Help with DVD-RAM and LG 4040

[tawnyag75]

So far everything's working great on the LG 4040 that I just got. EXCEPT! Today I tried to use the DVD-RAM that everyone's raving about. You know, the Maxell that came with the bundle.

Tried formatting the disk using "DVDFORM" but keep getting the annoying message that the disk cannot be formatted and that I need to close all programs that may be accessing the drive/disk. Of course, there are no programs doing such a thing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Greenspock]

Try this post...

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=176029&highlight=

[tawnyag75]

Try this post...

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=176029&highlight=

Uhh Thanks? But that link is unrelated to my problem. I have no trouble reading DVD-R's. I only have trouble getting the LG 4040 to recognize or rather Format the blank DVD-RAM in the drive.

[Greenspock]

Sorry... thought that part of the attached thread contained a simular problem as yours. The solution my help you.

[tawnyag75]

Sorry... thought that part of the attached thread contained a simular problem as yours. The solution my help you.

Thanks Greenspock!

I somehow got it to work. I uninstall everything (all the crappy bundled software that came with the LG 4040 and Nero).. Then re-installed everything. Now it seems to work (at least it formatted). Haven't done much more yet.

I think the LG and it's bundled software conflicts with Nero 6 and by uninstalling/installing....it does something to remedy this conflict. How the heck knows. Thanks for your responses though. Nice to know we LG owners try to stick up for each other.

[Greenspock]

I somehow got it to work.

Excellent! (Best Mongomery Burns)

The solution my help you.

BTW... did I mention that I can't spell!

[DereX888]

Strange.
I had no problem with DVD-RAM and I had Nero 6 (now Im back to 5.5)and all the B's software that came with drive... gotta be something with your system, I had before for long time all above software and DVD-RAM (but with previous model LG GMA-4020B) on WindowsXP and 2K machines without any software conflicts.
(I hope youre not some die-hard Win9x user?

[Jukka]

I had the same problem on my GMA 4020, somehow I fixed it. I think I did it by putting the RAM disc in the drive then trying to open it in explorer. It thenk asked me if I wanted to format it (not using DVD form but using in built XP function), it failed on UDF so I tried FAT32 and it worked. Then I tried DVDFORM for FAT 32 and the UDFs and they all worked.

Strange.

[tawnyag75]

Any of you guys try writing a video file to a DVDRAM then playing it on a stand-alone DVD player (obviously one that can read DVD-RAM)?? I tried that on a Panny RP-91, but it won't play. AND I know the Panny RP-91 should read DVD-RAM! The LG 4040 has no problem playing the movie. What am I doing wrong? Is it because I formatted as a UDF 2.0??

[Jukka]

I think it needs to be in a special format, I don't think the VIDEO_TS stuff applies to DVD-RAM, why not post an open question in the forums?

Also I now have a strange problem with my DVD RAM, everytime I start the PC up it asks me the question about switching of CD Writing, I answer yes everytime but it still asks me,

any clues?

[DereX888]

.VRO instead of .VOB and no file splitting every 1GB is your answer; use google for details

[tawnyag75]

.VRO instead of .VOB and no file splitting every 1GB is your answer; use google for details

Dude! Don't leave me hanging like that! What do you mean (ie: please spell it out like I'm a 5 year-old!) I'm very new to this DVD writing stuff. Please specify! What do I search for in googles??? Thanks.

[tdhg566]

I don't have my notes in front of me, but set top recorders that use DVD-RAM create a special folder. Can you reverse the process and create a DVD-RAM on the set top box, then read and "duplicate" the disk on the computer?

[Trollheart]

Hi all.
I bought the LG GSA-4081B myself, just really to be able to access DVD-RAM discs created on my Panasonic DMR HS2, but I'm having problems (how surprsing!)
I record a short porgramme from the TV, onto the DVD-RAM in my HS2, then put it in the 4081B but the drive doesn't even recognise it.
I've tried formatting the disc on the HS2 then recording, formatting on the PC then recording, but nowhere will the drive see the DVD-RAM, even as a blank disc!
I've installed the DVD-RAM drivers several times, uninstalled , reinstalled and so on, and no luck.
I'm really annoyed, because I bought the drive really solely to be able to access DVD-RAM discs on my PC so I could edit and reburn them to DVD-R, and now I can't even use it to see them!
Any help appreciated.
PC is Athlon 1.9/512MB/120 GB HDD/Win 98SE
Thanks
Trollheart

[DereX888]

ANY DVD-RAM DRIVES:
Install appropriate DVD-RAM drivers, and *reboot* the system (any windows).
If your drivers were correct (and correctly installed) you will see new drive appearing in My Computer (called "Removable Disk"). If new 'removable disk' drive didn't appear on your system - its sure something went wrong, and there may be many reasons for it, as with anything windows can be

