Computer won't read empty cd-recordables anymore

Pasch · 03-31-2007, 10:42 AM

My computer won't read empty cd-recordables anymore. It won't during boot-up and it won't when booted up either. It gives me that "cd shuffle" sound as if I'm putting a cd in with a standard it can't read from. It doesn't work in either of my dvd-drives. I'm using an Aopen Dual layer DVDRW 16x16x and an ASUS DVD-rom 16x (both IDE, Ultra DMA mode 4).

It was working fine just a week ago, and it will still read any kind of cd/dvd I put in, even recordables of the same kind I'm trying to write to when something has already been written onto it.

Since both of my drives are displaying the same problem simultaneously out of nowhere, and they're both pretty new and will still read other cd-roms/dvd-roms, I'm relatively convinced that they're not broken. I've checked all of the IDE cables and master/slave settings and couldn't find any problem. I've even tried switching around the power cables, reconnecting my videocards power cable etc. but that didn't help either. The DVDRW drive is master and is on the end of the 80 conductor cable, while the DVD-rom drive is slave and is on the middle of the cable. The cable is connected with the right end to the motherboard.

Everything seems fine in the BIOS as well, both drives are set to auto and are on Ultra DMA mode 4. That's what it shows in Windows device manager as well and as far as I can see there are no conflicts with system resources or anything. I'm using rounded 80 conductor IDE cables. This problem seems to have come out of nowhere. I was away for a week and apparently when I came back and tried to burn a backup, my computer decided it was about time to start giving me a hard time again.

If anybody can help me find a solution I'd be very happy. I'm "a little" paranoid about losing data so I'd like to be able to burn my backup.

3 of 7 · 03-31-2007, 10:50 AM

The first thing I always do when I encounter an optical drive problem is to uninstall it/them in "control panel/hardware/device manager" Windows should find them when you reboot and reinstall the correct drivers ( I'm assuming your using XP here) .

Pasch · 03-31-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3 of 7

The first thing I always do when I encounter an optical drive problem is to uninstall it/them in "control panel/hardware/device manager" Windows should find them when you reboot and reinstall the correct drivers ( I'm assuming your using XP here) .

Yes I'm using XP at the moment, sorry for failing to mention that. The uninstalling didn't seem to work, but I'm thinking maybe I should move on to see if daemon is causing a conflict or something. I've tried a dvd-rw as well, and it will read that. I've tried two different brands of cd-recordables but it won't read either, so the problem seems to be just cd-recordables.

Edit: I had it fixed for a second just now, I managed to burn one cd, but as soon as I inserted another one of the cd-recordables it got all messed up again. Maybe something is wrong with these recordables but I'm not sure what that could be. They don't look damaged as far as the eye can see.

Pasch · 04-02-2007, 11:35 AM

Update: It's still not working. Daemon isn't the problem either. I've tried a firmware update for my DVD-rewriter, but it didn't make a difference. I've tried uninstalling Nero and the DVD-rewriter and then reinstalling them, but that didn't help either. It still won't read CD-recordables at all. It will read and write DVD-RW's, but then in the data verification after burning it shows a ton of bad sectors on the DVD.

My other drive still won't read CD-r's either. I'm not sure what to try next.

3 of 7 · 04-02-2007, 01:24 PM

You said you checked the IDE cables, did you try a new one?

Pasch · 04-02-2007, 02:03 PM

I just tried switching the primary and secondary ones around, but there's no difference.

I feel like such an idiot for not thinking of that myself though.

Unless both of the IDE cables are broken I don't think that's the problem. Unfortunately I don't have any other ones lying around at the moment to try out but I doubt they're both broken. They shouldn't be for 10 bucks a piece.

Pasch · 04-03-2007, 07:27 AM

Well I seem to have found a pattern: If you uninstall the dvd-rewriter from the Windows device manager, then reboot, and then reboot again, it will read and write one cd-recordable like it should, but then if you insert another one the symptoms return. I know Windows asks for a lot of reboots but this is a little too much.

I'm starting to think maybe it's some kind of curse. I'll try to see if the same problem occurs in Linux later today. I hope it doesn't so at least I'll know for sure that my drives aren't both broken.

3 of 7 · 04-03-2007, 11:23 AM

Is it possible you have a rootkit? Seems to me there was a lot of noise around the Sony rootkit disabling recorders......

Pasch · 04-03-2007, 11:50 AM

No I doubt I have a rootkit. I'm very paranoid about my computers security (as well

) so I pay attention to that every day, and it's not very likely a rootkit came through. I just tried it in Linux and it had the same problem, so I'm starting to think the problem is the drive itself after all. On top of that, I just installed my old trusty Liteon CD-rewriter, and that's working nicely. I always burn at 16x anyway so it'll do fine for the time being. Fortunately, I bought this DVD-rewriter in August last year and there's supposed to be a 1 year warranty, so I'll try to have it changed for another one in the store tomorrow. I just hope they don't give me trouble over updating the firmware.

I'm so in love with this old Liteon writer though, even after all these years. It was my first one.

I might even keep it in along with my new one if I get it. Thank you for the help!

It's much appreciated.

3 of 7 · 04-03-2007, 12:58 PM

I don't think I'd even bother telling them about the firmware...

As for DVD-rw drives, I have been buying LG GSA DVDs, their cheap like borscht and I haven't had a single issue with any of them..

NCIX.com - Buy LG GSA-H50N DVD+RW 18X8X16 DVD-RW 18X6X16 DL 10X/4X DVD Writer IDE 2MB Beige OEM W/ SW - GSA-H50NB In Canada.

