External DVD drive I/O Error?

[Pete L]

My DVD drive on my laptop (Sony VAIO running XP) seems to unable to
read disks - does some but many others not. So, I bought a USB
external DVD drive. When connected my PC recognises it ok but comes up
with I/O Error on drive G. I tried the drive on another PC and it
worked ok. Anybody any idea what is wrong with my laptop?

 

[ElJerid]

Is the external drive self-powered ?
If not, maybe the portable cannot deliver enough power through the USB
connection.

 

[Pete L]

Is the external drive self-powered ?
If not, maybe the portable cannot deliver enough power through the USB
connection.

There were no instructions with it. There are two connectors. One with
a square type connector - like the kind you often get on scanners and
there is also an obvious power connector. However, both cables have
USB's on their ends. Would it get power from each USB socket? Also
when connected this way my PC thinks there are two drives! All very
confusing....

 

[Sjouke Burry]

There were no instructions with it. There are two connectors. One with
a square type connector - like the kind you often get on scanners and
there is also an obvious power connector. However, both cables have
USB's on their ends. Would it get power from each USB socket? Also
when connected this way my PC thinks there are two drives! All very
confusing....

I suspect a drive letter clash.
Open drive management and choose a different drive letter.

 

[Pete L]

I suspect a drive letter clash.
Open drive management and choose a different drive letter.

Nope! I changed drive to X. It appears in My Computer as DVD-RAM
Drive(X however when I right click and try Explore' a box comes up
with - DVD-RAM Drive(X - the request could not be performed because
of an I/O device error. Any other ideas? Thanks

 

[Paul]

There were no instructions with it. There are two connectors. One with
a square type connector - like the kind you often get on scanners and
there is also an obvious power connector. However, both cables have
USB's on their ends. Would it get power from each USB socket? Also
when connected this way my PC thinks there are two drives! All very
confusing....

There are a couple pictures here of an external DVD.

On the back of the unit, there is a round (barrel) connector power input.
That would be a place for a 5V power input. The second connector is a
square-ish USB data connector, with four contacts.

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/27-270-001-S04?$S640W$

Now, in the kit, comes two cables. One is a USB to barrel connector
cable. That connects the +5V and GND from a USB connector, and converts
the format to the barrel connector type. So the power from one USB port
can flow down that cable. The data pins on that USB cable are not
connected.

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/27-270-001-S05?$S640W$

The second cable is a regular USB cable, with A and B connectors on it.
That goes into the square connector on the back of the DVD drive, and
all four contact pins are used on that one. +5V and GND are connected
on that cable, as well as D+ and D- differential data pins.

By having two cables connected, the theory is you could get up to
1 ampere of current total. The cables may "current hog" a bit, so it
doesn't always work out to giving a full ampere, but in any case, there
is a potential for more than the 500mA you can get from one cable
to flow.

Some other cable assemblies use the "hydra" approach. There is a
square connector on one end of the cable. And on the computer end of
the cable, there are two rectangular USB connectors. That kind of Y cable
is constructed for the same reason and function, to try to get more
current to run the unit. One of the USB connectors has +5V and GND
connected, the other has all four pins connected.

Just because you see two USB connectors, doesn't mean that the
D+ and D- data pins are connected on both. The data pins of only
one USB cable are connected. The drive will not "appear twice" in
Device Manager, as it has only one USB data connection. You'll have to
find some other reason for something like that to happen.

If your drive is similar to the kit in the pictures above, try
connecting both USB cables and see if that fixes a potential
power problem.

Paul

 

[Sjouke Burry]

Nope! I changed drive to X. It appears in My Computer as DVD-RAM
Drive(X however when I right click and try Explore' a box comes up
with - DVD-RAM Drive(X - the request could not be performed because
of an I/O device error. Any other ideas? Thanks

No, except try each usb port, or in bios start legacy support.

 

[Pete L]

No, except try each usb port, or in bios start legacy support.

Thanks guys. Paul - your pics are exactly what my drive looks like. I
have just tried it on another laptop (Vista) and although this machine
recognises the drive it doesn't want to read anything from a DVD. It
looks to me that maybe the drive requires an external source of power.
Looking at the socket it doesn't say what voltage is required. Would
it be 5V? Should I be trying this and risking messing up my laptop?

