How can I work out if my new PC has a combo CD/DVD drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter sanchosser
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sanchosser

Hello,

I recently bought a new machine. It's meant to have a combo CD/DVD
drive, but I can't play DVDs -- either films or data DVDs.

Is there a simple way to find out if it is indeed a combo drive?

If I look in device manager, and click on DVD/CD-ROM drives, it lists:

AOPEN DUW 1616/ARR SCSI CdRom Device

The manufaturers provided a mainboard CD, but I can't seem to find any
drivers on there.

Any views gratefully accepted!
 
http://usa.aopen.com/Products/dvd+rw/duw1616arr.htm

Its ide, not a scsi device. No drivers are required for ide usability.
Playing of DVD commercial movies requires 3rd party software. Burning any
kind of DVDs requires 3rd party software. DMA should be enabled on the ide
controller section in XP for this device.

Where the writer is connected may be influencing XP's interpretation of the
interface. IE: scsi. XP cannot natively interpret an optical device as DVD
capable.

Contact the retailer or manufacturer of the PC as appropriate if you have
such DVD read/write software installed that came with the PC, and not
working.

Most PCs can read DVD data discs in a DVD capable device without support
from any driver etc. Such is how DVD movies are written to a certain
extent. And some have a built-in DVD movie viewing software that autostarts
for installation approval/disapproval when inserted in a PC's DVD device.

I would be most interested as to where on the PC that the ide data cable is
connected to for your DUW1616/ARR.
 
Hello,

I recently bought a new machine. It's meant to have a combo CD/DVD
drive, but I can't play DVDs -- either films or data DVDs.

Is there a simple way to find out if it is indeed a combo drive?

If I look in device manager, and click on DVD/CD-ROM drives, it lists:

AOPEN DUW 1616/ARR SCSI CdRom Device

The manufaturers provided a mainboard CD, but I can't seem to find any
drivers on there.

Any views gratefully accepted!
Click to expand...

It appears to be a DVD burner. Google is your friend.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=AOPEN+DUW+1616/ARR&btnG=Search

In order to play DVD movies you will need some software to do this. If it
didn't come with your computer you will have to purchase it.

http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/products/main_1_ENU.html

You could also download a codec for Windows Media Player. I have not tried
any of the the free codecs so I can't recommend one.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=media+player+free+dvd+codec&btnG=Google+Search

You should be able to read data DVD's automatically. If you can't something
is wrong. As it is a new machine you should contact the vendor you bought it
from to get this solved. It sounds like either the drive is defective or it
is installed improperly. It should not normally be showing up as a SCSI
device. It may be attached to a RAID controller on your motherboard rather
than an IDE controller.

Kerry
 
Oh dear! Things have gone a bit haywire!

I went to the appropriate page on the AOpen website to download the
firmware.

I went through the process then it stopped. Now, the CD drawer won't
open and in devices, the name of the drive has changed to:

RICOH PLoader2 REGULUS SCSI CdRom Device
 
WHY did you do that?

Now you may have voided your warranty on the drive. It was suggested you
take the computer back to the place of purchase.

I heartedly suggest you do that before you make matters worse yet!

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
Sanchosser

Now is your chance to know that you have a CDRW/DVD combo drive, because
that is what you are going to have to ask for at the computer store
counter..
 
Oh dear! Things have gone a bit haywire!

I went to the appropriate page on the AOpen website to download the
firmware.

I went through the process then it stopped. Now, the CD drawer won't
open and in devices, the name of the drive has changed to:

RICOH PLoader2 REGULUS SCSI CdRom Device
Click to expand...

I don't see in any of the threads you started where anyone suggested you
flash the firmware of the drive. You have probably voided the warranty now.
I would contact the vendor before you go any further and see what they will
do for you.

If your warranty is void I suggest the following. Make sure the drive is
connected to the proper controller on your motherboard. As it is showing up
as a SCSI device it is probaly connected to a RAID controller. Once you have
confirmed the drive is connected to a non-RAID IDE controller re-flash the
drive with the correct firmware, either from the backup you made or by
downloading the correct firmware.

Note: Do not do this before contacting your vendor to see if they will help
you.

Kerry
 
Jaymon -- thank you very much for your reply. The first link you give
seems to mirror my problem exactly, but I do not know anything about
"re-flashing"?!
 
Well, you flashed the drive evidently, only you know what you used and where
you got it from, right..? Go to the AOpen download center link and select
"DVD ReWriter Drives" for your product selection and you should see a manual
& a firmware R1.03 for your DUW1616/ARR.. The question is did you use the
above firmware update initially to flash the drive or did you use some other
update, from where..? Where did you get the initial firmware update from...?
The reason I ask is that the person in the forum link mentions that he
re-flashed and got it to work, I am assuming that he used the same firmware
update again.. If you try to re-flash the drive with the new firmware update
it may not work if it sees the drive as a RICOH PLoader2, this is totally
your call, as indeed it was to flash the drive in the first place..
A bad flash can destroy an optical drive and void any warranty, sometimes
however you can re-flash and recover from a bad flash, do so at your own
risk..

Basic instructions from the AOpen site w/your drives Model# added..

CD/DVD media should not be present on the drive, download the firmware file
from AOpen Download Center.
Once it has been saved on your local hard drive, double click on it.
Winzip Self Extractor will appear, click OK.
Next, click on Setup, AOpen's RWFlash box will be shown.
Under Target drive box, make sure that AOpen DRW1616 is selected.
Check the source file; it should match the version of the file that was
downloaded.
Click on Next then Start, updating process will now commence.
When prompted with a message that update is complete, click on Close.
Power off system, switch on and your drive is now updated

Use caution and best of luck..
j;-j
 
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