DVD/CD-RW combo very slow

  • Thread starter Thread starter tomek
  • Start date Start date
T

tomek

Hello,

I have a problem with my Sony CRX-300A DVD/CD-RW combo drive...

It takes a lot of time to browse (or even read) the contents
of a CD or to copy it on the hard disk. I thought it might be
caused by OS drivers or its configuration (Windows XP), but
the same problem can be observed when I try to reinstall the
OS (the drive needs so much time to read the CD, that I can't
boot the OS installer from it).

The most strange thing is that when I connect this Sony drive
to *other PC* it works perfect. So the drive alone seems to be
OK.

Even more strange is that when I unplug the Sony, and connect
other CD-RW drive instead, it works perfect (the same PC, the same
IDE cable etc.). So the motherboard / IDE channel alone seems to
be OK.

After doing all of the above tests I thought it might be the BIOS
that causes these problems. So I started downgrading the BIOS.
Tested all BIOS versions available (Asus A7N8X motherboard).
It didn't help.

What can be wrong?

Any suggestions highly appreciated.

Greetings,
Tom.
 
tomek said:
It takes a lot of time to browse (or even read) the contents
of a CD or to copy it on the hard disk. I thought it might be
caused by OS drivers or its configuration (Windows XP), but
the same problem can be observed when I try to reinstall the
OS (the drive needs so much time to read the CD, that I can't
boot the OS installer from it).
Click to expand...

Is DMA enabled in Device Manager ?
 
U¿ytkownik "S.Heenan said:
Is DMA enabled in Device Manager ?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is (Ultra DMA-2). I am sure it's not the problem on the OS-level
as the drive works very slowly also when I try to boot the system from
a CD (so in fact, at the time of booting, there is no operating system yet).

Greetings,
Tomek.
 
Yes, it is.
Alternately, what kind of cable are you using, and how many watts is
your power supply. using an old 40 conductor cable can cause speed
problems, as can not having a power supply that supplies enough power.
third, whats your DMA setting for the drive in BIOS, that can sometimes
affect speed as well
Click to expand...

I have tried 4 different cables (these cables, when used on my PC *with*
the Sony DVD/R-W, do not work, while when used on other PC - do work).
Also, the same cables when used on my PC with a *different* RW drive,
do work.

For the power supply, it is an old one, but the drive used to work with this
power supply in the past. The problems I described did not appear at the
time I first connected the drive after I had bought it. It was working fine
for a few months, then started to fail. The only thing I can remember
that has changed in the system was the BIOS (I installed the newest one),
and (possibly - not 100% sure here) the IDE cable (I *might* have given
away the one that was bundled with the drive :( ).

Access mode in BIOS is set to "auto", and the BIOS detects correctly
that it is Ultra DMA -2.

Greetings,
Tomek.
 
S.Heenan said:
Is DMA enabled in Device Manager ?
Click to expand...

Alternately, what kind of cable are you using, and how many watts is
your power supply. using an old 40 conductor cable can cause speed
problems, as can not having a power supply that supplies enough power.
third, whats your DMA setting for the drive in BIOS, that can sometimes
affect speed as well

--Xero

--
if all else fails: go fsck yourself!

the email address is not real (leading numbers are an obvious
indication) to get the real address, take each individual part
and flip it around so (e-mail address removed) would be (e-mail address removed)
 
tomek said:
Yes, it is.


I have tried 4 different cables (these cables, when used on my PC *with*
the Sony DVD/R-W, do not work, while when used on other PC - do work).
Also, the same cables when used on my PC with a *different* RW drive,
do work.

For the power supply, it is an old one, but the drive used to work with this
power supply in the past. The problems I described did not appear at the
time I first connected the drive after I had bought it. It was working fine
for a few months, then started to fail. The only thing I can remember
that has changed in the system was the BIOS (I installed the newest one),
and (possibly - not 100% sure here) the IDE cable (I *might* have given
away the one that was bundled with the drive :( ).

Access mode in BIOS is set to "auto", and the BIOS detects correctly
that it is Ultra DMA -2.

Greetings,
Tomek.
Click to expand...


Hallo aus Bern!
 
K said:
Try adding more memory to your computer. or upgradeing to a faster kind of
memory
Click to expand...

Even crap memory shouldn't be causing such a slow access speed.

These symptions all point to the drive using PIO mode instead of DMA...
 
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