Dead DVD Drives? HELP!

[Biske]

Alright, I got an issue. A while back I made a topic about my DVD-RW drives not working quite up to spec. Well, now they're "dead". Tech support can't tell me shit, so I'm on my own on this. Here's the skinny.

Both drives are disabled now, tried to uninstall them and reinstall them, but the computer won't let me reinstall em, I get this message: "Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)".

So I go to Windows Help and Support, so far a useless program, and of course it doesn't know what the hell to do. So, I also notice the RAS Async Adapter is haywire, and go to reinstall that, and get this message: "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)".

Are these two connected? Tried using Windows built in Driver update, to no avail. Should I just Google the products and manually hunt down their drivers? Or is there something someone here knows that I obviously don't?

 

[x42bn6]

Ugh, I found out something a few months ago about a certain evil copy-protection scheme known as [wiki]StarForce[/wiki], and you could be a product of this.

My Computer > Properties > Hardware > Device Manager > View > Show Hidden Devices > Non-Plug and Play Drivers> Do you have any drivers in that list with the name "StarForce" in it? If so, go back to Device Manager and then go to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers > Secondary IDE Channel > Properties > Advanced Settings > Read off the Current Transfer Modes. Are any of them PIO, as opposed to DMA? StarForce might've killed your DVD drive. http://www.glop.org/starforce/

If not, I don't know - format? ...*

 

[Dragnskull]

first thing i would do is pull the cd drive out and put it back in and see if that helps, perhaps it was loose

if that doesnt work, install the drive onto another computer, thats the easiest way to see if its defective hardware.

was this cd drive working fine before or has it always had problems? if its always had problems the first thing i would have done is return/exchange it =/

 

[Biske]

No, they were fine when I first got it, it turned into a slow decline kinda thing. Got it in December of last year, and it started going arwy sometime in Febuary, but I could still use em. And slowly but surely, until last week, they're use became even more limited. I think something happened during a Microsoft Update. I was letting it do it's thing, but it seemingly froze on one update for the system (it wasn't very big and it was stuck on it for 3 hours), so I hit cancel, and went to bed, didn't turn off the computer, just let it do it's thing. In the morning, it was still trying to cancel, so I forced it off. The next time I turn on the comp, no drives, something in the registry got currupted.

So, I do a Factory Restore. After all that, I see the drives for 1 session, but they still have issues, then go back to being useless. Then I update to Vista (unaware that my drives are dead once again) and today I noticed that I have no DVD drives...this is so pissing me off, I hate this computer.

Anyway, I'll try what x42 was talking about. If nothinjg else, I still have my 1 year warranty, and since I haven't screwed with it in anyway, I'm leaning toward factory defect, and gateway better replace em both.

EDIT: I looked for Starforce but didn't see anything. But I read up on that link you provided, and that sounds alot like what I've been experiencing. I'm currently cruising it's forums to see if any of my games are the cause of it.

EDIT 2: Naw...says DMA...ell crap. I still say Gateway should replace them.

 

[Dragnskull]

everything you described points more torwards hardware failure.

 

[Biske]

Atleast I know what it is, now I will get a hold of Gateway. Thanks for the information guys.

 

[Hitsua]

Your first mistake was buying a Gateway.

 

[Biske]

And your mistake was to assume I bought it. My dad got it for me despite me asking him not to. I've hated this thing since I got it, but alas, I am poor and do not have the allocated funds to finance a custom built Alienware, please forgive me.

 

[Hitsua]

Pardon, "owning, using" etc..."a Gateway". Don't buy an Alienware either...they're just more expensive Gateways. Anything that is prebuilt is more expensive, no matter what you are buying.

 

[x42bn6]

Your first mistake was buying a Gateway.

Even though it wasn't his fault, that was hilarious.

Most companies are good at one thing or in one particular region, and bad in others - Gateway is bad in all of them.*

 

[Dragnskull]

Pardon, "owning, using" etc..."a Gateway". Don't buy an Alienware either...they're just more expensive Gateways. Anything that is prebuilt is more expensive, no matter what you are buying.

QFT. Build your own, saves you 1-400 dollars last i checked alienware

 

[Biske]

Regardless, I still don't have 1-2 grand to spend on a custom comp. Back before I recieved this, I had my eye on something that I was going to customize, but my car required urgent repairs. Seems a waste anyway for something that will be obsolete in 1-2 years. Just get the thing paid off in time to get another one...yeah...that's economical.

 

[Hitsua]

Uh...the one I'm building is, duel core 2.5ghz amdx2 processor, whatever 2x1gb ram I found, MSI NX7900GS 512mb video card with 256bit interface (does matter, and will sli once i get more money), 750watt power, blah blah motherboard...all under 600 dollars.