Could my problems be caused by SP2?

[nathanaa]

I'll try to explain as briefly as possible, but I imagine this will be long for me to explain everthing fully.

About 10 days ago my laptop HDD crashed (and my laptop is what I use for all my DVD ripping, authoring, backing up, etc.). It (the HDD) was covered by warranty, so a replacement was sent. I had the local computer shop install it for me, and the HDD had come with my WinXP Pro OS preinstalled - WITH SP2 though; on the old HDD I only had SP1. I spent 3 days reinstalling everyting, creating backup disc images, tweaking the OS that way I had it, and of course installing all my DVD backup and creationg/authoring programs.

I not only back up my DVD collection, but I've transfered a lot of VHS tapes to DVD (my wedding vids, my son playing, etc.). A lot of my family and friends have begun sending me DVD-Rs they have made, asking me to either copy them for other family members (a LOT of this, now that everyone knows I can do it) or do authoring (put menus on them, or better menus than their simple DVD recorders/cameras could do).

So, I was doing it, as it was easy and they usually "paid" me in DVD-Rs, which was handy as heck once I realized I'd been backing up my collection on low quality discs and needed to start all over again.

Before my HDD crashed, about 1-2 / 10 discs I could not read. After my HDD was replaced though, I am not able to read about 8/10 discs!

The media is generally 3rd Class or 2nd Class (as per nomorecoasters.com) that they are sending me (trust me, I've been telling them to get better), but one of my uncles uses the cheapest shite discs you can image - his can't be read about 19/20 times. But, I also can't read about 7/10 of the Maxell discs that one of my friends sent (she asked what she should use before she even started and I told her).

So I realized partly that there is a media problem here. However, when I run DVDDecrypter, I get some message about "SCSI error, check drive". I lost the slip of paper I had where I wrote down the exact error message, sorry. Anyway, I've run the stupid Troubleshoot function (useless).

Finally getting to the main question here - could SP2 somehow be at the root of my problems here? Or am I just assuming something I shouldn't? I've read the other "problem SP2" threads, but didn't find anything particularly like this.

Or could my drive perhaps be going bad? A friend told me that DVD/CD drives usually stop reading properly before they die.

Or does anyone else have an idea what it might be? I'm at a loss. I have not been able to read most of the discs sent to me. I am able to read discs I made in the past, I should mention.

Any help/thoughts/advice/ideas appreciated.

[bazooka]

SP2 has it's problems but what doesn't?

I can't say for sure because I do not know the details.

It is possible, but also it could have been other things.

Sp2 tends to magnify what problems you had before and never knew about them.

[Sabro]

The only problem I had when migrating the SP2 is that I was unable to make a disc copy from my DVD rom unit to my DVD burner.

A simple update of the programs proved useful since the older versions wasnt compatible with SP2 (go figure).

Non the less, you might look towards your dvd rom/burners manufactor for updates and update your software to the newest versions.

Sabro

[Sabro]

Another thing I've noticed since going to SP2 is when every you insert media, cd/dvd blank or not, Windows will pop up this lil window asking you what you want to do.

Sometimes this window popups on top of the other applications and sometimes not, but I've found if I open my apps (such as DVDShrink, Alcohol 120%) before inserting the media, or without closing that box they seem to not want to notice the media or burn to it.

Try inserting your media with your apps closed, make sure to cancel that lil popup box, then try to access the media via your programs or how ever you do so.

Hope that helps some.

Sabro

[bazooka]

Another thing I've noticed since going to SP2 is when every you insert media, cd/dvd blank or not, Windows will pop up this lil window asking you what you want to do.

It did that in SP1.

It is the autolaunch feature.

[rigby]

Ive had similar probs to yourself m8 got rid of sp2 and started again now ok but still not 100% it was sp2

[redwudz]

The problem may be much simpler, maybe your DVD burner needs the lens cleaned? My laptop, at least, is very susceptible to dirt on the lens, especially if it gets hauled around and shakes dust loose in the drive bay.

[nathanaa]

Ok, I'll reply to some of the points brought up.

- I *have* cleaned the drive, I bought a DVD cleaner and ran it through the drive. No appreciable difference.

- My set up is using the laptop DVD/CD-RW to read/rip my discs, then burn to my external TDK 880N DVD+/-R/RW drive. So, perhaps there is some problem there as concerns doing a straight Disc Copy with Nero. However, most of the time, I can't even get the discs to *read* properly. In fact, sometimes Nero or DVDDecrypter don't even recognize that there is a disc in the drive, now that I remember that little point (might be salient, might not).

- Upon installing each piece of software, I ran any Update function right away (so I would not forget; easier to just do it and get it over with I figured). So, as of a week ago or so, all the programs are up to date, but I haven't checked for any updates for *anything* since then.

- I have *not* looked for or updated any firmware for my external TDK 880N burner. Honestly, I wouldn't know where to look to see if anything was available. I know DVDInfoPro will tell me what version my firmware is (I think I remember that), but not where I can find if there is an update for the drive.

- I have *not*, to my knowledge, turned off the Windows security console/firewall; I do plan to do so when I get the chance. Currently, I'm clearning out my external Maxtor 250 HDD drive that I had mostly loaded with various old shows and backed up movies. I wanted to get them burned in case something did end up happening to my DVD-ROM drive.

Hopefully some of this is relevant/useful in helping figure out what might be the problems. Thanks folks, keep the input comin'!

[budz]

Your TDK EXTERNAL 880N Burner is a NEC 2500 drive. Here's your firmware for your drive.
http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_firmware.php?download_id=1781

It's known that NEC DRIVES are not good readers.

[nathanaa]

Thanks for the site! I'll have to figure out how to upgrade my firmware now,never done it for an external drive before.

I don't normally use the TDK for reading. I read with the Toshiba drive in my Fujitsu P5020D laptop and burn with the TDK. I don't think I ever tried reading with the TDK, now that you mention it. Huh.

Maybe I should have......duhhh...... Might have helped me figure out if this was more of a drive problem than I had thought.

[lordsmurf]

Without reading, I'm just going to say "yes" simply because I know how well past MS SP's have been. Anything is possible.