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Windows Forum / Windows Me / General Topics / June 2005CD-R/RW Drive Problems
Hi All...... I can't get my CD Writer Drive to recognize that there is a blank CD in it. I have tried for an hour now. It has never failed like this before. It keeps telling me to put a blank CD in it. I checked it with both Roxio and Music Match burning proggies. I checked Device Manager......all seems to be OK. But before I went away, I used MusicMatch to record a music CD and it was messed up halfway thru, which I blamed on the program coz I always use Roxio. I am wondering if this drive has bitten the dust. I put a recorded CD in it and it wouldn't read that either. Yet the DVD Rom drive which I play songs on did. Any thoughts? Or do I go and visit Willy coz this is broken. 8-((( Cheers....Heather PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Hi Heather, - my standard (edited) response to check-out CD-ROM's in Real Mode DOS - please use the 'bits' applicable to your CD-RW :- OK, then consider the following, which "assumes" two CD-ROM drives are fitted (CD reader and CD reader/writer) in the computer :- To 'see' them in Real Mode DOS, Boot, using your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk in the A: drive. Select option 2. Start computer with CD-ROM support. Let the screen information scroll until you eventually see a line which should report a drive letter for each of the CD-ROM's - but note that they may not necessarily the same letter as you would expect to see in Windows. For example, you should see TWO CD-ROMS, becoming the E: and the F:, so the screen should show: > Drive E:= Driver MSCD001 UNIT 0 > Drive F:= Driver MSCD001 UNIT 1 > Your CD-ROM Is Drive E (Don't worry that you didn't also see a further line "Your CD-ROM Is Drive F" - you won't, it will only show the one) When the boot disk finally settles down, you will be presented with an A:\> prompt. Now put a (data) CD into the first CD-ROM and at the A:\> prompt, type "E:" (no quotes and note the colon after the letter E) Then Press Return. Now, at the E:\> prompt, type "DIR /P" (no quotes and note the space) Then press Return. You should see a listing of the CD contents. Try again with the (data) CD in the other drive, this time typing "F:" at the "E:\>" prompt to change drives and at the F:\> prompt type "DIR /P" for the listing. Come back with your results. Give EXACT errors reports - if any, but if you can't "see" it in RM DOS, > I am wondering if this drive has bitten the dust. Maybe - in more senses than 'just plain dead'. Try an Audio cleaning disk kit (from your local HiFi shop, to clean any dust on the laser etc., - or more likely, a failing CD-RW, in which case, visit Willy. Mart > Hi All...... > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Hi Mart....... Well.....tried to do what you said and couldn't get to where you wanted me to be. When Willy tried to install XP on here, he had set it up as a dual boot. He didn't take that aspect off and I have to pick WinME at startup. So even getting into Safe Mode is a tad different......just played with it now. So I assume that is the problem. I even made a new Startup Disc, but no go on that. Noel had suggested removing the CD Writer in Device Manager and I found (when I finally got to Safe Mode) that there were two identical Writer drives. Removed first one.....no joy. Removed both.....still no joy. When I put a blank or data CD in that drive, Windows Explorer doesn't see it. Nor do Music Match or Roxio. Settings in Roxio are definitely for the CD Writer drive. So I guess it is off to Willy the Wonder Tech tomorrow and ask him to fix me up. I am teetering on the brink of buying a new computer and this latest snafu is shoving me over the edge.....lol!! Hell.....the roof cost me 4 times what a new computer will!! Next is the furnace. Another $3500. Time to spend some money on moi, I think!! Thanks for your help, but I guess the drive is screwed up. It is 4.5 years old (I assume, after that BIOS screw-up).....could be 10 for all I know. XX Heather > Hi Heather, - my standard (edited) response to check-out CD-ROM's in Real > Mode DOS - please use the 'bits' applicable to your CD-RW :- [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] > > > > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Hi Heather, I'd forgotten that you were on dual boot - although I did wonder why you were asking on the WinMe pages when I recalled that you were running XP. However, that shouldn't stop you from checking out my previous tests - but using a WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk of course (so long as you still have one!!) The reason being that by using the WinMe boot disk, you are completely eliminating any other OS (XP or WinMe) as you are not booting from your HDD - and hence those systems will not be loaded. (Don't worry if you get a warning about a missing/corrupted/virus C: drive - if its NTFS then DOS won't see it and 'assumes' things aren't right) BUT you can look at and test your CD-ROM's, as all the appropriate (DOS 7) OS and drivers are contained on your WinMe floppy. Good old WinMe (well, the boot