| Forum Home | ||||
| Press F1 | ||||
| Thread ID: 40839 | 2003-12-20 03:54:00 | CD Writer issues | SpiderVenom (1412) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 201880 | 2003-12-20 03:54:00 | I have an ASUS CRW-5224A (great writer) but recently it seems to have just stopped working. If you try to burn a CD, it spits it out and asks for a blank one (the cds are indeed blank - Verbatim Datalife 48Xs, and the last 18 or so have been great). In fact, it's even unable to read cds, even official factory stamped ones. The only thing I have done recently is flashed the firmware from 1.36 to 1.37, but I am at least 96% sure I have burned at least 1 cd between then and the problem occuring. I downgraded to 1.36, but no diff. When I insert the cd now, the read light goes, and the disc sounds like it is spinning, but the driver makes a few light clunking noises, and then nothing more. Incidently, the flash to 1.36 worked fine. So, am I more likely to have a broken drive, or something like a dirty lense? Thanks |
SpiderVenom (1412) | ||
| 201881 | 2003-12-20 04:14:00 | Possibility of a dirty lens is there, but ony as a remote possibility. The laser may have died, which is also a possibility. Thirdly, this could have been a premeditated death if the firmware flash was not designed for your exact model of drive, by running the laser above its design capabilities. It may well have worked for a short time. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 201882 | 2003-12-20 04:26:00 | I am 100% sure (I would stake my pc on it) that I got the exact firmware for my drive model (CRW-5224A) from ASUS's website. I first flashed the firmware around 6 month's ago (and have done it about two times since, with new versions, from the same model page: www.asus.com.tw Also, I followed ASUS's instructions to the letter. |
SpiderVenom (1412) | ||
| 201883 | 2003-12-20 04:26:00 | As GF suggests - time for a new one. I use the same drive, but it doesn't get a lot of use as I have a seperate Cd R. What intrigues me, why change the firmware? Bye |
Peter H (220) | ||
| 201884 | 2003-12-20 04:30:00 | I bought this drive less than a year ago, so should the warranty cover this? Too fix bugs. Too many people are scared to death for no reason on flashing firmware and bioses. I've done it for ages with my motherboard, without a single glitch. I've even flashed my Pioneer DVD-ROM with cracked firmware to remove the region protection (evil me). And no, I did nothing of the like with the ASUS, just official software. I really don't think it's the firmware, given the conditions (although I may be wrong). |
SpiderVenom (1412) | ||
| 201885 | 2003-12-20 05:08:00 | If the firmware didn't try to improve the performance (write speed etc) then its unlikely to be a cause. As to warranty, how will anyone know its been re-flashed, if it currently has the firmware it was shipped with? Or am I missing something here ... I agree that re-flashing should_be_safe for most devices, where I disagree is when people are advised to reflash a BIOS when there is no valid reason to do so. On a CD-RW or DVD drive its of little consequence given the cheapness of the devices now. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 201886 | 2003-12-20 05:11:00 | Normally 12 month warranty. Ring supplier and ask. | Pheonix (280) | ||
| 201887 | 2003-12-20 06:59:00 | Fixing bugs. Fair enough - I again have nothing against re-flashing BIOS etc. but too many people suggest it for no reason, except it might be "the in thing". So far in my many years of computing - starting with a Spectrum - it has never been needed - and I do experiment around a lot. Bye |
Peter H (220) | ||
| 201888 | 2003-12-20 10:27:00 | A cleaning disk will cost ya less then a new drive, and even if it does not help and you need a new drive you will still have the cleaning disk. I agree with the comments about "paranoid flash phobia". If the update fixes a problem, bug then do it.. better then being kicked in the "back end" by the bug / problem <grin> |
ugh1 (4204) | ||
| 201889 | 2003-12-20 15:35:00 | Firmware is the driver for the hardware am i correct? | yingxuan (3330) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||