Sony DRU-510A just works after an erase

[royeiror]

Hi:
Hope you can help me with this one,
So it happens that when i boot up my system my drive doesnt work, so what i need to do with it is load up nero, inserta dvd+RW and erase it, this seems to make the drive work again, i dont know exactly what it does to it, but it just does, after that it works fine, i have the 1.0c version of the firmware, and i use sony's utility to increase ripping speed, please help, its very anoying to go through this process just to make the drive work, any info needed on my HW or anything just ask.
Working with XP Pro

[defense]

sounds like a system issue....if it were your burner...using Nero to erase a disk shouldn't have any effect. When you boot your system up normally...are you able to power open your DRU-510A?

I have a feeling your issue may be with Nero. I have read many posts where their software conflicts with a number of programs..causing DVD-WRITERS to lock up. If you have your RecordNow Max software that came with your burner...i'd just uninstall Nero...it should be in your Program files "AHEAD" folder....uninstall from add/remove programs..then delete the remaining folders from the "AHEAD" folder...install recordnow DX...and try that.....Good Luck

[royeiror]

Thanks
Actually i am able to power open the drive while booting, and since you mention it, it does seem a bit like Nero is conflicting, because when i insert a disc and i click on the medium info, it just locks up for a minute or two, it sounds very logical, anyway i'm going to try what you say, i like the way nero lets you do wharever you want whith the project, do you recomend any other program that works more or less the same?

BTW i use nero 6 UE

[handyguy]

What computer & operating system is this? What other recording programs do you have on it? Try one program at a time.

[defense]

@royeiror...if your drive is powering up and sucessfully erasing disks..it's almost certainly not your drive. I'd put Nero 6 on hold for a while...just get rid of it...Do you have the latest patches for Nero 6? There were a ton of bugs in it..just like every version. I am no Nero fan by any means..for many reasons..the amount of bugs being just one of them.

RecordNow DX is extremely stable and you won't have constant conflicts and bugs using it. Let me tell you what to do after dumping Nero...if you aren't comfortable..simply go back to Nero.

Install RecordNow DX which came with your Sony. Once it's installed..click on the Record Now Icon...one should be created on your desktop.... simply close the "WIZARD" out..and hit the 'DATA' tab....hit the "ADD" button..and add in your AUDIO_TS folder and VIDEO_TS folder for your specific project. Go to the edit tab and select "recording options" ...go to where it says 'DVD' and select Track at Once "CLOSED." Choose that option if you are using a DVDR. If you are using a re-writable..just leave it at its default of "OPEN."

That's it...select your burn speed and hit the red button.....you can choose "MAX" and the Sony burners along with REcord Now max will burn a high variety of 1x media @2x succesfully. If you are going to burn @4x with the DRU-510A I suggest you be very careful because the DRU-501A WILL BURN damn near EVERYTHING 4x @4x..however, depending on the quality of the media....it MAY APPEAR TO PLAY WHEN YOU SCAN THROUGH ALL THE WAY...but try RE-RIPPING THE DISK AFTER A 4X BURN....if it's a lower quality/mediocre media..it will NOT rip fully in most cases....despite what some think..the DRU-510A is a completely different entity from the other Sony burners.

Hope this helps...let us know how it works.

[royeiror]

Defense:

Wow, you overwhelm me with this much information, i truly apreciate you taking the time to give me a few pointers, i guess after all i can live without nero, hey if it works i'll just learnt to love another program, thank you very much

[royeiror]

Hey defense:
I just did what you suggested, and it happens, that even without nero and with recordnowDX i have to go through the same process of erasing and all that, so i'm starting to wonder, if it has to do with a configuration issue, i had alcohol 120% ahd i deleted it, because of some issues, and i uninstalled all the software that came with the drive, instlled nero 6, now i uninstalled nero and installed recordnoDX and same thing, i hope you have some more ideas that could help me fix my situation, thank you again

[defense]

Did you delete the program files as well after uninstalling?

