Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I really hate to dump all of this out here, but I'm desparate. If anyone can help, I'm very thankful. The following is dialogue from an open customer service ticket with the drive manufacturer, I/O Magic:
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Product Name Product # Category Place Purchased
Internal 8X DVD±RW/±R Dual Format Drive IDVDRW8D Staples
Operating System CPU Brand Date Purchased
Windows XP Pro AMD Athlon 5/11/2004

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Problem reading files after burning them to DVD or CD


I have tried burning MPEG & AVI files to both DVD & CD media with poor results. Of the three DVD's I have burned, some of the (mpeg or avi) files play, while others cause the drive to "hang" with the light on front of drive flashing for a long period, but nothing ever happens.

I thought perhaps I needed an udated driver or something, but your site says non exist/or are needed.


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6/22/2004 11:20:19 AM
Response from Jack:

Thank you for writing in regard to your dvdrw drive

Some DVD writers and players have trouble with specific brands of media. We recommend using TDK, Maxell, Verbatim, Pioneer, Ritek or Princo media. We also advise buying new media brands in small amounts until you find one that works best. Also, a firmware upgrade might allow you to write on some brands of media. For more information on upgrading your firmware, access the following web site:

http://www.iomagic.com/Firmware/FirmwareDownload.html . You will find instructions on downloading and installing new firmware. If you encounter difficulty, reply to this message with the following information so we may further assist you:

- IDE controller chipset
- Drive ID
- Model number
- Firmware version you were trying to install
- ASPI version
- Error message
- Software used and version number
- Brand of media and type (speed and +/-)

To identify the IDE controller chipset on a Windows XP computer, click on the "Start" menu and select "Control Panel." Double-click on the "System" icon. Select the "Hardware" tab and click on the "Device Manager" button. Look in the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" section.


To obtain the Drive ID on a Windows XP computer, open the Start menu and select the "Control Panel." Double-click the System icon and select the Hardware tab. Click on the Device Manager button. Click on the plus sign next to "DVD/CD-ROM drives" and your drives will be listed in this section

I hope this information helps. If you are still experiencing any trouble, please contact technical support. (http://www.iomagic.com/TechSupport/contact.asp)
We appreciate your business and value any additional comments or suggestions that you may have.

Thank you for choosing I/OMagic.

Best Regards,
Jack

I/OMagic Technical Support




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6/25/2004 10:03:43 PM
Response from Customer:

Jack,



Thanks for your reply. Regarding the media type I’m using, I have owned several CD-RW drives and never had any problems with any media type I’ve used, as I buy whatever is on sale at the time. This DVD-RW drive is not only malfunctioning with the DVD media I have (which is CompUSA Brand), it is also malfunctioning with all of the CD media I have, which I used successfully on all my previous CD-RW Drives. Therefore, it seems to be something isolated with this particular DVD-RW Drive which is I/O magic internal 8X, model IDVDRW8D.


I am willing to attempt your suggestion of updating my firmware, however, after installing DVDinfo per your website’s instructions, I still don’t see where it identifies my drive’s ID String? Can you just tell me (based on the info I’m providing) which firmware update to download?



Regarding the chipset ID, I looked in device manager, it has the following:

Primary IDE Channel

Secondary IDE Channel

VIA BUS Master Controller

When I click on them, I see nothing mentioning a “chipset ID� ?



Drive ID = DVDRW IDE1008



Model # = IDVDRW8D




Firmware Version I’m currently running (per DVDinfo) = 0054



Software I’m using = NTI CD&DVD Maker 6.5 Platinum



Thanks – Jim



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7/1/2004 3:19:09 PM
Response from Kurt:

Thank you for writing regarding your DVD drive.

For updating the firmware go to http://www.iomagic.com/Firmware/FirmwareDownload.html

As you browse through this page ,there are pictures with drive id strings written to their right in red colour.Go to DVDRW IDE1008 and below the pictures are downloadable files ,i believe in your case it is 0458 and then after downloading ,please uncompress using winzip.

You have a VIA chipset.To update this, Visit http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=300 and download the latest Via 4 in 1 driver for your chipset
- Unzip the file to your desktop
- Double-click the executable that appeared on your Desktop
- Restart your computer after the update has been installed

I hope this information helps. If you are still experiencing any trouble, please contact technical support. (http://www.iomagic.com/TechSupport/contact.asp)
We appreciate your business and value any additional comments or suggestions that you may have.

Thank you for choosing I/OMagic.

Best Regards,
Kurt

I/OMagic Technical Support


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7/1/2004 10:30:52 PM
Response from Customer:

Hi,

I went to http://www.iomagic.com/Firmware/FirmwareDownload.html for “ID STRING (DVDRW IDE 1008)’ and downloaded “LiveUpdateSetup.exe� After installing it, I ran it and keep getting the windows error msg “LiveUpdate has encountered a problem and needs to close.�

I then decided to download “1008IM-0458.ZIP� after extracting, I executed and it came up with a “windows flash program� window in which it stated “Device Revision: 0054�
Since I know I am already running version 0054, should I still do this?

Thanks - Jim



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7/2/2004 9:17:30 AM
Response from Kurt:

Thank you for writing regarding your Internal 8X DVD±RW/±R Dual Format Drive.

You do not need to update the firmware as you already have the latest firmware update.

Please also try the following:

Check that the IDE cable (flat gray cable) is plugged in with the red stripe going towards the right, and also that the power connector is plugged in.

