Help, Pioneer DVR-105 wont record dvds anymore!!!

[mistalee]

Hey all.
I need some much needed help. I have a Pioneer DVR-105 dvd-rw drive. I have had it for 4 months now, up until 2 weeks ago it worked fine. I burnt several dvds with it, with no errors at all. The problem I have now, is that all of a sudden, the dvd drive will not complete a full burn. I receive errors when using either dvd decryptor or nero. I have taken apart the drive and cleaned the lens, that didnt help. When I put in a dvd-rw disc, my computer will not read the dvd disk at all, the drive just keeps "thinking." When i put in a dvd-r disk it spins for a bit, then the light goes out, but when you double click on the drive it says "insert disc,"
I do have the latest aspi drivers installed on my cpu, along with the original firmware that came with the drive, i also just upgraded the firmware, that didnt work. I know its not the media, cause i have bought 5 different kinds, and they all dont work. so now i have all these discs and its a total waste. Please anyone with any help towards this subject, it would be GREATLY appreciated. Could i be stuck with a bum burner now? I have tried contacting pioneer, but i get no where with their tech support, they never answer! I can return it to where i bought it, but they are gonna charge me, which is crazy since i just got it a couple months ago. and like i said ive successfully burned over 50 dvds, and now out of the blue it wont work. Please help if you can, thanks.

[rhegedus]

I also just upgraded the firmware, that didnt work.

I think this is where your problem lies. Flash the drive back to the last firmware that worked.

[steptoe]

Try these links for latest firmware and also how to degrade your firmware if you mesh thing sup, which it sounds like that is what you have done

I upgraded my firmware just after buying the drive ages ago, and its working with no problems, so I can only assume its something that you did wrong .....


DVD Firmware for Pioneer drives

http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_firmware.php?category=4&manufactor=25


[/b] DVD Firmware for Pioneer driver region-free

http://gradius.rpc1.org/



Be more careful next time, you may be lucky. Upgrading firmware without following the instructions EXACTLY is a sure way to make your drive dead, or in your case unuseable

[AdamRA4]

I had a DVR-105 go dead on me also. I flashed it with Gradius 1.3 when I first got it 6 months ago. It worked great all up until a few weeks ago it just started burning coasters. It would burn a DVD fine but when I went to play them in my DVD player it said "Unknown Disc". Its not my media because I have always used BeAlls and have just recently switched to Ritek G04's. I called Pioneer and told them about my problem and told them that I upgraded my firmware to there "1.4". I sent the drive in and they are supposed to be sending me a new one anyday now. Ill keep you posted.

[mistalee]

thanks for the tips guys,

any idea on how i would rollback my firmware to the original, since right now ive got 1.3 running.....

thanks again

[AdamRA4]

You can try this site: http://pioneerdvd.rpc1.org/#PIONEER_DVR_IDE

I think if you go to the forum for that page you can find the flasher that rolls it back. I have it somewhere, if you e-mail me, Ill send it to you if I can find it.

adam4@tampabay.rr.com

[mistalee]

hey guys

just tried to burn a dvd project with nero, at 2x speed. it burned ok, but when i put it in my dvd player it said "error, no disc"

Im guessing that my dvd burner is messed up, anyone else think its time to send it in?? any help would be greatful, thanks.

[spectroelectro]

Trying forcing a burn at 1x. Could be you exceeded the media's rating on that drive. Also, using Nero to burn DVDs can produce problems. Are you absolutely positively sure you're buring with UDF 1.02 and not UDF 1.05?
If none of those, did you dick with your drive's firmware? Don't dick with your drive's firmware. You can kill a burner that way. It's not worth the risk just to burn dicey media at 2x instead of 1x.

[northcat_8]

I don't think your drive is bad. They don't typically "just go bad". I've had mine for over a year and have better than 1000 burns on it.

If it just stopped working out of the blue, I would examine any new software that you have installed. And system changes you have made. Check to make sure the IDE cable didn't somehow work it's way loose or go bad.

I would also uninstall the drive and reinstall it. You've probably tried that I'm sure but thought I would mention it just in case.

If you put in a disc and the drive does not gather info or at least try then I would say the drive is dead.

Can you burn CDs? Music or data doesn't matter. You say that it just won't complete a burn...but it is burning...so the drive is not bad.

I think your easiest first guess would be to check the DVD-R's and make sure they are 4.7 GB DVD-R's...make sure your files are not too big to fit the disc. Make sure a system process is not starting that could cause a pause in your system....screen saver, system restore, anti-virus program, etc. Make sure DMA is enabled on the drive, I'm sure it was once but just check to make sure it still is.

I think your drive is just fine. Roll back your firmware, that's a must. I have never upgraded my firmware and have never had any problems burning on RitekG04 media at 4x.

Before returning the drive I would take the VIDEO_TS file that you are burning with nero and run it through IMGtools and then burn it with Decrytper and see if you still have the same problem. I do not burn with nero but I have read on here where some people have trouble burning DVDs with it, especially if you are using Nero 6. Just a thought.

[lordsmurf]

Clean it.

[Hardcoreruss]

Will it play or burn cd's

[mistalee]

hey guys,

thanks to all who have replied, i appreciate it. well i know its not the media im using, cause ive got about 5 different kinds, and they all used to work perfectly fine 3 weeks ago. i did update the firmware a little while back, so im trying to roll it back to the original 1.00, rather than the 1.33 that ive got, but i keep getting an error while trying to do that. im going to try and burn a cd today on the dvd drive and see if that works, im assuming that if that works, the dvd drive isnt bad, im crossing my fingers!

[chuck smith]

From what I have read in your posts, I would guess that the laser diode in your burner has died. The first dvd burner I had burned 3 discs and then died. It would load the disc and burn it. The pc still recognized the drive but it would not even read an original disc.

Laser diodes, especially high powered ones, have a relatively high failure rate. Typically they will fail in the first 48 hours (known as infant mortality) of use which is hopefully before it leaves the manufacturer. I used to work for a fairly large industrial bar code scanner company and diode failure was a very, very common problem. The diodes used in burners are also relatively powerful and I am sure failures are quite common.

My suggestion would be to try to get the manufacturer or vendor to replace it under warranty.

[proxyx99]

You have never said what the error message was. Speculation based on a vague description is pointless.
Anyway...
Try nero.com tools, clean tools (registry and driver) fault may be driver related due to conflict (in case it recognises blank discs but is unable to write lead-ins or lead-outs, that would make the disc useless and may explain why the disc is not recognised).
Have the drive replaced if this is still an option or post more details for others to address your issue.

[mistalee]

Thanks for your help guys. but i just got a new dvd drive, a lg gsr 4040b, the old pioneer one was dummied.

i tried burning a dvd lastnight a 4x Alterra media, and it worked fine, however it only burnt at 2x speed, any way i can change the speed to 4x??

I used the Alterra media at 4x on my old pioneer before with no problems.....weird...