Pasch · 04-03-2007, 01:38 PM

Thanks, I'll give it a look. I wasn't planning on telling them about the firmware, but sometimes they have these nifty little ways of checking up on things like that. I'm pretty sure I'll get it changed though.

03-31-2007, 10:42 AM	#1
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	Computer won't read empty cd-recordables anymore My computer won't read empty cd-recordables anymore. It won't during boot-up and it won't when booted up either. It gives me that "cd shuffle" sound as if I'm putting a cd in with a standard it can't read from. It doesn't work in either of my dvd-drives. I'm using an Aopen Dual layer DVDRW 16x16x and an ASUS DVD-rom 16x (both IDE, Ultra DMA mode 4). It was working fine just a week ago, and it will still read any kind of cd/dvd I put in, even recordables of the same kind I'm trying to write to when something has already been written onto it. Since both of my drives are displaying the same problem simultaneously out of nowhere, and they're both pretty new and will still read other cd-roms/dvd-roms, I'm relatively convinced that they're not broken. I've checked all of the IDE cables and master/slave settings and couldn't find any problem. I've even tried switching around the power cables, reconnecting my videocards power cable etc. but that didn't help either. The DVDRW drive is master and is on the end of the 80 conductor cable, while the DVD-rom drive is slave and is on the middle of the cable. The cable is connected with the right end to the motherboard. Everything seems fine in the BIOS as well, both drives are set to auto and are on Ultra DMA mode 4. That's what it shows in Windows device manager as well and as far as I can see there are no conflicts with system resources or anything. I'm using rounded 80 conductor IDE cables. This problem seems to have come out of nowhere. I was away for a week and apparently when I came back and tried to burn a backup, my computer decided it was about time to start giving me a hard time again. If anybody can help me find a solution I'd be very happy. I'm "a little" paranoid about losing data so I'd like to be able to burn my backup.
(Offline)

03-31-2007, 10:50 AM	#2
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	The first thing I always do when I encounter an optical drive problem is to uninstall it/them in "control panel/hardware/device manager" Windows should find them when you reboot and reinstall the correct drivers ( I'm assuming your using XP here) . __________________
(Offline)

04-02-2007, 11:35 AM	#4
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	Update: It's still not working. Daemon isn't the problem either. I've tried a firmware update for my DVD-rewriter, but it didn't make a difference. I've tried uninstalling Nero and the DVD-rewriter and then reinstalling them, but that didn't help either. It still won't read CD-recordables at all. It will read and write DVD-RW's, but then in the data verification after burning it shows a ton of bad sectors on the DVD. My other drive still won't read CD-r's either. I'm not sure what to try next.
(Offline)

04-02-2007, 01:24 PM	#5
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	You said you checked the IDE cables, did you try a new one? __________________
(Offline)

04-02-2007, 02:03 PM	#6
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	I just tried switching the primary and secondary ones around, but there's no difference. I feel like such an idiot for not thinking of that myself though. Unless both of the IDE cables are broken I don't think that's the problem. Unfortunately I don't have any other ones lying around at the moment to try out but I doubt they're both broken. They shouldn't be for 10 bucks a piece.
(Offline)

04-03-2007, 07:27 AM	#7
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	Well I seem to have found a pattern: If you uninstall the dvd-rewriter from the Windows device manager, then reboot, and then reboot again, it will read and write one cd-recordable like it should, but then if you insert another one the symptoms return. I know Windows asks for a lot of reboots but this is a little too much. I'm starting to think maybe it's some kind of curse. I'll try to see if the same problem occurs in Linux later today. I hope it doesn't so at least I'll know for sure that my drives aren't both broken.
(Offline)

04-03-2007, 11:23 AM	#8
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	Is it possible you have a rootkit? Seems to me there was a lot of noise around the Sony rootkit disabling recorders...... __________________
(Offline)

04-03-2007, 11:50 AM	#9
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	No I doubt I have a rootkit. I'm very paranoid about my computers security (as well ) so I pay attention to that every day, and it's not very likely a rootkit came through. I just tried it in Linux and it had the same problem, so I'm starting to think the problem is the drive itself after all. On top of that, I just installed my old trusty Liteon CD-rewriter, and that's working nicely. I always burn at 16x anyway so it'll do fine for the time being. Fortunately, I bought this DVD-rewriter in August last year and there's supposed to be a 1 year warranty, so I'll try to have it changed for another one in the store tomorrow. I just hope they don't give me trouble over updating the firmware. I'm so in love with this old Liteon writer though, even after all these years. It was my first one. I might even keep it in along with my new one if I get it. Thank you for the help! It's much appreciated. Last edited by Pasch : 04-03-2007 at 12:00 PM.
(Offline)

04-03-2007, 12:58 PM	#10
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	I don't think I'd even bother telling them about the firmware... As for DVD-rw drives, I have been buying LG GSA DVDs, their cheap like borscht and I haven't had a single issue with any of them.. NCIX.com - Buy LG GSA-H50N DVD+RW 18X8X16 DVD-RW 18X6X16 DL 10X/4X DVD Writer IDE 2MB Beige OEM W/ SW - GSA-H50NB In Canada. __________________
(Offline)

04-03-2007, 01:38 PM	#11
Pasch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 427	Thanks, I'll give it a look. I wasn't planning on telling them about the firmware, but sometimes they have these nifty little ways of checking up on things like that. I'm pretty sure I'll get it changed though.
(Offline)

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