disk anyway) comes to the rescue again - wouldn't be without it!! > Well.....tried to do what you said and couldn't get to where you wanted me > to be. Please explain <g> - Unless your BIOS is not set to read the A: drive at boot-up. I don't quite see the 'dual boot' relevance - see above. > ..... but I guess the drive is screwed up. It is 4.5 years > old (I assume, after that BIOS screw-up)... Quite likely. And, if you've been in the BIOS, that *may* explain you Boot sequence - if it's not seeing the A: at boot-up. But probably all very academic, if you are seeing Willy later > ... I am teetering on the brink of buying a new computer So don't be tempted to throw good after bad, on your existing model Mart > Hi Mart....... > [quoted text clipped - 116 lines] >> > >> > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Hi Mart...... I still have the dual boot *start* setup, but due to the old BIOS (motherboard?), neither I or Willy could install XP or a second HD, so he left the dual boot at the start, but there is nothing other than WinME on here. Complicated I suppose, but it didn't worry me. However, using a WinME boot disk doesn't get me into the DOS screen you were talking about. I did see it reading the floppy at the beginning, but it just didn't go to what you were describing. Talk about a *hybrid*!!! I still have some XP folders on here from the failed install by me in February, but Noel helped me get rid of a lot of them. Then when Willy tried to install it, he got the same crashing. Seems that MDG where I bought it put in a really old motherboard or BIOS (get confused on those two), but Noel saw 2 or 3 dates on the Everest Report. So while it works fine as ME, it really ticks me off that they (and a lot of the big companies) put inferior parts in coz they figure no one will ever find out. I still may call and blast them, but OTOH, this Willy seems way more trustworthy and I will get him to build me a new computer using my XP Home. Thanks for the advice......but I guess I better let him have a look at it tomorrow and who knows....it might just be something minor. Got those fingers crossed?? You said....."So don't be tempted to throw good after bad, on your existing model" meaning in Cumbrian talk not to put a new CD Writer on this machine?? Cheers....Heather > Hi Heather, > [quoted text clipped - 157 lines] > >> > > >> > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Heather, regarding your last point :- > You said....."So don't be tempted to throw good after bad, on your > existing > model" meaning in Cumbrian talk not to put a new CD Writer on this > machine?? My message was essentially that as you are (sooner or later) going to invest in a Brand New PC, then not to 'waste' your hard earned cash on fettling your existing PC, but rather, put it towards your new one. If you can manage without a burner for a while, then that's "money in the bank". However, if a burner is essential for your day-to-day stuff, then buy the cheapest CD writer you can find, just to see you thru'. I just wonder at what point the > ... WinME boot > disk doesn't get me into the DOS screen you were talking about. goes wrong. Did you get the (DOS) Menu containing option 2. "Start computer with CD-ROM support."? Good luck with your visit to Willy Mart > Hi Mart...... > [quoted text clipped - 225 lines] >> >> > >> >> > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! Heather, have you tried several name-brands of CD-RW media? Some readers/writers are finicky. BTW, when will Slim Hips and her SO be in Brampton next?  SignatureJack E. Martinelli 2002-05 MS MVP for Shell/User / DTS Help us help you: http://www.dts-L.org/goodpost.htm In Memorium: Alex Nichol http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx Your cooperation is very appreciated. ------ > Heather, regarding your last point :- <SNIP> Tried 3 different brands. No go. SH dumped the SO about 16 months ago. Seems he was a less than intelligent con man (user) and she booted him out. She said "being single with 2 cats is preferable to living with a loser", or words to that effect. (G) Figgs > Heather, have you tried several name-brands of CD-RW media? Some > readers/writers are finicky. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > <SNIP> >>>>> I just wonder at what point the... WinME boot disk doesn't get me into the DOS screen you were talking about.... goes wrong. Did you get the (DOS) Menu containing option 2. "Start computer with CD-ROM support."?<<< NO.....couldn't find that. So problems right at the start of your instructions. Had about 10 other choices. Possibly that was an XP screen? Will talk to Willy today. And once I get set up with a new XP computer, I will network this one, copy over all the things I need and then reformat it, I guess. Get rid of the extraneous folders and start fresh, using it for backup. Cheers....Heather > Heather, regarding your last point :- > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > > > > Cheers....Heather Mmm... > >Did you get the (DOS) Menu containing option 2. "Start computer > > with CD-ROM support."