Slimtype DVDRW SOSW-833S Media Problems

Hi I have recently bought an Aspire Acer 303WLMi AMD laptop with a Slimtype DVDRW SOSW-833S drive. So far I have been unable to burn any type of dvd and I think its because of the media of dvd that I am using.

I tried updating the firmware from VRS2 to VRS3 with no success.

I am using Datawrite dvds 4.7GB general purpose 4x dvd-r and have used these for years for all uses and they have worked fine.

I had heard that certain drives will not work with all media however and so I was hoping that another acer notebook user could recommend a brand of blank dvds to me.

The code on the rim of the dvds that I use is S40115.

Hope you can help.

Kind regards Jon.

 

i have the same drive on a acer 3613wlmi and i burn at 0.7X
it take one hour to burn a dvd and it do not work on any player...
i exchage it 2 times and it is the same problem !!!

 

Hey,

I had a few problems myself, but I now use Maxell 4.7GB DVD-R.

Using Alcohol 120% burning at 2.0X

Hope this helps!

 

tanks
i test it and at 2x it take the normal time for 2x (less than 30 minutes)

if i ask more speed (4x or 8x) it down to 0.7x !!! and take more than one hour!!!

it do the same in "test mode" it is not a media problem?

it is a 8x drive and the acer notebook do not support more than 2x it is not a "normal" situation...

 

Hi since the first post I have been able to test 2 disks. The first was a Verbatim DVD+R 8x. The disk burnt ok getting up to a maximum of 6x, however the burnt movie would not play on my dvd player or even on the laptop that had created it.

The second disk was a Sony DVD-R 8x but the drive would not accept it. I have not been able to burn on any dvd-r media so far. I will be getting some sony dvd+r 8x disks in a couple of days and post my findings.

If I can I will also try a Maxwell disk as suggested above.

 

Ok I tried the Sony DVD+r and I got my first succesful burn.

It reached a maximum speed of 6x although it did not reach this speed untill about halfway through.

Altogether the burn took 13 minutes. It was a movie backup and worked fine in the laptop and my dvd player. Hope this helps.

BTW I haven't got any dvd-r disks to work it seems that only dvd+r disks work in my drive

 

Hey Guys,

I feel your pain. I recently purchased an Acer Aspire 3613WLMi notebook and have been struggling with this ridiculously slow burn problem for a little over a month. My burns for full 4.7 GB DVD-R discs (currently Maxell 8x) take at least 1 hour and 20 minutes! (Of course, that's when they don't crap out on me Completely unbelievable and thoroughly unacceptable IMHO! Other than this problem I love the notebook. Great value for the performance and features.

I found the firmware update to VRS3 but if that doesn't fix the problem (as posted above by jonbest) then I think I'll pass on installing it for now.

I emailed Acer today with a very detailed report on what's going on so if they get back to me I'll be sure to post their answer (helpful or not) in this thread.

Cheers!

 

I've read on afterdawn a few people (fairly recent posts) pointing to firmware version VRS3 for the SOSW-833S drive but I've found another link (http://codeguys.rpc1.org/firmwares.html) that references a version VS04 dated a month after VRS3. Both are listed as stock firmware.

Does anyone know anything about this VS04 version?

Thanks

 

Just a quick update ... I spoke with Acer tech support today regarding the SOSW-833S DVD writer and they were unaware of the problem. I was told that they would be running a test today to try to recreate the problem and that I should call them if I don't hear from them by the end of the day tomorrow.

I'll post anything I hear from them.

Cheers

 

Hey again guys,

I just got off the phone with Acer tech "support" (if you want to call it that). They never called me back like they were supposed to and, although it is referenced on my trouble ticket, no results from this supposed test that they were supposed to run were available.

The lady I talked to today (Crystal) was extremely uninformed regarding DVD writing and media (IMHO and by her own admission) and slung BS after BS trying to tell me:

a) the drive only supports +R discs

b) then she tried to tell me to try +R discs cause they burn better and faster

c) then she "found" that the drive only supports +R/-R at 4x ... after I wouldn't accept that as an answer (as I know this is not the case) she then realized she was reading it wrong

d) she finally found the documentation that stated the drive is capable of 8x DVD-/+R, 4x DVD-/+RW and 3.? DVD+R DL

e) after putting me on hold a number of times she came back with the old "we'll have to get you to reinstall the driver and try it again" ploy to get me off the phone

I told her the problem existed when I first received the notebook with XP Home installed and after redoing my comp with XP Pro the problem still existed. BIG mistake cuz that was her way out of supporting me and getting me off the phone. She tried to fling a bunch of BS that the driver wouldn't work properly on XP Pro yada yada yada and that it is not what came with my comp so they can't support me.

So in the end I told her I would redo my comp tonight with their restore DVD, retest and would call her back tomorrow (most assuredly with the same problem) so we could continue our little "support" dance.

They're fully aware that I've been able to track down 4 or 5 others with the exact same problem but apparently that don't matter to them and doesn't strongly indicate that there is a legitimate problem with the drive or the firmware.

Anyway, as soon as I find out more I'll post it.

Also, anyone have ANY info on the firmware update version VS04? Found it online but can't really tell where it came from or if it is safe to apply to my drive.

Cheers

P.S. I also tried burning last night at 2x and both backups went without a hitch in about 30 mins so it just seems like anything above that speed causes this drive to slow to a crawl.

 

Hi, I followed the link to firmware VS04 and tried it. It made no difference that I could tell.