The DVD/CDRW and a CDROM should not share the same cable if at all possible. Make sure if you have one device on the IDE cable(flat gray cable), you have the jumper for that device set to Master (MA).

If you have more than one device on the same IDE cable, then one of them needs to be set to Master (MA), and one to Slave (SL).

The DVD RW works best when set as Master on the Secondary IDE controller. If you already have a Master on the Secondary IDE controller, you must change the jumper on it to Slave.

If you continue to have problems, from the Desktop click Start, then click run and type sysedit. This will bring up the system editor with a series of windows. The first of which is "autoexec.bat". Here, look for any lines which may have "cdrom" or "mscdex". If found, type REM, then a space in front of these lines. Close autoexec.bat and save changes. Do the same for the next window, config.sys. Close the rest of the windows and reboot.

Some computer companies such as Compaq like their cd drives to have their jumper set to "CS" (cable select).
If you are still having trouble with Windows recognizing the drive, try changing the jumper the CS position.

Also,if this does not work,You can download the latest drivers
from:
http://www.iomagic.com/Products/driver_search.asp

In the box for category choose DVD writers
In the box for product choose Internal 8X DVD±RW/±R Dual Format Drive.

Download and install the update.

I hope this information helps. If you are still experiencing any trouble, please contact technical support. (http://www.iomagic.com/TechSupport/contact.asp)
We appreciate your business and value any additional comments or suggestions that you may have.

Thank you for choosing I/OMagic.

Best Regards,
Kurt

I/OMagic Technical Support



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7/2/2004 1:51:31 PM
Response from Customer:

Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately, we've gotten off track here.

As I stated in the initial portion of this ticket, it's not that the drive doesn't work. It's that it doesn't record consistantly (for lack of a better description). I'll dump some MPEG's to a DVD, some of the files will play, some won't. Same with a CD, I dump some MP3's, some will play, some won't. All files in question play fine off the hard drive, so it's not the files, it's the DVD-RW Drive.

This is getting very frustrating, any ideas?


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7/2/2004 3:05:52 PM
Response from Kurt:

Thank you for writing regarding your Internal 8X DVD±RW/±R Dual Format Drive.

As a last stop solution we will flash your drive to 0758.

Please follow the steps below
http://www.btc.com.tw/english/3-1- [...] d_dual.htm
and download and install the new firmware.All other procedures are expained there.

I hope this information helps. If you are still experiencing any trouble, please contact technical support. (http://www.iomagic.com/TechSupport/contact.asp)
We appreciate your business and value any additional comments or suggestions that you may have.

Thank you for choosing I/OMagic.

Best Regards,
Kurt




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7/4/2004 1:56:43 PM
Response from Customer:

Hi,
I did go ahead and flash my drive to 0758 as you instructed. Unfortunately, it has not corrected the problem. I burned 3 DVD's an 2 CD's after the update. 2 DVD's have a few files working with a couple not. 1 DVD nothing works. About the same for the 2 CD's.
I no longer have the packaging my drive came in, but I think it's about time to discuss a refund. I have wasted about $30 worth of blank media as well as my time and inconvenience.
Thanks - Jim


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7/5/2004 10:36:32 AM
Response from Kurt:

Thank you for writing in regards to returning your product. The following should detail and answer all questions you have about replacing your product.

IF IT HAS BEEN LESS THAN 1 YEAR since you purchased your product, your product can be REPLACED (not repaired or refunded) through our RMA (Return Material Authorization) process. You can ship the product back to us ONLY AFTER you have received an RMA number. Anything sent in without an RMA number will be returned.

TO GET AN RMA NUMBER, please fax the following information to (949) 707-4879. Please include:

Name
Physical Address (NO PO BOXES)
Phone Number
e-mail address
Name/type of product
Model Number
Date and Place purchased
A brief Description of the Problem (mention if tech support determined if it was bad)
A copy of your Sales Receipt

IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE SALES RECEIPT and you paid by Credit Card, check with the store to see if they can print a duplicate receipt for you. If you sent your receipt to I/OMagic for a Rebate, your information should be on file with the Rebate department. To confirm this, call (800) 607-7466. If we have your Rebate information on file, please note this on your paperwork.

The RMA Dept. should CONTACT YOU BY EMAIL 3 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER SUBMITTAL. They should provide you with an RMA# and shipping instructions at that time.

If it has been OVER 3 DAYS SINCE SUBMITTAL and you have not been contacted, you can reach the RMA Department at (949) 707-4870, Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm PST. Direct all calls regarding the status of your RMA to the RMA Department. I/OMagic Technical Support cannot obtain the status of your RMA claim.

The replacement product will be returned to you via UPS Ground within 30 days of receipt.

The official page on the RMA process can be found at http://www.iomagic.com . Once there put your mouse over SUPPORT, and when the menu appears click on Warranty Information.

I hope this information helps. If you are still experiencing any trouble, please contact technical support.
(http://www.iomagic.com/TechSupport/contact.asp)

We appreciate your business and value any additional comments or suggestions that you may have. Thank you for choosing I/OMagic.

Best regards,
Kurt
I/OMagic Technical Support



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7/5/2004 1:43:38 PM
Response from Customer:

In all honesty, I'm REALLY not dying to take my system apart, wait for the drive to reach you, wait for a replacement to get back to me, take my system apart again and re-install the same brand, unless this will definitely fix it. Is there a known problem with this drive, or am I in the minority? If you can give any other suggestions to get this working, I'm all ears? Why would this thing record one file perfectly ok, and another (on the same disc, same session) be corrupt, or whatever it is that's going wrong?


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