problem. Another brand that is generally cheap and reliable is LG.

If you are not comfortable swapping out the drive yourself, perhaps find a friend you trust that knows how to do it, and if not, a reliable store that can do it for you.

** The main issue with IDE drives is that you MUST take note if your drive will be master or slave. The master drive is the one at the end of the IDE cable and the slave would be the one that is attached halfway down the cable. You will have to make sure the jumpers are set appropriately on your new DVD burner or it will not work properly.

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Thanks for all the input/replies.............more is welcome.

I took a look see at owners manual and I dont think replacing the DVD drive is over my head.However,I do have a question for those in the know...........When I purchase a new DVD drive,will it come with software.......or is this one of those "plug and play" deals ,where as, when I get it installed ,my PC will recognize it and it will "just work"?...that is,if I install it correctly.

Again ,thanks for all the help,input,replies and suggestions.

Edit: Dumb question time...............After viewing the two links that WhiteKnight posted,<Thanks,............What is the difference between CD/DVD Burners & Media and CD/DVD Burners?

One More ?: I presume that the "DVD+R DL" and "DVD-R DL" that I see in the specs of the Liteon,mean that it's "Dual Layer"............However,that is listed in the "write" specs of drive and not the "read" specs.

Remember,I'm needing a "Dual Layer"DVD drive so I can install my copy of Arma II( requirements on box) and watch DVD Movies.........so,shouldnt I see the "DL" in the 'Read" section on the specs also,to be able for it to read my Arma dvd?

Edited by [NH]4x
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Replacing the DVD drive is easy. While it is not pinned anymore, my build a PC guide will help you out. There should be just 4 screws and the 2 connectors to disconnect from the drive.

To configure a new drive, just look at the old drive and move the jumper on the new drive to the proper one. If a jumper is at master on the old drive, ensure that the new drive has the jumper in the master slot.

Windows will see the new drive with no problems. There is no extra software to install. Now a retail version comes with burning software, the Plextor with Roxio Creator 10CE suite and the Lite-On comes with Nero. It's your choice as to which you want really.

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4x' date='Dec 27 2009, 02:09 PM' post='551145']when I get it installed ,my PC will recognize it and it will "just work"?...that is,if I install it correctly.

Yes. Like WK said, you do not need to install any software for your computer to recognize your DVD burner. Personally, I would avoid installing any software that comes with your DVD burner unless absolutely necessary. (i.e. if you want to burn a DVD) In terms of burning software, I personally prefer Nero over Roxio for ease of use and features.

4x' date='Dec 27 2009, 02:09 PM' post='551145']Edit: Dumb question time...............After viewing the two links that WhiteKnight posted,<Thanks,............What is the difference between CD/DVD Burners & Media and CD/DVD Burners?

One More ?: I presume that the "DVD+R DL" and "DVD-R DL" that I see in the specs of the Liteon,mean that it's "Dual Layer"............However,that is listed in the "write" specs of drive and not the "read" specs.

Remember,I'm needing a "Dual Layer"DVD drive so I can install my copy of Arma II( requirements on box) and watch DVD Movies.........so,shouldnt I see the "DL" in the 'Read" section on the specs also,to be able for it to read my Arma dvd?

To answer your questions:

- All DVD burners also burn CDs

- Burner + media - not sure why they mention "media" as that usually refers to a blank CD/DVD disc to burn things on. I know all the Plextors I've bought came with a blank DVD-R/RW to try out.

- Yes, DL means dual layer. Pretty much all DVD burners now can read dual-layer DVD movies, so don't worry about seeing "DL" on the read section.

- However, not all DVD burners can burn dual-layer discs. I believe you will also need a dual-layer media disc if you want to burn dual-layer DVDs.

Oh, just a warning - I just installed a LG DVD burner and it had some annoying firmware that gave a pop-up everytime I accessed the DVD drive. It can be solved by a firmware upgrade but it is a stupid move by LG for having that pop up in the first place.

Let us know what brand you buy.

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Hello my friend,

Check/compare LiteOn and NEC drives, good value for money.

By the way: did you install any Sony software back then? They had an issue few years ago because their software installed a "backdoor" . Not only illegal but also preventing several types of discs/CDs from playing.

http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6376177-1.html

Edit: Forget about NEC unless a shop got it in stock. They joined optical drive forces with Sony ("Sony Optiarc").

Of course you can consider this brand too; it's a free world, I just don't buy any Sony stuff anymore.

