dvd/cdrrw-problems

OK first off. The pc i'm having trouble with is my older pc( hp something with XP). it is not online and has not been for over 1.5 years. it has 2 dvd drives but it only recognizes one as dvd compatible. The one (g) will play and read and burn CDs fine, but not DVDs. The good one (f) will rip and burn DVDs perfectly. At one time the two worked flawlessly for over 6 months--rip from one burn to other and vice versa---but for some reason it (g) now only thinks it is a cd-rom, not a dvdrrw. Is there a driver problem? If so can i download it here on my newer PC onto a thumb drive and install from there.

the BAD drive is a: hl-dt-st dvdrrw gsa-H21L

thanks
Brandon

 

You can only have one default burner per machine. Right-click the drives in Computer and look at the Recording tab. If you select one of them, the other will then become just a CD- or DVD-ROM.

 

yes but at one time they both worked as burners??? shouldn't i at least be able to play a DVD on the one drive. as it is now it will only read/write CDs.

thanks again for the help i'll try it when i get home.

Brandon

 

Yes, they will both burn with a third-party burner. It's just Windows that assigns the default burner and labels the other as just a CD-ROM. What burning software do you use?

If one drive won't read DVD's, then that is a separate problem. Use one of these tools to see if the capabilities of the drive are properly recognized:

VSO Inspector
Nero Info Tool

 

I use Nero 8

but like i said in previous---The one drive will not even recognize a DVD, only CDs. How do I make it do so? I want to be able to read a DVD in my top drive and Immediately Burn in my bottom drive(like i could before ). I don't know what changed-because all of a sudden on day the one drive just became only a CD drive! I'm sorry if i'm not getting what you are trying to tell me, sometimes I can be a little dence.

thanks
Brandon

e-mail: [email protected]

 

I guess we are just looking at 2 different problems. The one about the drive not recognizing DVD's may be the most serious. Run one of the tools above and see if they confirm that the drive is capable of reading DVD's. If one says that it is not, or even if it says that it is, it still could mean that the drive is gone and needs to be replaced.

 

I have two DVD Burners. In computer, they are labeled DVD RW Drive E and DVD RW Drive F. If I right click on the drives and select recording, each one says Type: CD Drive.
They will both play and burn CD's and DVD's. I can copy from either one to the other.
I have Vista HP, so it is not a Vista thing unless something is not as it should be with your Vista.

 

i used the vso inspector and the nero info tool,--Both said the the "BAD"" drive is able to read and write DVDs and CDs. So what is the problem now---I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks
Brandon

 

Try switching the drives to see what happens. It's possible that one drive is bad. It seems from my experience and those of others in this forum, that once a drive stops reading CD's or DVD's, it needs replacement. Flashing the drives with the latest firmware may help, but not always by any means.

 

i will try this----------but what does "FLASHING the drive with firmware"mean??

am i right to assume the the focus or optics may be going out of the drive.??


brandon

 

Check the brand maker's site for firmware updates for the drive.
What is firmware:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware

 

rich m-------i do not understand why it would be a firmware problem when the two drives worked perfectly together for 6 months of better(read previous posts). Thanks though.

 

You're right. The firmware didn't change and it should still work. But it doesn't, and sometimes a firmware uopdate fixes it.

 

Firmware updates are software and hardware. They are updated because often times operating system updates change the relationship of the drive. Doesn't mean it will work but it's free if available and often times does solve the problem.