Hi, I recently decided to update my CD Drive's firmware. I got the firmware from the official site of the manufacturer but since then my computer won't play any CD's the light on the CD drive just flashes as if it doesn't recognised that what's in there.

My drive is a RICOH DVD+RW MP5240A and my CD Rom drive is a TW1858L XQO104Z SCSI cdRom Device.

I'm not sure what to do now, I can't seem to find anything to reverse the effects, I can't insert a Recovery Disk to reset the settings.

If this helps my computer is a HP t430 uk.

I don't think there is any backup on the computer and the firmware update program doesn't have a reverse feature.

Any help would be appreciated! Thank You.

cluelessperson

Hi. Let's see if we can roll-back your drivers. I want you to right-click on the My Computer icon and click on properties. Next, click on the Hardware tab. Click on Device Manager. Once the Device Manager opens, click on the little plus (+) sign next to DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Find the drive which is having the problem, and right-click on it, and select Properties. A new window should appear. I want you to now click on the Driver tab. Next, click on Roll-Back Driver. It will then show you a confirmation screen, as well as other on-screen instructions. If it does not have you do so, please restart the computer after rolling back the drivers. Let us know how it turns out.

I'm going to sound a bit snotty here for which I apologise, but "firmware" is not the same as "Windows Drivers". Therefore rolling back the drivers (which wouldn't work anyway as they're usually the ones Windows installed first of all) in the way you describe would make no difference.

What the OP has done is flashed the firmware of a drive with new firmware that it wasn't designed to use. As they have a HP machine, the units were probably HP specific drives so using any other firmware would not be advisable.

Unfortunately, the drive has been killed with the wrong firmware and so all you can do is replace the CD unit. You may be able to find some "proper" firmware for it, but whether it will flash or not is quesionable, as it now thinks its something it actually isn't, hence why it isn't working.

I take it you've tried a system restoration then?

I have tried Driver Rollback, it didn't work as it says that there is no driver backup to roll back to. I have tried system restoration to which also didn't used. I think that what Neil says it true, I used the firmware from RICOH's website and I did make sure it was the right one but I don't know where I went wrong. I don't think there is much hope in resetting the firmware but if anyone else has any suggestions I'm willing to try them.

I don't suppose uninstalling the drive and reinstalling would help then

No as was said above it is not software that is part of windows it's FIRMWARE which is the chips on the cd itself..

in other words it's not a windows issue it's a drive issue....

clueless you said you used the right driver but unless it was for the hp oem version of the drive you have you didn't use the right driver.... ( not all companies use proprietary firmware but many do ) That is what neil meant when he said you used the wrong firmware.... The firmware should have come from hp not ricoh.... assuming of course this drive was an original drive that came with the hp.


unfortunately that is the problem with firmware updates/ bios updates.... if they dont' go exactly right then you are sol.... unless you have the original bios/firmware file to put back there probably isn't anything you can do but replace the drive.... that is why most techs will tell you not to attempt firmware/bios updates unless you have a problem or you need some function of the updated feature.....