Can not read DVD-RAM discs..

[shoozleboy]

I have a GMA-4020B DVD-RAM drive in my PC that I burned a few DVD-RAM discs with about a year ago.

I tried to read the discs in the same drive just tonight and I can not get the drive/system to recognize the discs.

Is there someway to read these discs? I tried CD/DVD Diagnostics program that I d/l'ed from Download.com, but I can't even get the trial version of that to run (seems others had the same issue according to the reviews I read on Download.com).

Is there any suggestions on what to do? I know the drive works, I use it everyday to read other discs...

[ViRaL1]

Do you have the DVD-RAM driver loaded? If you've redone your system since you burned these disks, maybe it's not loaded. Last I heard though, they were a bit hard to track down. If you still have the included software, that should work.

[shoozleboy]

hmmm... never thought of that - the drive is original to the system (Gateway model about 18 months old).

I don't recall changing anything, but I will see what I can find in the original recovery discs

Thanks.

[shoozleboy]

The system does have the latest drivers and firmware for that drive - still no luck in reading the RAM discs.

[ViRaL1]

Do you see a DVD-RAM service listed in Computer Management under Services?

[shoozleboy]

No... Nothing there mentions DVD-RAM under Service name or Description. I assume that it would say DVD-RAM in either of those columns?

I did notice the IMAPI CD-Burning COm Service is active and set to manual.

[handyguy]

Make sure its listed in your bios. Then delete the primary or secondary controller (the one its on) & restart your computer & see if it detects it again. Can take a few minutes.

[shoozleboy]

The drive detects the discs - it just will not read the three RAM discs that I have written to and were readable before.

The drive will read and burn CDs and DVD's with no problem - but will not read the RAM discs that I created with this drive about a year ago.

Have done no updates to the drive itself...

[gmatov]

Do you have any more disks?

Write one and see if you can read it. They SAY RAM disks will last a 100 years. Be a hell of a note to learn they don't last a year and a half, huh?

Cheers,

George

[shoozleboy]

yeah, it sucks....

I'm looking for the original system disks that came with the thing 2 years ago... If I can find them, I'll see about reinstalling drivers from there. I take from viral1 that I should have a service running on it to work the RAM drive with RAM discs, and those discs might have that stuff on it.

I can't remember ever uninstalling anything related to the RAM drive.... I did use Nero to write the discs, that's all I've been using for a few years now.

I did a search on google for the drive and could not find anything but a couple of articles about the drive - even the LG electronics website has little or nothing on it to help. No drivers, nothing.

[ofbarea]

Try installing Nero InCD.