There's definitely a conflict somewhere....your burner wouldn't have a glitch where it would only burn after you erased something...so there is some other conflict there. I had a problem with alcohol 120 before..there were some issues with XP..but that was long ago..don't know if any of that has changed.

Let me ask you this..is your Burner set to Master or Slave..and is it in DMA/OR PIO mode? If you have a DVD ROM..is it on the same IDE channel as your Burner?

The PIO/DMA mode shouldn't make a difference...so forget that for now...but what about the other things...how is it set up on your system? Slave/Master? What other programs start when you start up your computer?



I'll tell you what..do this first....go to start...the go to RUN..type in "MSCONFIG" and hit OK.

You will see some tabs at the top..go to the GENERAL TAB...it should be defaulted there for you...and select "DIAGNOSTIC STARTUP".....hit ok..and when windows asks you to reboot, hit YES...once you reboot..put in a blank +RW OR -RW "assuming you have one" in your DVD BURNER. Open Record Now DX ...add in anything..just make a copy of some software on your desktop....and put it in a file..hit the data tab..and add it into RecordNow Dx. Hit the burn button....hopefully that will work without having to erase anything.....before you do ANY of this though...make sure you ERASE YOUR RW disk FIRST....so it's fresh and blank when you come back into Windows with the Diagnostic startup.

Let me know how that worked.

[royeiror]

Defense:
It seems my problem goes deeper than the program i burn dvd with, i tried what you suggested and it bahaves the same, so it is not likely to be a conflict, what i thought could be, is that a service is not being loaded on startup and it loads up when i tell a program to erase a disk, to me this sounds a bit logical, dont know what you think about it, anyway, im running an Athlon xp 1800+ on a Biostar M7VIF that has only the first ide channel operational, terefore i had to buy a SIIG UltraATA 133 controller. either the controller doesnt like my dvd or the dvd doesnt like my controller, because at startup, the computer hangs while detecting the drive. So it works like this, my boot drive is master on the MOBO first ide channel, then as slave the DRU-510A, as a slave on the primary on the controller is my second hard drive, and as slave on the second port, is, a lite-on cd burner, other than that my HW is regular 512 of DDR a Geforce 256 a NIC and a voodoo2 i dug out of retirement, to play glide games, other than that, i guess nothing else matters much.
So probably the aproach is with the services that windows loads, i will try to monitor which service it is, if it happens to be one, and i'll tell you what i found, please post whatever else you think might help, thanks a lot for your help so far.

BTW the drive is working DMA i actualy dont remember where to change the setting for pio, i used sony's speed tool, and it let me change from DMA to some sort of special DMA and no noticeable difference.

[defense]

hummm...tough one. There still could be a conflict with something in diagnostic start up..it's just a lot less likely.

I would try to simply change your IDE cable with another one and see if that helps. There are a number of things it could be. I would also put your DVD ROM on the same channel as your burner...swap the two...and see if your DVD ROM works off the gun.

Your system specs are perfectly fine......that's such a weird issue.....I guess there is a very slight change there could be something internally wrong with your burner...but I still can't see it with the symptoms you gave..but it is a possibility..not a probability..but a possibility. Just doesn't make sense that it could be your burner because the command to erase a disk works each and every time...so it does seem much stronger that there is still an issue elsewhere.

Basically..if this doesn't work...do you have a second computer? A friend or family memember have a computer? As a LAST ALTERNATIVE I would try to install your burner in another PC and see if there are any issues there..if not, you can rule out the burner..which I'm pretty sure you can do now anyway..but you need to be as sure as possible.

If the IDE swapping doesn't help..i'd call Sony tech support....there number should be on some of the documentation you have from the purchase of the drive.....let them know what the problem is..and see what they suggest.

Good Luck..and sorry I couldn't offer too much more advice...there are too many other possibilites. Good Luck