To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

[Anopheles]

Dear Captain Microsoft,

I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not
functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is
definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some
excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with
advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any
here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

Anopheles

 

[M.I.5¾]

Dear Captain Microsoft,

I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not
functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is
definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some
excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with
advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any
here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as
intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to
actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Anopheles]

This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as
intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to
actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear. It
is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it doesn't
recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear. It
is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it doesn't
recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

Your reply is a little contradictory. I presume that when you insert a
CD-ROM that the drive accesses it and reports it as a CD disc.

Are you saying that if you insert a DVD-ROM disc that it reports it as
CD-ROM but otherwise reads it, or that it doesn't recognise the disc at all
and doesn't report it as anything?

The former situation is the known problem that I refered to in my first
response.

The second situation means that the DVD laser has failed in the drive (they
have two lasers). These lasers are unfortunately limited life items but in
DVD drives they seem to have a much shorter life than they really ought to.
Fortunately, replacement drives are very cheap these days.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Dear Captain Microsoft,

Who?


I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not
functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is
definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some
excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with
advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any
here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted friend,
the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be reinstall
the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just give him
the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

Anopheles

This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

 

[Doug W.]

If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted
friend,
the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be
reinstall
the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just
give him
the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.




This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

--

My thought exactly...LOL
-

 

[Anopheles]

Your reply is a little contradictory. I presume that when you insert a
CD-ROM that the drive accesses it and reports it as a CD disc.

Are you saying that if you insert a DVD-ROM disc that it reports it as
CD-ROM but otherwise reads it, or that it doesn't recognise the disc at
all and doesn't report it as anything?

The former situation is the known problem that I refered to in my first
response.

The second situation means that the DVD laser has failed in the drive
(they have two lasers). These lasers are unfortunately limited life items
but in DVD drives they seem to have a much shorter life than they really
ought to. Fortunately, replacement drives are very cheap these days.

Briefly, DVD in the drive-- nothing, zilch! The drive sees nothing and the
description changes from a DVD/CD drive to simply a CD drive.
I was fortunate enough to have found the solution that I used last time
after assistance from another group. The link below refers.

Thank you for your assistance though.

Anopheles

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

 

[Anopheles]

Who?

It got your attention, right.

If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted friend,
the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be reinstall
the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just give him
the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

Ken, the computer is one of my old ones so I have some trust in the original
owner.

The problem is a registry problem. The link refers to it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

Well, now, and you lost so little blood, too. You're lucky I'm an Aussie
Mozzie, I drink beer.

Thanks for your attention.

Anopheles

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

It got your attention, right.

Actually, no. It was the text below that got my attention.

Ken, the computer is one of my old ones so I have some trust in the original
owner.

As I said, it's not just a matter of trust. If my best friend were to
give me a used computer, even though I trusted him implicitly, I would
still reformat and reinstall. No matter how trusted the person is,
there is always risk of his having done something wrong. If I got a
computer, I would want to start it with a clean slate.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Briefly, DVD in the drive-- nothing, zilch! The drive sees nothing and the
description changes from a DVD/CD drive to simply a CD drive.
I was fortunate enough to have found the solution that I used last time
after assistance from another group. The link below refers.

Thank you for your assistance though.

Anopheles

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

Glad you fixed it.