 

[Paul]

Thanks guys. Paul - your pics are exactly what my drive looks like. I
have just tried it on another laptop (Vista) and although this machine
recognises the drive it doesn't want to read anything from a DVD. It
looks to me that maybe the drive requires an external source of power.
Looking at the socket it doesn't say what voltage is required. Would
it be 5V? Should I be trying this and risking messing up my laptop?

The pictures I showed you, are for a product where a USB cable is used
to power the barrel connector. The USB port uses +5V, so that is
likely to be the voltage on the barrel connector. I thought at one time,
there was a standard of sorts for barrel connectors, where something
should be printed in the plastic next to the barrel, telling you what
it uses. Sometimes they just mold lettering in the plastic, making it
hard to read.

*******

This external DVD product, comes with its own adapter. And the housing
of the drive, has inscribed on it that it uses 5V.

http://www.pacificgeek.com/productimages/xl/DVR-XD08-R-3.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129042

In the advert here, it claims that drive uses "5V 2A max", but
that isn't likely, as two USB ports can only provide a total
of 1A, and it is unlikely they'd be shipping such a power
hungry device and people would actually be able to run it
directly with just one USB port. The reviews I've read for
this unit, has people claiming to run it with just the single
USB connector. The thing is, laptops can be more stingy with
USB power, which is why there may be cases where one power source
is not enough.

http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/116218/Pioneer/DVR-XD08.asp

Shopping for adapters is a PITA, as you can never be 100% sure
you've got the right item. For example, I bought a label writer
once, one that was battery powered, with a barrel jack for DC
input. It had the voltage printed on it. I purchased an adapter,
with the right sized jack, the right polarity and voltage, plugged
it in, and the label writer would not work (LCD worked, but no printing).
Turns out, the unit wanted "unregulated" DC, where the voltage pops
up under light load, while I had provided it with a "regulated" DC
adapter. So in fact, the unit wanted more voltage than was
"printed on the tin". If an adapter comes with a product, it
improves the odds it is the right type.

Paul

 

[Tinkerer]

The pictures I showed you, are for a product where a USB cable is used
to power the barrel connector. The USB port uses +5V, so that is
likely to be the voltage on the barrel connector. I thought at one time,
there was a standard of sorts for barrel connectors, where something
should be printed in the plastic next to the barrel, telling you what
it uses. Sometimes they just mold lettering in the plastic, making it
hard to read.

*******

This external DVD product, comes with its own adapter. And the housing
of the drive, has inscribed on it that it uses 5V.

http://www.pacificgeek.com/productimages/xl/DVR-XD08-R-3.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129042

In the advert here, it claims that drive uses "5V 2A max", but
that isn't likely, as two USB ports can only provide a total
of 1A, and it is unlikely they'd be shipping such a power
hungry device and people would actually be able to run it
directly with just one USB port. The reviews I've read for
this unit, has people claiming to run it with just the single
USB connector. The thing is, laptops can be more stingy with
USB power, which is why there may be cases where one power source
is not enough.

http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/116218/Pioneer/DVR-XD08.asp

Shopping for adapters is a PITA, as you can never be 100% sure
you've got the right item. For example, I bought a label writer
once, one that was battery powered, with a barrel jack for DC
input. It had the voltage printed on it. I purchased an adapter,
with the right sized jack, the right polarity and voltage, plugged
it in, and the label writer would not work (LCD worked, but no printing).
Turns out, the unit wanted "unregulated" DC, where the voltage pops
up under light load, while I had provided it with a "regulated" DC
adapter. So in fact, the unit wanted more voltage than was
"printed on the tin". If an adapter comes with a product, it
improves the odds it is the right type.

Perhaps the answer is a powered USB hub. They can be picked up relatively
inexpensively.

 

[Paul]

Perhaps the answer is a powered USB hub. They can be picked up relatively
inexpensively.

That could work. That might give more USB power than the laptop.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817389011

Paul

 

[Pete L]

That could work. That might give more USB power than the laptop.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817389011

    Paul

Thanks again guys. I have mailed the company I bought the DVD drive
from and am still awaiting an answer. I have suggested they should not
be selling something without full instructions and an idea that
perhaps the power requirements might not be enough delivered just
through a USB. I'll let you know the result.