[nondaj]

Computer Specs:

Dell XPS400 Dimension
XP-Pro, Version 2002 SP2
Pentium ® D CPU 2.80 GHz
2.79 GHz, 2.00 GB of Ram

Video card – Nvidia GeForce 6800
Sound card – Sigma Tel High Definition
Audio CODEC

E Drive – Sony CD-RW CRX 217 E
IDE\CD Rom Sony

F Drive – HL-DT-ST
DVD+RW
GWA4164B

History of Computer:

New Dell since end of January 2006
E and F drive have never worked
Message I get when trying to burn copies is "please insert disk in drive"
even though there is a disk in the drive.
There is a confusion of ideas from the India techs as to what must be done

Trials accomplished
one tech put drives on I and J - problem remained
Next tech said I needed to insert Media Card in small slots on front of PC to use I and J
Dell has never given me such; so demanded the tech reverse previous work and put
the drives back to E and F where they were in the beginning
Next tech said Roxio would not work with new Dell to use Sonic
Uninstalled Roxio and installed Sonic - problem remains.
Next tech said the drive on E should be placed on D location
It was my understanding that this location was to be used for another hard drive
should I choose to have two - further confused.

Am using Memorex CD-R disks in the E and F drive
Can read them only not do anything else
Might there be a special CD now that must be used?
Am confused over the minus and plus now on CDs; over the R/W R only or W only disks; can clarify please.

If anyone can shed light on this whole issue of my drives I would appreciate it very much. I live in the desert and the techs here are less than knowledgable about PC problems. One here has said that his experience has been one should NEVER have two burning disks on same PC. Forum techs flatly refute this idea. Again any clarification would be helpful.

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go here and get this

SonyCDExtremeUpdate.exe

This is an UPDATE. You need to install the sony cd extreme orignal software first. This is for win2000 and XP. This update makes the cd/rw seen as a writable device.

http://members.drive...?driverid=84200

this should fix your burner

[happyrock]

go here and get this

SonyCDExtremeUpdate.exe

This is an UPDATE. You need to install the sony cd extreme orignal software first. This is for win2000 and XP. This update makes the cd/rw seen as a writable device.

http://members.drive...?driverid=84200

this should fix your burner

[gerryf]

any particular reason why we are assuming the drives are not simply defective?

[happyrock]

this update is a 5 minute fix...if it doesn't work the option to declare the drive dead is still on the table..it will also help when / if RMA becomes neccessary

[gerryf]

I was actually asking the original poster...

But, since you're here, a question

Haven't see a Dell is a while, but why SonyCDExtremeUpdate.exe?

Last I saw, Dells used the Sonic CD-writer program, which is not the same.

And the update you are referring to needs to have Sony CDExtreme preloaded to update it....I don't think he has Sony CD Extreme, or am I missing something. Just because he has a sony drive does not mean he has sony cd burning software.

[happyrock]

in post #1 poster said can read from the drive but can't burn to it...its a sony CRX...if you go to the link it ...the update is to fix the burning problem with the drive...if you don't think my advice is good ...please feel free to jump in and help..I think the more eyes you have on ANY problem the faster you will solve it

the update is for ALL crx drives

Edited by happyrck, 17 May 2006 - 03:32 PM.

[nondaj]

Interesting discussion between last two posters:

No my drives I think are OK. Learned from a member that one needs to right click, left click on a drive, then properties, then record: window opens where one must tic the box that says: enable the E drive or Enable the F drive. So did that and was able to record on a CD-R but not a CD-RW. Have yet to test the F drive or burning capabilities. I think this recording/burning of a file was through Windows only but it at least told me the drive was good.

Many burning programs have been suggested as feasible:

Roxio which India Dell techs said can not be used on the Dell drives I have. They said to use Sonic. So far Sonic has failed to work for me.
Nero has been suggested as very user friendly.
And lastly Deep burning program which I have never heard about.

Anything further I should consider?

[lorothrigs]

It's also possible he's using incompatible discs, which it wouldn't detect.

[gerryf]

in post #1 poster said can read from the drive but can't burn to it...its a sony CRX...if you go to the link it ...the update is to fix the burning problem with the drive...if you don't think my advice is good ...please feel free to jump in and help..I think the more eyes you have on ANY problem the faster you will solve it

the update is for ALL crx drives

Not trying to bash you, friend



I/we appreciate the help you've been giving the past few days, Please continue to stick around. I was simply trying to get straight in my head where you were going/wondering if you had misread the thread



On the link you provided

This is an UPDATE. You need to install the sony cd extreme orignal software first. This is for win2000 and XP. This update makes the cd/rw seen as a writable device.

I think you might be confusion firmware with software in this version is all. I had a sony drive that used the cd extreme software and required this patch to make it function. CD Extreme is packet-writing software similar to ez-cd or inCD, that allows you to drag and drop files. Dell uses its own software, sonic, which is not the same. The different software packages can work on any CD-writer supported. The CD_Extreme software is not relevent here, though it would be in a different scenario. That's all. And, yes, by all means, more eyes the better. Please feel free to leap in if you see something I am missing on any thread as well.

[gerryf]

back on topic..what are you trying to burn?

It's odd they would caution you on Roxio, since it is basically Roxio that is built into Windows...(btw, why are you not using the integrated CD burning?)

[nondaj]

The discussion between the two posters gerryF and do not have his name at my fingertips, is still proving to be very very helpful to me. It clarifies some things I was wondering about.

And to lorothrigs - am not sure who the "he" is you are referring to as to using incompatible disks in the drive - is it the Dell tech for hardware or my tech that I use for software? Or perhaps it is "me" who is a "she"

Have been endeavoring to study the whole lesson on drives, disks, and burning programs as I am a bit of a novice. I believe it was gerryf that sent me a link where it is fully explained and I just need to do some studying now.

To all following this post, deeply appreciate your time and effort much less the good info I have gathered here. Will keep checking to see if any more ideas are forth coming.

[happyrock]

It seems to me Dell should be doing this...if they can't or wont get the burner working they should replace it...don't they have a 1 year warranty with onsite support ?

[nondaj]

Yes, have been in contact with the INdia techs and as previously stated I either have such a time understanding their English OR most of them have yet to become competent re computer use.

Some of their ideas have only made matters worse. I have a personal tech for software as I did not want to be involved with India via software problems.

As it was I had to fight for weeks to get disks for all the software installed on this PC after it was delivered. And believe me I have tried to access an American here in this country to deal with any problems but so far, would you believe, I have yet to get an American on the line!

[happyrock]

do they have e-mail support...if so you might want to contact them them that way and ask if they will RMA the drive...

[nondaj]

can always try that method to see what I get. Dealing with Dell about this PC has been nothing but a nightmare! But I hear all large PC companies are moving their tech support to India so not sure if would have been better off dealing elsewhere:(