Like CR6 mentioned, LG is also good value for money. Plextor is good but quite expensive. And again, like CR6 said, check the jumper settings of the drive that you replace and make sure the new one has the same settings. If you want we can go through it on TS one of these days.

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@ GreyHaired

Rob,This Dell XPS 400 came with the Sony DVD installed. PC came with the usual Dell bloatware loaded also,of which is a dvd burning program,I think?,which I've never used but.................this thing hasn't even hiccuped since day one and it's got to be around 5 years old or somewhere close.................time flys. The only thing I've done to since new, is upgrade the Vid card to ATI 1950 pro.

Havent made up my mind as to which name brand Drive I'll purchase yet,probably whatever Bestbuy has that will do what I need it to and fit /hook up ..................... Don't need anymore problems to go with the ones I already have :wacko:

Edited by [NH]4x
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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm back..........bought new drive today at local PC repair shop. Carried old one with me to make sure the sizes and plugins were the same ......all looked good at store,so I came home with it.

Now......I remember someone saying to make sure that the mater/slave "jumper" was correct ,when I install new drive.....at the time I didnt know what in the world that was all about ........but now that I got to looking at old DVD drive I see/saw,what I THINK the poster was talkin bout,because it has on the back an option for " Cable Select or Slave orMaster",with a little dohicky( "jumper"?) on the "Cable Select" pins .

I looked at the back of new drive ( no writing on it,like old one) and the jumper was on the "Master pins"( using old drive as an example).........sooooooooo I move the jumper to the "Cable Select" pins.......put new drive in slot....hooked up IDE and power cables. Boot PC,it finds "New Hardware" , I say yes to "Install" and Awaaaaaay weeee goooo. Get the message "New Hardware installed".

I hit the "Windows + E ,just to see if new drive has the same letter as old one (which it does) and what happens?....................."Corel Photo 6" tries to install but wont because of some error........ BUT,I already HAVE that program installed.........I have to go into Task Manager to Close it out ,but it keeps poping back up anytime I click on the new drive.................What's up with that?.........anybody have an idea as to why this is happening? And how to get it to stop?( it quits when I close (whatever it's called when one hits the Windows+E) Window.

ANYWAY.............I put my Arma II disc in and drive works fine...........started installing game........well it got halfway and a "Error" popped up.....................just like it did with the old drive ( I've read about others having the same issue).

I'm going to try my SRV dvd and see what happens,as well as the movies that old drive wouldnt recognize/play. Will report back with results.

But in the meantime..........will someone post ideas as to why I'm having issues with "corel photo" trying to install?

Thanks

Edit: I forgot to mention what Drive I purchased,it's a "NEC DVDRW ND 3540A".....When I bought it,I didn't know anything about it,and still dont know much,but I used our ole friend google,and from the info I've seen, I think I got a pretty good buy for $45.00.

However,I'm thinking the "Cable select" and "Master" "jumper" are reversed from my old drive,(but not sure,because there's nothing on the back of new drive,so I know what is what) from reading about it on http://www.cdrinfo.com/sections/reviews/sp...articleid=14916 , and made and "boo boo" when I switched jumper to same postion as old drive and( thinking to myself this might be the reason for the "corel photo" debackle whenever I right click on new drive to pull up the properties window).

What do ya'll think...........put jumper back where it was ,before I switched it?

Drive came with a Nero disc,but I havent fooled with it yet.

SRV dvd plays without skipping ,like it'd started doing with old drive................other dvd movies that I've never been able to watch on old driver plays fine and I'm almost a "happy camper" ( besides the fact that Arma II still wont complete installation ,due to "copy errors" popping up)...............

Help is still needed though,trying to figue out this "corel photo"........ "issue".If ya'll help me get that sorted out.....I'll leave ya'll alone ..........................until something else shoots craps.

Edited by [NH]4x
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According to the Quickstart Guide on pages 4 and 5 looking at the [1: 2: 3:] jumper diagram, 1 is cable select, 2 is slave and 3 is master. If you have nothing else using that cable, you can put the jumper at 1 for CS. If you have anything else on the cable, you need to set it to 3 for master if at the very end of the cable or 2 for slave if in the middle of the cable. Try 1.

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I will echo what Roco said - don't use Cable Select settings. It's really quite simple - if your IDE cable is used to just plug in one device, plug the proper end into the mother board and the other end into the DVD burner and set the jumpers on the DVD burner to master.