LG MULTIDRIVES:
Installing DVD-RAM drivers supplied by LG (B's drivers on LG drivers disc) goes smooth, but if you are NOT an administrator of the system it will not install correctly, and it won't tell you "error" or anything (at least on Win2K, perhaps on WinXP its different). It'll look like it was installed correctly etc, but it won't work anyway. You must logon to windows with administrator priviledges and install them again. I know, we always should install any new device/drivers/etc logged as system's admin, but even though I know it - I forgot about it once myself
And ofcourse installing wrong version also goes smooth... but it doesnt mean it'll work

Just so you know:
I had a problem with LG GSA-4082B which I received without original drivers/software disc (some idiot at ncix.com store sent it with Nero6 instead - and no Nero have support for -RAM at all, its a long boring story anyway). I have tried dvd-ram drivers from drivers disc that came with my older GSA-4040B, and it didn't work. Someone sent me GSA-4081 disc, and it didnt work either. I've downloaded sleuth of various -RAM drivers from all over the web, and none were right, including the ones published on LG's own website (that they claim to work with GSA-4082, while they *don't*).
I almost sent my drive back to the store, but finally someone else have sent me disc image from his GSA-4082B drivers disc, and those drivers did work as they should.

All what I can tell is that DVD-RAM drivers from all these various sources had small version number differences.

The ones from LG GSA-4040 drivers disc have versions:
meiudf.sys 3.0.8.0
dvdram.sys 3.1.1.0
Format Software (DVDForm) 4.1.8.0
Write Protect Tool(WPTool) 1.1.1.0
DVD-RAM Utility (DVDTool) 1.0.8.0


The ones from LG GSA-4081 drivers disc had versions:
meiudf.sys 3.0.9.0
dvdram.sys 3.1.1.0
Format Software(DVDForm) 4.1.9.0
Write Protect Tool(WPTool) 1.1.2.0

The correct drivers from LG GSA-4082 drivers disc are:
meiudf.sys 3.1.0.0
dvdram.sys 3.1.1.0
Format Software (DVDForm) 4.2.0.0
Write Protect Tool (WPTool) 1.1.3.0

So: always use the drivers supplied by manufacturer with the drive.
Hope this helps.

_________________________________
edit:
Every once awhile since I commited this post here, I am asked for these drivers. Please note that my 'public' email address is limited to 1MB of attachment file size only, and I am not able to email any drivers to you, so pls - don't ask me.
Link to GSA-4082B RAM drievrs (as above version) where I got it from is long dead too. They were labeled as japanese beta drivers. If you find them and can't read japanese, just follow/click the autohighlighted buttons in every window (AFAIR there are 3 "next" middle buttons, and last is "finish"). You must reboot your box for 'new' dvd-ram drive to appear.
Lastly: the files you need to search for are named:

for LG GSA-4082B ONLY!

Win2K - 2KDrv0213BHAOEMJP.EXE (2,480,085 bytes)
DOWNLOAD HERE: http://updater.bha.co.jp/Clip5Win/2KDrv0213BHAOEMJP.exe

WinXP - XPDrv0213BHAOEMJP.EXE (2,508,139 bytes)
DOWNLOAD HERE:
http://updater.bha.co.jp/Clip5Win/XPDrv0213BHAOEMJP.exe

Win95-98-ME:
DOWNLOAD HERE:
http://updater.bha.co.jp/Clip5Win/9xDrv0213BHAOEMJP.exe

Until you see posted here any link(s) to them it means I still dont know of any working links to them (so no need to ask me either).
good luck.

edit2:
above links work as of July 4, 2004

[Trollheart]

Thanx everyone for the help and suggestions.
Unf, it doesn't sort my problem. Originally when I installed the DVD-RAM drivers that came with the package I got an error message, but then I put the disc in my OTHER DVD writer (Pioneer) and it installed (as I thought, anyway) with no problems. However the drive still wont read the discs. : (
To answer some questions, yes it's seen as a removable drive (so is my Creative Muvo TX: a little confusing but there you go), but apparently you're not supposed to go near this drive, so I don't. I'm using Win98 (gasp!), so no administrator errors will fix this unf.
If anyone out there has drivers that work, I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could make a copy and email them to me, or even send them snail-mail (I'll cover the cost): it's really frustrating not being able to use the DVD-RAM discs, and I feel like a bit of an idiot for getting the drive and now not being able to use it for what I bought it for.
Oh, and I've updated the firmware to A101, but no change there either : (
Thanks again and any further suggestions/comments welcomed.
Troll