Can't get Norwood Micro dvd r-w to function

[Raptorcat61]

I have a Norwood micro dvd r-w, sku#328792.

It had worked, as advertised, on my main system (windopws XP based). When the system crashed, I had to install it in my backup system (win2000 based) and cannot get the system to recognize it as a dvd writer. It reads and runs dvds and cds, but will not write to either.

I have been looking for the better part of a week and the only solutions have made the problem worse.

Anyone out there know why the drivers will not load from the disc and how to get them to work on my older win2000 system?

[budz]

Some Norwood Micro dvd burners were rebadged BENQ 1640 drives. Make sure you're using a 80 wire ide cable with the drive. I'm basing this as it maybe a rebadged BENQ 1640. Look at the sticker on the drive it could tell you what brand it really is. I know some rebadged Norwood Micro's were also LITEON drives as well.

Make sure you have the jumper on the back drive set correctly to either MASTER or SLAVE. Also make sure the drive is in DMA MODE. Here's a guide on how to set to DMA mode in XP & Windows 2000.

http://www.cdrlabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7625

http://www.cdrlabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9668

There also should be no drivers for you to install for the dvd burner. It's plug and play. If DMA mode is enabled, 80 wire ide cable is being used and still it cannot write to dvd or cd. Then your dvd & cd laser is dead. Time to buy a new dvd burner.

[Krispy Kritter]

The most likely problem is that the burning software that you are trying to use is not seeing the drive as a burner AND that software was installed before the burner. Most burning software only scans for attached burners during the install process, so the only fix is to uninstall and reinstall your burning app. The exception, would be Alcohol 120%, which has a "rescan the bus" option, which will then detect newly installed drives.

[jman98]

Krispy Kritter is correct. If you are using Nero, it will NOT re-scan the bus for new drives. The only thing I know that makes Nero work with a new drive is to either uninstall/reinstall it or to apply an update (if one exists) of Nero to your currently installed version. If you can do it, applying an update is much quicker than uninstalling/reinstalling.

Note that ImgBurn (used only for DVD burning) will re-scan your bus every time and it will find new burners.

[Raptorcat61]

I looked and there is no sticker anywhere on the drive that tells me anything about the drive other than it is a dvd r/rw. That is written on the drive tray door. Other than that, there is a sticker on it that says "warranty void if removed". That's it.

When I tried to install it, Windows immediately went looking for drivers for it, but instead of using the drivers that came with it, (which I cannot get to install no matter if I uninstall the windows drivers or not) it installs the windows drivers and won't let me install the drivers that came with the drive.

It recognizes the drive, but only as a cd-rom and dvd player. not as a writer.

Also, I am using the cable that came with it, which is a usb cable.

It is an external drive, too, btw. Not an internal drive.

[Raptorcat61]

I tried the imgburn and it works. But with that program installed, will the other dvd and cr writing programs that I have work now or am I relegated to only using imgburn?

And thank you to all of you who responded to help me.

[Krispy Kritter]

They should all still work, ImgBurn won't "break" other software. Note that aside from the Windows drivers, no other "drivers" are needed. Also note, that whether the drive is internal or external, other burning software will not rescan for new drives as noted above.