Is my DVD writer dead?

[technopriest]

I have been using Pioneer 111L for a while. Worked fine until I tried burning the audio CD. Roxio froze and I had to reboot (to get the CD out).
After a few reboots the drive is recognized by windows, but I can't read either CDs or DVDs. It sounds like it's trying to read them, but after a while nothing happens. I also can't go directly to the drive...
It's a relatively new drive and I only burned about a 100 DVDs. It can't be already dead. Did I mess something during the reboot. I already tried a few more total reboots (shutdown + power off/on), but that didn't help.
Any help appreciated....

[budz]

remove roxio software from your pc then try using another program called, cdburner xp pro which is freeware. ide cables are also known to fail, you may try replacing it and see what happens. roxio is considered crappy software to use for cd/dvd burning. they had a good rep when the software was owned by adaptec. newer freeware programs are out there that is way better than roxio.

http://www.cdburnerxp.se/download.php

[technopriest]

Ok, it looks like it's dead. I tried it on another computer and it doesn't work either. I contacted Pioneer and the 1 year warranty should still be valid. I'll probably have to flash it to original firmware though

[budz]

Ok, it looks like it's dead. I tried it on another computer and it doesn't work either. I contacted Pioneer and the 1 year warranty should still be valid. I'll probably have to flash it to original firmware though

FYI they would find out if you flashed the drive w/hacked firmware then your original PIONEER warranty will not be honored. Flashing a drive with hacked firmware is the chance you take. Chuck it up and just buy a new dvd burner. The consumers in the end will pay higher prices in the future for dvd burners because people who knowingly return a drive that's been flashed w/hacked firmware are dishonest.

[technopriest]

FYI they would find out if you flashed the drive w/hacked firmware then your original PIONEER warranty will not be honored. Flashing a drive with hacked firmware is the chance you take. Chuck it up and just buy a new dvd burner. The consumers in the end will pay higher prices in the future for dvd burners because people who knowingly return a drive that's been flashed w/hacked firmware are dishonest.

I would have agreed with you IF flashing the drive could actually have done damage to the drive. Or if I dropped the drive, or opened it and so on.
In any case I've already reflashed it back to original and am sending it back. It's up to them to honour or dishonour their warranty. The way I look at it is why aren't they selling me a drive that can read all regions, so I don't have to use third-party firmware?
And give me a break about consumers paying higher prices - the stuff costs maybe $2 to make. Maybe if we all returned faulty items (and as I searched I found i am not an isolated case) they'd start making better quality items????
They will also most likely give me a refurbished drive, so don't bet on them losing a cent.

[OneSickPup]

@technopriest

I don't think you will get much sympathy towards your argument in this forum. It is common knowledge that cross-flashing or flashing with any non-manufacturer supplied firmware renders your warranty null and void. In your case you traded away your privilege to a factory warranty for the privilege of multi-region, labelflash and DVD-RAM support. But as always - to each his own opinion.

[[_chef_]]

Ok, it looks like it's dead. I tried it on another computer and it doesn't work either. I contacted Pioneer and the 1 year warranty should still be valid. I'll probably have to flash it to original firmware though

I wonder how you would flash a dead drive..........
And I agree with OneSickPup.