Drive won't eject DVD-R media

C

Charles P. Lamb

I've just installed a BENQ DVD DD DW1620 (with the latest firmware) from
Pacific Digital on my PC. I have an up to date copy of Windows XP
installed. The motherboard is an Iwill KK266plus with an AMD Duron
processor at 1.10GHz and 1GB of RAM. The problem I have is that the system
will not eject a DVD-R. When I try to eject the disk from Windows nothing
happens. When I push the button on the drive the green light goes blank,
then a red light appears, then a blank, and then the green light returns.
The green light stays on constantly when I try to eject from Windows. I
seem to be able to write CD-R and DVD-R correctly. Prerecorded CDs and DVDs
load and eject normally. CD-Rs load and eject normally. The blank DVD-R
media are 8x from TDK and are on the manufacturers list of compatible media.

My best guess is that somehow the system still has the drive marked as in
use. How can I confirm this? Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?

Thanks,

Charles P. Lamb
 
Y

Yves Leclerc

The latest firmware "should" really come from Benq and not Pacific Data.
These are two different manufacturers.
 
T

Test User

Charles P. Lamb said:
I've just installed a BENQ DVD DD DW1620 (with the latest firmware) from
Pacific Digital on my PC. I have an up to date copy of Windows XP
installed. The motherboard is an Iwill KK266plus with an AMD Duron
processor at 1.10GHz and 1GB of RAM. The problem I have is that the system
will not eject a DVD-R. When I try to eject the disk from Windows nothing
happens. When I push the button on the drive the green light goes blank,
then a red light appears, then a blank, and then the green light returns.
The green light stays on constantly when I try to eject from Windows. I
seem to be able to write CD-R and DVD-R correctly. Prerecorded CDs and DVDs
load and eject normally. CD-Rs load and eject normally. The blank DVD-R
media are 8x from TDK and are on the manufacturers list of compatible media.

My best guess is that somehow the system still has the drive marked as in
use. How can I confirm this? Any ideas on how to resolve this problem?

Thanks,

Charles P. Lamb
Click to expand...

Do you have something like DirectCD running? Some of these packet writers
lock the drive so that the eject button doesn't work. This will only apply
to writable media. To successfully eject them, you may need to right-click
on the packet-writer icon and choose Eject .

HTH
-pk
 
C

Charles P. Lamb

Over the past few weeks Pacific Digital support has made a few suggestions
which haven't helped. Among these are upgrading the firmware, checking that
DMA was turned on, checking the media type, and seeing that Windows XP was
updated.

I have tried several things in the meantime. I tried turning off DMA and
limiting operation to PIO Mode 0. This didn't help.

I have discovered that a DVD-R can be ejected by using the Microsoft
Management Console. This works for both the Removable Storage mode and the
Disk Management mode.

I have also noticed that the size information is incorrect when displaying
the drive properties. A partially used disk gives the used space as
56,549,376 bytes and the free space as 0 bytes. When I open the drive the
two files I wrote onto it have the expected sizes of 124,850,176 bytes and
56,471,552 bytes. A blank disk shows free space of 7,707,319,808 bytes.

Any ideas folks?

Thanks,

Charles P. Lamb
 
K

Kelly

I have discovered that a DVD-R can be ejected by using the Microsoft
Management Console. This works for both the Removable Storage mode and the
Disk Management mode.
Click to expand...

This is most interesting and at the same time true in many cases. Will
compare the registry keys
to seek more info now that someone has made note of this via the group.

Question: Did you first notice this after using copyright DVD burning
software, trial or registered?

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com
 
N

NotMe

I have seen cases where the button on the front of the drive didn't work.
It is usually because there is some program running that is monitoring the
drive.
InCD for example.
Windows assumes it is in use and will not allow it to open until the
'current task' is completed.
When you go to the console(s), you are over riding that.
 
R

Rock

Charles said:
I have only used Microsoft Windows to burn DVDs.

Charles P. Lamb
Click to expand...

XP has no native ability to burn DVDs so you must have used some 3rd
party software.
 
C

Charles P. Lamb

Here's how I did it.

1. I opened a window for my hard drive D:.
2. I opened a window for my DVD drive G:.
3. I selected a file in the hard drive window and chose "Copy" from the
drop down "Edit" menu.
4. In the DVD drive window I chose "Paste" from the drop down "Edit" menu.
5. In the DVD drive window I chose "Write these files to CD" from the drop
down "File" menu.

Charles P. Lamb
 
C

Charles P. Lamb

I thought that was what might be happening. I don't have any process
running which accesses the DVD drive which I know of. How can I determine
which process is locking it? If I knew that I figure I could delete the
process and the disk would be dismountable.

The odd thing is this happens only with DVD-R, not with CD-R, and not with
DVD-ROM. I would've thought any process grabbing the drive when a DVD-R is
mounted would also grab it when a CD-R or DVD-ROM is mounted.

Charles P. Lamb
 
C

Charles P. Lamb

I thought that was what might be happening. I don't know of any running
process which is locking the drive. How can I determine which process is
locking the drive?

The strange thing is that this only happens for DVD-R, not for CD-R, and not
for DVD-ROM. I would've thought any process grabbing the drive when a DVD-R
is mounted would also grab it for CD-R and DVD-ROM.

Charles P. Lamb
 
R

Rock

Charles said:
Here's how I did it.

1. I opened a window for my hard drive D:.
2. I opened a window for my DVD drive G:.
3. I selected a file in the hard drive window and chose "Copy" from the
drop down "Edit" menu.
4. In the DVD drive window I chose "Paste" from the drop down "Edit" menu.
5. In the DVD drive window I chose "Write these files to CD" from the drop
down "File" menu.

Charles P. Lamb
Click to expand...

You must have had a CD in the drive, not DVD. XP cannot copy to a DVD-R
without 3rd party software.
 
K

Kelly

Charles,

Which program is allowing you to do this?
Either way, I have only seen this behavior on DVD-RW. That said and
software specific, this generally precedes an error that reads: No Media
Inserted.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com
 
C

Charles P. Lamb

Thanks a lot. This was the key to solving my problem. I looked around and
found DLA on the "Benq DVD Re-Writer Software Disc (Ver 1.0)" supplied with
the drive. After this installation I was able to read and write a CD-RW and
a CD-R. The first time I tried to write a CD-R after DLA installation I was
unable to read it afterward; I am guessing this was due to a bad blank
CD-R.

I am surprised Pacific Digital support does not get a lot of people
contacting them with this problem. The only paper documentation supplied
with the drive, the "Quick Installation Guide", makes no reference to
software or the CD. Once I actually loaded the CD I noticed there was no
reference to DLA on the menu. It wasn't until I read the notes for "Sonic
RecordNow" did I learn that DLA was necessary and that it was supplied on
the CD together with Sonic RecordNow.

Is Sonic DLA V4.90 the best software for this?

Charles P. Lamb
 
P

Pavel A.

Charles P. Lamb said:
Thanks a lot. This was the key to solving my problem. I looked around and
found DLA on the "Benq DVD Re-Writer Software Disc (Ver 1.0)" supplied with
the drive. After this installation I was able to read and write a CD-RW and
a CD-R. The first time I tried to write a CD-R after DLA installation I was
unable to read it afterward; I am guessing this was due to a bad blank
CD-R.
Click to expand...

Maybe, not. DLA uses so called "packet" mode.
While some people find it convenient, it *can* create CD
unreadable on other computers or players.
Also it's easier to make a coaster with it :(
Before using packet writing mode, better make sure that you
really understand what and how it does.

--PA
 

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