? > > NO.....couldn't find that. Ah!. Sounds like you're BIOS is not set to look at the A: drive on Boot-up. I'm sure Willy should be able to sort that for you. Mart >>>>>> I just wonder at what point the... WinME boot disk doesn't get me >>>>>> into [quoted text clipped - 95 lines] >> > >> > Cheers....Heather Hi Mart......et al Talked to Willy this afternoon and he is going to fix the boot stuff on this one (A drive, dual boot, etc), but he agrees with you that there is no point in fixing up this CD-RW thingie, and is going to build me a new computer. I will go over and he will list all the stuff he will use (#1 parts.....not stuff from the Far East, grin).....and I will post it for you guys to advise me on. And I will get a router and network the two of them.....I think that might be the best way to get stuff moved around, etc. Any comments or bits of advice are most welcome. I will be seeing him later this week. Cheers from another 40+ muggy day in Brampton!! Lordy, I hate this weather!! Smog alerts.....humidity alerts......heat alerts. Shoot....I AM alert.....but the weather isn't, lol. Heather > Mmm... > [quoted text clipped - 108 lines] > >> > > >> > Cheers....Heather > not stuff from the Far East, So what's he going to build you? A manual typewriter using museum parts? I think you'll find that the majority of parts are sourced from the Far East regardless of the name of the company on the label. As for your boot problem all that is needed is to SYS C: from a Win Me boot floppy to remove the NT loader and get back to booting straight to Win Me. SignatureMike > Hi Mart......et al > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Shoot....I AM alert.....but the weather isn't, lol. He meant no *crappy* stuff from China which MDG puts on their computers.....lol. I was trying to be politically correct.....doesn't work. (G) And I guess he is doing what you say regarding removing the dual boot set up. He just said he would take it off. And sort out that booting from the floppy thing. I do not know much about a lot of the hardware, so will be asking a lot of questions. There was one tech at MDG that was really good and he tried to warn me way back when....but he couldn't tell me WHY I couldn't put XP on here. I thought he was out to lunch at the time and never forgot him telling me that this computer wouldn't be able to handle it. Now I know why. XX Heather > > not stuff from the Far East, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > > > Shoot....I AM alert.....but the weather isn't, lol. Yep, avoid the duff stuff regardless of where it is sourced and go for a decent motherboard from one of the more highly respected manufacturer's rather than a no-name special. Get the basics right and the rest should follow. Cheers, SignatureMike > He meant no *crappy* stuff from China which MDG puts on their > computers.....lol. I was trying to be politically [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > telling me that this computer wouldn't be able to handle it. Now I > know why. Ha! This computer has a Chinese MB - the only problem I have is that it'll only take 768MB RAM. Which isn't really a problem. It's served well as an MB from 2000 (ok, 2001/2 when replaced with a newer model under warranty when I burnt the chipset out overclocking lol!). The original monitor is Chinese, albeit a rebranded Trinitron. And the original keyboard is Chinese. Both still work well (despite massive abuse over the past five years!). It's not about having Chinese parts per se but about whether your vendor sources poor Chinese parts or good ones. Mind you, their government could do with assassinating. Shane > He meant no *crappy* stuff from China which MDG puts on their > computers.....lol. I was trying to be politically correct.....doesn't [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >> > >> > Shoot....I AM alert.....but the weather isn't, lol. > Ha! > > It's not about having Chinese parts per se but about whether your vendor > sources poor Chinese parts or good ones. That was what I meant. A lot of the hardware is from now defunct Chinese companies.......who would know?? Plus the BIOS was 3-5 years old in Feb of 2001 when I bought it.....that is why XP could not be put on here. P3, 1 gig CPU....and I thought the tech was crazy when he said I couldn't put XP on this box.....but he knew and couldn't tell me why. > Mind you, their government could do with assassinating. ROFL!! And here I was trying to be PC. > Shane > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > >> > > >> > Shoot....I AM alert.....but the weather isn't, lol. Apropos parts from the Far East and your CDRW drive, I replaced my aging Ricoh with a Sony costing £23. The Ricoh burned at 8x, the Sony burns at 40x. A very satisfactory product, but Sony are an outstanding electronics company, one of the innovaters. As we get ripped off in the UK for everything, it seems unlikely you wouldn't find a better deal. Shane > Hi Mart......et al > [quoted text clipped - 151 lines] >> >> > >> >> > Cheers....Heather I checked a Toronto spot and the newer Samsung one was about $23. I may just put a new one on here. The monitor is Samsung as well, but slightly rebadged. I find that things in the UK cost the same *number* in