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I am looking at a friends laptop and it has a QSI SDW-041 fitted and has me really baffled.
The unit will see, play, write and rewrite CD's.
It previously would read, write and rewrite DVDs but then stopped hence I am trying to identify the fault.
The laptop is loaded with XP SP2 and the device manager says all is well.
I managed to find a hardware flash for the drive but that has not change anything.
I have completely reloaded all software (Packard Bell recovery disks).
How is it possible for this to work on CDs but not DVDs.
It does not even recognise a DVD has been placed in the drive.
Any suggestions before I knock a hole in the wall with my head would be appreciated.
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Most drives use separate lasers for dvd and cd, so it highly likely the dvd portion of the drive is dead.
Google is your Friend -
I have taken the drive apart and can only see one laser lens. Maybe I am being dim and they use just one lens but are able to shine two different laser beams through it depending on the type of disk inserted.
Thanks for the reply -
I had this problem, as have several other posters around...
In my case, I'd installed a secondary HP CDRW drive with its Nero OEM software; the exisitng Lite-On DVD RW drive got amnesia and thought it was a CDRW, the HP thought it was a CD-ROM.
The consensus fix was to uninstall & re-install all disc drivers and hardware, and replace the Nero. A DVD burner needs compatible playing/burning software.
I had an older, slow DVD burner; so I just replaced it with a 16X Lightscribe from Mad Dog- they supply the Roxio which seems more compatible with XP sp2- at least in my situation it solved the problem. Hope this helps!:] -
Hi,
Thank for the reply.
I must admit to having problems with Roxio in the past but it does run as a partner to XP in Media Player. This has thrown up problems in virus checking software such as AVG who require it to have an update patch from Roxio but can be hard to get.
It is a single drive and I did do a full restore of the software from supplied Packard Bell rstore disks. I have contemplated doing a bare install of XP to see if it makes a difference. -
JS- well, those PB restore disks could have older drivers on them, and then there's the stream of post sp2 XP updates to consider as well.
You could mebbe try plugging in a working USB DVD drive, and see what the system thinks that is...
btw, there is a great UK site you might try this Q:
http://ccgi.mgillespie.plus.com/liteon/smf/index.php
put it in PC DVD Editing & ask for Bidenden Sue!:] -
1: Pc drive's have only one laser ... there are two diode's which control the frequency by voltage adjustment (one for cd, the other for dvd)... this can only be adjusted through firmware update's which make's the drive more compatible with current media production .
2: In order to truly define the issue , you would need several brand's of media (dvd-r) to confirm the drive itself is truly at fault ... noting this unit is bloody picky when it come's down to blank media being inserted .
3: It's a laptop ... check the connection's used for fault in cable (requires some disassembly) ... reboot system and retest unit .
4: Using the system restore disc's in most case's , will not fix the issue ... you should confirm 2 / 3 before contemplating such advice .
Dont even go anywhere near "Roxio" garbage ... if you prefer nero , stick with it , but do not load roxio (software conflicts with nero) .
Burning dvd , use imgburn . -
Older versions of Roxio and Nero have known conflicts, most of which were mostly corrected with updates. Newer versions of each should behave well together, however, there is no real need to have both. Just keep whichever version you prefer and insure it has the latest patches.
Google is your Friend -
I think the basic burning software that's built into XP is licensed from Roxio...
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