Cd-r-rw Drive

Hello,

I don't know if this is a hardware or software problem but suddenly, I cannot read or play either data or music CDs in my LITE-ON LTR-12101B drive with LS23 firmware. This inability to play or read self-recorded CDs, including all my data backup disks and disks recorded by others, seems to have been building for some time as I'd first thought the problem was reading/playing CDs recorded on alternative media.

I can read and play commercial music CDs but no others. I even had minor problems with a commercial program installation CD [Norton AV but it did work after some urging].

When I say `read' I mean by Windows Explorer or music software such as Windows Player [latest] and MusicMatch, also latest version.

When I insert these home recorded CDs into the drive - which has been cleaned several times with compressed air and also a CD Cleaning disk - my system freezes temporarily. It unfreezes when I finally manage to eject the disk manually but not without some hestitation and persistence.

The drive is installed in a Pentium III 800 MHz system with 320MB RAM and running Windows 98SE having all the latest available upgrades save for IE 6.x and Outlook which I don't use.

The drive WILL record and said disks, recorded by me and thoe recorded by others, will play in other drives, my wife's for instance [which also W98SE but only 64MB of RAM] and will play in a home entertainment stereo.

The above applies to several brands of media. both write and rewrite. and including Memorex which has been my media of choice ever since I got this drive some three years or so ago. The firmware is Lite-On's latest issue. I have never used any driver other than a Microsoft Windows driver. Windows reports the driver working correctly.

Oh yes, in Control Panel, drive settings are identical to those in my wife's OS.

Can anybody help before I resort to purchase of a new drive?

Thank you.

 

Hi Welt,

Quickest/easiest way to test it would be to put it into another computer and see if it reads.

Matt

 

CD-ROM R-RW

Hi Mattman

Thanks for the sensible suggestion but I could do this only via a technician. I'm physically incapable of even lifting the system boxes.

I was hoping that somebody might have a suggestion that might allow me to work with the software and avoid a technican or purchase of a new drive.

 

OK Welt

May try running DOS and see if can read the disks or better still use a bootdisk and try to read the files. Should tell you if it is Windows or not.

Matt