I still cannot burn DVD-r disks. However as mentioned in an earlier post I get a good burn using Sony 8x DVD+R and can confirm that they reach a speed of 6x.

It takes me around 13 minutes to burn game and movie backups.

I have noticed no adverse affects from using the VS04 firmware but I've also noticed no positive effects either.

Good luck with your enquiries. Hopefully you'll get someone competent tomorrow.

 

Hey jonbest,

Quick question for ya ... do you have the NTI dvd software suite installed?

forse1, how about you?

I noticed that one of the drivers listed is called NTIDrvr.sys and am wondering if that software might be causing the trouble.

Cheers

 

i try 3 notebook, the first 3613wlci have a GWA-4082N (LG) drive and 2e and 3e have a sosw-833s (LITEON) all with exactly the same problem

i do not think it is a burner problem.

it do the same problem in "test mode" without realy burn.
it not look to be a media problem.

when i burn with imgburn i can see the actuel speed, it start ok and when it go to 3x the device buffer go down and the speed down to 0.7X (more than one hour to finish...) and the disk is unsuable...

the only good new is: if i burn at 2x it do the job in 30 minutes

i have post in other forum to you can reed more details
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=36573

i test all firmware VRS2 VRS3 and VS04
upgrade the ata controler driver form intel, no change...

i suppose a notebook problem with that specific model 3613wlmi...

still searching

 

you said: "I noticed that one of the drivers listed is called NTIDrvr.sys and am wondering if that software might be causing the trouble."

i try to format my "c:" and install XP PRO whitout any acer soft and it do exacly the same problem!!!

realy stil searching

 

I also have similar problems with my Acer 1642 Laptop fitted with the SOSW-833S drive, I have been using Datawrite dvd-r for quite sometime now with my desktop pc fitted with an old pioneer 107 dvd burner using nero 6. Every didsc done on my desktop works fine on dvd players and other peoples pc and laptop everyones that is except mine I have tried updating firmware to version 4, but can't tell any difference at all.

I wonder if Acer still use the SOSW-833S drive??

I have a friend who bought exactly the same laptop as me (Acer 1642) on the same day from the same store but his has a pioneer dvd drive fitted and gets no problems whatsoever a disc burnt on my desktop (pioneer drive) works fine on his, he can read it and copy it but I cannot read it or copy it???

Hope we can resolve this.

I will try calling both Acer and Liteon for advice.

 

hello bobnett, do you have a speed problem too (same me), how much time it take to burn ?

 

Hello Forse

I have just run my desktop and laptop side by side both using nero 6.6.0.18 and burnt about 1.5gb of data (photos) using Datawrite Titanium single layer Dvd-r 8x. My desktop using Pioneer 107 dvd drive took 11 minutes 12 seconds, my acer laptop using SOSW-833S took 8 minutes 17 seconds.

Both using Nero and the settings exactly the same speed set to 8x.

The processor in my laptop is faster than my old desktop also laptop has 1024mb of ddr2 ram.

All this has been done after updating my firmware to version 4 and I have used omnipatcher 2.4.3 which allows you to edit some of the settings of the firmware before flashing it, the settings I edited where for Dvd media support disc type TTG02 ( TTG02 is the type of disc used by datawrite according to nero drive test utility) I changed the write speeds from 1x, 2x and 4x to 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x this seems to have done the trick....(for now anyway)

Hope this helps

 

Hi Jonbest,

I have an Acer Travelmate 4150LMi with DVDRW SOSW-833S burner problems, it has the VRS3 firmware loaded.

It writes okay to DVD-RW, DVD-R and CD-R, but will not write to CD-RW with either FileCD or the program suite NTI Data CD option.

It will however erase a previously recorded CD-RW (recorded on another PC).

I wonder whether there is a power table in the burner firmware which informs what laser power to use, it strikes me that it could be a failed or corrupt EEPROM in the burner.

I will be playing around with the settings and the disk type, before reformatting drive C: and sending it back to Acer under warranty.

Incidently I am using the Maxell x4 disk which is one of the low speed makes recommended for the drive.

I will purchase the a High Speed CD-RW, just in case it is a media problem, which I doubt, my money is on the EEPROM or bad laser or laser control circuits.

I will be interested in any development you find, and in return I will of course post any solution I find.

Regards Terry

 

Hi!
I have an Acer TravelMate4102WLMi Notebook on the table. I have the same problem with this piece of crap as the rest of you. IT JUST WONT BURN FAST! The Notebooks HDD had a FAT32 file system! I thought that might be the problem. so I deleted all the partitions and installed my own Win Xp Pro Sp2 which works on my dell optiplex desktop pc and my old asus notebook and several other PCs.
I tried all possible combinations of
- software (nero 6.6.0.15/Nero 7/DeepBurnerPro/CloneDVD/Alcohol...)
- media (+-8x/16x/verbatim/memorex/sony/philips)
- i have the newest drivers for the chipset (from acer website)
Neros and Everests Infotools show that the burner is a philips. so now i am pretty sure this MUST be a problem of ACER (the Motherboard or something).

I am desperate and disappointed. I think I want my money back.

I will contact acer in my country (Czech Republic) and tell you the results.

bye

 

Hate to throw a kink into finding a solution, but I don't believe the problem is limited to just your equipment. My computer is a custom-built machine with a TDK IndiDVD burner, internal, 8x+/4x-. I'm getting the same problems. Even as I right this, it's been 35 minutes and I'm only 57% done burning a backup dvd.

I've checked the standard - DMA is enabled, the media's fine, my anti-virus has never caused a problem before...