If there is already something else plugged into the end of the cord and you need to use the plug in the middle of the cord, use the slave jumper settings.

With regards to your ARMA disc, bring it to a friend's computer to see if it installs correctly. If you encounter the same error, you have a defective disc

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Thanks for the replies and help.

More searching revealed.................."The rear of the ND-3540A is pretty straightforward. By looking at the picture below you can see the drive's IDE interface, power connector and audio output connectors.

Starting from the left of the IDE connection you'll see the jumper switch for master, slave and cable select. By default the drive's jumper comes set to master. Next to the jumper block is the analog audio connector. To the left of this is the digital audio output.The connector on the far left is undocumented and is most likely used for diagnostics"

That helped me to be sure of the positions of jumpers. I know for sure that I have the jumper on the Select cable .

My Pc has two drives...............the one I replaced was at the end of the IDE cable,which should be the "master" and the other drive should be the "slave"........I understand this.But what's confusing me is................The old drive I took out was jumped on the "select cable"....so, the 2nd drive should be jumped on the Select cable ( I can't say for sure,because I didnt fool with it) ,too ,for every thing to have worked right these past few years...right?

I'm not understanding what's wrong with my install,because everything is back just like it was before .( Both drives jumped on the cable select)

I'm not trying to be hard headed and I appreciate the help.........maybe the problem is,this new drive just doesn't like to be jumped on cable select and wants to be THE MASTER........soooooo,I'm gonna follow the advice ya'll have given and have a Master and a slave.....and see what happens.

I'll report back tomorrow ,after I get it done ,with results.

Again, thanks for all the help.

Oh yeah................................"You have successfully installed ArmA 2" :D .......game is working :thumbsup:

Edit: I have a "master and slave" setup now..........booted PC ........logged on.........Windows + e..........right click on new drive (the master).......press "properties".............corel photo album 6 wants to install..............same problem as before.

Any ideas?

Edited by [NH]4x
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I'm not understanding what's wrong with my install,because everything is back just like it was before .( Both drives jumped on the cable select)
The edoc manual for your computer recommends Cable Select settings for IDE drives, and is the default (shipped) configuration. CS is just the more forgiving option in that if the primary is unrecognised for any reason, any other drives in the loop will still be available.

Oh yeah................................"You have successfully installed ArmA 2" :D .......game is working :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: Just had a look at my ArmA II disc (US-DVD-Got Game) and it looks pretty messed up as well on its business end...chalk it up to poor media. Something to look forward to is that, once installed & patched to v1.05, you can box up the disc for safekeeping (DRM free).

Edit:...

Any ideas?

Not clear on the exact problem. Without your Corel Photo 6 disc in any drive, does the program still open normally? If not, you might have caused to registry hook error by starting the install process and then having it terminate mid-stream over the existing installation.

Is your Corel Photo 6 disc by any chance CD-ROM? If so, try it in the other drive, just to rule out a compatibility issue with the new burner. And if the original installation was corrupted, install in the old CD-ROM drive.

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4x' date='Jan 22 2010, 10:54 PM' post='552517'] I hit the "Windows + E ,just to see if new drive has the same letter as old one (which it does) and what happens?....................."Corel Photo 6" tries to install but wont because of some error........ BUT,I already HAVE that program installed.........I have to go into Task Manager to Close it out ,but it keeps poping back up anytime I click on the new drive.................What's up with that

Strange problem indeed. The first thing I'd suggest doing is running any anti-virus/spyware you have on your whole computer. What anti-malware software do you use?

Do you actually use Corel Photo 6 much? If not you could try to uninstall Corel Photo 6.

Is your slave drive a CD ROM or CD burner or DVD ROM? Does your slave drive work fine without any issues now that you've changed your jumpers to slave?

And to answer your question, pressing Windows+E opens up a program called "Windows Explorer" (as opposed to Internet Explorer) which is the default file management application for windows.

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I fixed Corel Photo's ###### ................................... I Unistalled it :D ...........didnt used it anyway......it was Dell bloatware .

Still dont know why it started acting like a horses' ###### after I replaced DVD drive.......it'd never done it before.

Now "sonic " is doing the same thing............. .......both programs came loaded on pc ...............and I never had this issue until I replaced dvd drive.

I dont use sonic either.......and it's ###### is about to get the ax ,too. But I still wondering.............why this is happening,although it really doesnt matter,because both drives are working just fine.

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