I have bought an HP300e DVD. So far I have the following problem twice already; After using a third party DVD burn S/W. The burn process freezed and the DVD started to flash. I gave to HP lab and they told me it had an H/W problem. I got it back last Thursday July 3, 03. Have used the DVD for couple of burning jobs. I was having no problem with the player at all for sometime. All of a sudden the green light on the player continues to flash, and I cannot get it open. It happened after trying to burn a copy with CopytoDVD. Searching the web for other users having problems with HP300e, I have found the same problem reported, even the same S/W that may have caused the problem. Two questions; 1. Anyone else have had the same problem? if yes do they know why? 2. Do you know of any limitation at all of using third party burning S/W other than original HP S/W?. Avi
I have a HP300i and just encountered the same problem when running the latest trial version 2.2.5 of CopytoDVD. Basically, my HP300i is dead right now... just the LED blinks and the drive door doesn't open/close but the drive is found in "My Computer" still. Here's what happened in my case. 1. I bought the HP300i. I used the trial version of CopytoDVD and everything worked fine to burn 20+ DVDs. Then my version of CopytoDVD expired. This is where the trouble started. 2. I went to the CopytoDVD web site to register/buy the program when they had posted a new, enhanced version of their program, trial version 2.2.5. I downloaded the trial version first to evaluate the enhancements before I bought it. 3. When I tried to burn a DVD using this new version, the Write command operation failed and my HP300i was effectively killed- happened almost instantly after clicking on OK to start to burn the DVD. All the HP300i would do after this was blink the LED and the drive door won't open if the eject button is pressed. If I insert a DVD manually (through the manual eject mechanism) the HP300i still does not see the media and tells me "drive not ready" if I try to read/write from it. Rebooting the computer or turning off/on the power doesn't help- the drive is still dead. 4. Thinking that my HP300i DVD drive just died for some reason, I took the drive back to OfficeMax and they graciously exchanged my broken drive for a brand new one. 5. I got the brand new drive home, installed it, loaded and unloaded a known good DVD disc just fine. I could read from this DVD just fine. 6. Then I tried to write to the HP300i using the CopytoDVD 2.2.5 program, and again within a second of initiating the write to DVD, the operation failed, and now my second DVD drive is broken and unusable: it just blinks the LED and the drive door won't open. Rebooting and turning off/on the power doesn't help. 7. I sent an email to CopytoDVD's technical suppport with this same level of detail- it appears as if it's an epidemic failure caused by their software - and it's 24 hours later and I haven't heard back from them. NOTE: I am a paying customer of CopytoDVD. HP has culpability here too because there should be no command that can be issued over the ATA interface that can "kill" a drive. I am hoping that this problem can be corrected with a firmware upgrade to the HP300i (which I have yet to figure out where to get it) or maybe it will require HP to write a special tool to clear whatever non-volatile memory got my HP300i drive into this state. I plan on contacting HP's technical support next. If anyone has a fix for this PLEASE let me know. Thanks.
ahigginb, Do not hold any hopes from HP. I have had my HP300e fixed for the third time by HP lab. I have hold several discussion with thier DVD application guys. Formally they do not hold themselves responsible for use of third party S/W. They have been telling me that I should contact the dvdtocopy manufacturer. I did, but never got any reply. Unofficialy the HP guy told me to use nero. He also said that even with nero users were not getting 100% sucess rate but at least it does not get the DVD to flash. Thus, to all HP300e users, do not attempt to use dvdtocopy. A---
Thanks for the reply avir. I contacted HP and got their standard response you referred to- something to the effect that "HP does not warrant 3rd party software" etc. which I can understand for data integrity issues of backing up/restoring data, but in this case, the 3rd party software disabled the HP300i drive = different/"EPIDEMIC" problem. Anyway, I wrote back to HP with more description of the problem. Don't know if anything will become if it... my only recourse from here is to take my 2nd failed HP300i drive back to OfficeMax for exchange. ahigginb
ahigginb, Just wanted to update you that I finally got a response from copytodvd. Here is the answer, ---- Hello, The developer has been informed about this possible problem, and has also been sent a copy of your email. And is being looked into. Thank you, Ken ---- I also got me new DVD from HP. I can only say that thier low level is excellent. A---
Hello guys, totally agree that HP writer sucks MAN! I own a HP DVD200e and honestly the initial installation was a nightmare. The bundle software conflicts with almost everything e.g Nero, Roxio Easy CD Creator, etc. Threw away many DVD+R before realising that the burner overheats easily and need to rest for afew mins before burning the next DVD. HP service is the worst that I ever come accross "no support, no reply, no solution, no experience person to answer your call (run by some 3rd party answering service), sold as it is........
i would just like to add that ive had many problems with my dvd300e. It's worked fine until recently when ive been using dvd shrink. It starts to do its thing and during the process keeps freezing! like yourselves also rang HP & what a waste of time they were 2. I will never buy HP again cause its seems that when one problem is fixed another starts!!!! Mine also sometimes tells me that its not reading the disk cause its copy protected..... wish id got a sony now!