GBP as we pay in Cdn. dollars.....a killer when we visit your country. Cheers....Heather > Apropos parts from the Far East and your CDRW drive, I replaced my aging > Ricoh with a Sony costing £23. The Ricoh burned at 8x, the Sony burns at [quoted text clipped - 159 lines] > >> >> > > >> >> > Cheers....Heather Good to see (elsewhere in the thread) that you are making progress Heather, and I would agree with Mike and Shane's remarks on 'sources' of components. You only have to read the NG's to see that major brands seem to fail just as often as Far Eastern, unbranded stuff. That's one major advantage of a desktop (vs. laptop) in that if a component dies, it's fairly easily replaced without too much 'down-time'. And, if Willy has a good supplier, then failures under 'warranty' (which DO happen!) shouldn't be a problem. Regarding your 'second thoughts' about putting a new Samsung CD-RW in the old machine - then, unless you *really* need it, put your money towards a decent pair of DVD/CD readers and burners on your prospective PC. The chances are that once you've got your new PC (with XP), your old one will never see the light of day again - and you'll wonder what on earth you've been pratting about at, for all this time <g> Just make sure that your new machine has plenty of USB2 ports, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. Mart >I checked a Toronto spot and the newer Samsung one was about $23. I may > just put a new one on here. The monitor is Samsung as well, but slightly [quoted text clipped - 190 lines] >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Cheers....Heather Good point Mart, I have four on the back and two on the front of this box and it's great when I want to plug in my card reader or my multifunction printer, that way I don't have to leave them always connected to plug in when needed without the scrambling on hands and knees under and behind my desk <g> Joan > Just make sure that your new machine has plenty of USB2 ports, you'll > wonder how you ever lived without them. > > Mart Joan, when I had to 're-furbish' my XP box at xmas (long saga), I took the opportunity to 'enhance' the USB1 mobo by adding a USB2/Firewire pci card and hence, reap the benefits of USB2. But in the process, I replaced my (standard) A: drive and substituted it with a combined FDD & 7 in 1 Card Reader :-http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=87669 So that takes care of another cable <g> Double bonus!! Mart > Good point Mart, I have four on the back and two on the front of this box > and it's great when I want to plug in my card reader or my multifunction [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >> >> Mart Hi Mart my card reader looks similiar to that one and can be put internally but I just have it sitting on top of the box and plug the USB cable into a front port when I need to use it <g> Same as my printer, my colour laser is permanently plugged in by USB in the back of the machine but my multifunction printer, which also has a card reader part just has to be plugged in the front if and when I want to scan/print/ or whatever using inkjet <g> of course if I want to just look at what's on my camera card and print an index I don't even have to connect it to the PC. It's frightening all this technology <g> Joan > Joan, when I had to 're-furbish' my XP box at xmas (long saga), I > took the opportunity to 'enhance' the USB1 mobo by adding a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Mart Thanks, Mart. I started to answer earlier and had mouse & freezing problems.....got it sorted out now. Think this computer is trying to tell me something?? Anyway......I will go over to see Willy tomorrow. I am gathering up nuggets from here to tell him. But he figures he can put together a new computer with DVD Writer included for about $800........which is a rather good price. But I will make a list of what I want. USB ports being one of them. Only have 2 on this computer. Considering I bought this one about 4.5 years ago, it has lasted well. I put as much *good stuff* on as I thought I might need, and I still have not made use of it all. My CD Rom drive is also a DVD one, for instance. And I got a large bundle of MS progs with it which I never use. Mike M. and I much prefer WordPerfect, for instance. So I will keep you all posted and probably will be asking questions. May yet put a burner on this. I intend to network them, but as you say.....I may never touch it once I get used to XP, grin. Thanks....Heather > Good to see (elsewhere in the thread) that you are making progress Heather, > and I would agree with Mike and Shane's remarks on 'sources' of components. [quoted text clipped - 212 lines] > >> >> >> > > >> >> >> > Cheers....Heather <lol> I think it's definitely time you visited Willy and got that new machine, you'll be so much happier <g> Glad to hear Elayne got home safely and enjoyed her holiday, thought she might have stayed on the road and popped down to see me <g> Joan > Hi All...... > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > PS.....The Mouse is safely home and had a wonderful holiday!!! |
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