CD Writer Problem

[Jeff]

I have a machine that works fine other than one problem - the CD Writer. It is a mitsumi (not sure of the model number as I have the
machine at work) running on an ASUS P3 MB (I think that is the model) with an Intel 2.8 GhZ processor and 768 Megs ram. I'm running
Nero version 6, although the problem occurred with version 5 also. I don't think that it is a software issue. The writer works only
about half of the time, but I don't use it often, so I'm not positive about exactly when it goes out. It always appears in Windows
Explorer, but often when I attempt to use it, Nero claims that it isn't there. If I put in a disk containing files when Nero can't
detect it, Explorer shows the drive, but claims there is no disk present. As far as I can tell, it always works properly right after
booting/re-booting, but at some later point becomes unusable. On occasion, I get an error message from W2000 (SP4) claiming that
I've unplugged the device. The cables seem fine and the drive is properly set to be a master with another CD Reader as the slave.
I've never had any problem with the CD reader nor with the other IDE devices (Zip drive and hard drive) running on the other IDE
channel.

I have not yet tried to swap the drive out with another drive to see if it is the actual writer or not. I wanted to run this by
others first, to see if there is something I should check before going to the trouble to pull the drive. This has occurred
consistently from the time both the drive and the machine were new, and has persisted though a re-install of the OS and new RAM. I'm
running a PCI SCSI card with external harddrives, but otherwise, the system isn't very complex.

Any advice welcome. Thanks

Jeff

 

[David]

I have a machine that works fine other than one problem - the CD Writer. It is a mitsumi (not sure of the model number as I have the
machine at work) running on an ASUS P3 MB (I think that is the model) with an Intel 2.8 GhZ processor and 768 Megs ram. I'm running
Nero version 6, although the problem occurred with version 5 also. I don't think that it is a software issue. The writer works only
about half of the time, but I don't use it often, so I'm not positive about exactly when it goes out. It always appears in Windows
Explorer, but often when I attempt to use it, Nero claims that it isn't there. If I put in a disk containing files when Nero can't
detect it, Explorer shows the drive, but claims there is no disk present. As far as I can tell, it always works properly right after
booting/re-booting, but at some later point becomes unusable. On occasion, I get an error message from W2000 (SP4) claiming that
I've unplugged the device. The cables seem fine and the drive is properly set to be a master with another CD Reader as the slave.
I've never had any problem with the CD reader nor with the other IDE devices (Zip drive and hard drive) running on the other IDE
channel.

I have not yet tried to swap the drive out with another drive to see if it is the actual writer or not. I wanted to run this by
others first, to see if there is something I should check before going to the trouble to pull the drive. This has occurred
consistently from the time both the drive and the machine were new, and has persisted though a re-install of the OS and new RAM. I'm
running a PCI SCSI card with external harddrives, but otherwise, the system isn't very complex.

Any advice welcome. Thanks

Jeff

Try a new cable, is DMA enabled, look for bent or broken pins on
drive.