Continuing Saga- DVD burning problems.

My wife just got a new computer. The tech that built it started with a
Gateway machine and customized it. Turns out she used the same drive-
the one supplied with the machine- that is in mine.

Lo and behold, it will only burn disks when burned from Microsoft
software. Neither Adobe nor Sony programs can burn a disk.

The problem is not unique to Gateway. I have done a google search on
that Hitachi drive and found the same problems with people using it in
other machines. No one seems to have a permanent fix.

I am thinking of just biting the bullet and replacing the drive with
another brand. Also thinking, would I be better off with a USB external
drive?

 

Would you mind substantiating that?

I've been using an external USB/Firewire Plextor drive for years without
any problems.

In what circumstances would an internal be better?

Dave S.

 

"Dave S." wrote ...

1) IDE/SATA is faster than USB2
2) IDE/SATA doesn't require yet annother layer of interface
(two in each direction) as USB/Firewire do.

 

I must be thick, because I still don't understand.

Using an external burner, rated at max burning speed of 16X, via
Firewire, I burn 16X disks at 16X.
What would a faster connection do for me?

Dave S.

 

If you are happy with 16X then go for it.
Way too much variation in USB/IDE bridge implementations
(not to mention users' expectations) to state flatly that USB is
fast enough for anyone.

 

In my computer it does not see drive and the programs tell me no
recordable drive available. With my wife's machine, so programs try to
burn, but just hang and lock up.

Others do not see the drive, and the burn button is greyed out.

 

Those are symptoms of either a proprietary (non-industry-standard)
drive and/or software which was bundled with a particular make/model
of drive and is locked out from using other (otherwise compatible)
make/models.

This is why it it is penny-wise/pound-foolish to use proprietary
hardware and software. It may save a few bucks when you buy
it, but it will come back and bite you in the backside.

 

Change the jumper on the drive from Cable Select or CS to MASTER

 

And if that fails try SLAVE (if there's another drive on the same IDE
cable).

 

"Gene E. Bloch" wrote ...

Those are good suggestions for a drive that has disappeared
completely. But seems unlikely to fix the stated problem (works
with some software but not others.)

 

What is the exact model and firmware rev of this drive?

 

Nero infotool, or even Device Manager should at least return the identity
string supplied to the OS.

 

Belarc Advisor says it is a Hatachi HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH15F. I have no
idea how to determine anything about the firmware.

In a strange happening, my wife's machine has started burning disks now!
Mine still doesn't.

 

Try this and see if it helps. Its from microsoft and if its not the problem,
it will not hurt your system, it just forces a deep redetection of the low
level drivers for CD , DVD , and burners in windows XP and Vista.


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314060

 

Probably doesn't matter then. I thought perhaps that if this were a "known
problem" with this drive, a firmware update might be available to address
it. However, a search of Gateway's site finds no firmware updates for this
model. Acer also uses this drive in some Aspire desktops, but there is no
guarantee of compatibility between different OEM versions, (or between OEM
and retail versions of the same drive) and they may in fact actually have
entirely different hardware inside. This is a problem with OEK drives,
most particularly LG/Hitachi, and is why the experts specifically
recommend against buying them as "pulls" on places like eBay.




between OEM and retail versions where HDLS is concerned.

 

Actually, it may be a common problem. When I googled the drive I found
a lot of discussions on forums about the same problem, even on other
brands (including homemade) of computers, but it seems no one had a
permanent fix, or something that Gateway didn't already have me try
without success.

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try. My computer didn't allow me to run the
file instead of saving it, but I've saved it and will run it later.