Hmmmmm Not sure I follow you....My experience is limited to the interworkings of the system. I've only removed one drive and re-installed another...several times so I'm good at that. The power connector is where and what does it look like? Would there be a way to check that and if so how? Thanks Binkie
@jrocc019 When you switch the IDE cable (because that could very well be the problem, good suggestion binkie!) only connect the 1655 the way the Plextor was connected at first. Use the same power connector BUT don't connect another drive to it. Basically just replace the original drive with the new drive. You really shouldn't have to change locations of the drive if your IDE cable is long enough. Anyway, hard boot the system with only that drive attached and try playing the DVD. I am trying to find out if it is the drive that is bad, and if the Plextor is working fine then by replacing it with the new drive we will be able to see. Another thing to try is cleaning the laser. Then again, the laser could be out of alignment. We won't know until we get down to the nitty gritty. [bold]binkie[/bold] is the cream of the crop. Together we can probably work you out of this situation. Good Luck!
Thanks Syxguns!!! I will follow that advice and it is greatly appreciated. I'm not sure how to do a laser clean or align but we can get to that later. I will go home and tear down...install the new cable and then go from there. Again thank you very much. Yes binkie is awsome and I'm sure she hit the nail on the head with this one. thanks HON LOOOL
Ok here's where we are at: I swapped the IDE cable..removed the plex and in with the 1655 Exact same configuration and I left both power cords attached to take a shot to see if it would work. It didn't.. Booted up and started playing the dvd and 2 mins in, it skipped. So then i switched power connectors on the 1655 only as i have a few extra there to see what happened and no screen appeared only darkness and serious skipping. Put the correct power cord back in the 1655 took power off of the IBM Slave drive. Re-booted. I got all the way to almost 4 chapters 3 plus mins and it skipped. I turned the volume up and blew the pic to full screen to see the next one and it appears to me like a small surge or distortion of some sort. Of course I can't clearly define what a skip actually looks like. It could be the power connector. So with only one power connector plugged in to the drive system (the 1655), we've gotten farther than ever thanks to you both. Was I supposed to leave the IDE off the slave drive?????? Didn't do that. Another thing I noticed is windows didn't recognize it right away or at all. With the plex i got a pop up that said New Hardware Detected Plextor etc etc.. I checked the device manager to be sure and the 1655 is listed and DMA is set up correctly. Don't know if that helps. Again, this is the fourth drive in this bay so we are close.
Well, from the sound of it you didn't connect only the 1655. Try it that way to see if all is good with it. How much memory do you have in your system? Loss of memory may cause glitches. Try it again with the 1655 as the only drive connected to the IDE. Then try it. If you still have a skip switch the power to another connector. Since it didn't skip as bad the last time you tried it, I am wondering if your power supply might be failing. If that is the case $25 bucks and you're set. But first try what I said; the only drive connected to the IDE is the 1655. Let me know what happens. Hopefully we will hear good news. If not we may need to see about possibly switching power supplies. This isn't a bad thing; they make some with quad fans.
I wasn't sure what you meant at first. Ok. I'm going to take the slave off the IDE and power and have only the 1655 hooked up. I'll be right back. 25 bucks sold where do i sign i'll take 2 to go..LOOL
Well Jrocc019 doesn't look like I hit the nail on the head syxguns help is great!!! txs syxguns! It's not looking like any of your previous drives were bad - more like something w/ the pc. How old is the one anyhow?
@ binkie Hey bink!! The system is about 2yrs old..not too hatefull. You were close though and you did mention the power source too. That would be funny if it, will it is, the PC. I have to wonder why the Plex isn't giving me any problems nor the IBM Multiburner in Slave. Actually i wanted to run a theory by you. When I initially purchased the Memorex it worked fine at first then took a crap on me within a week or so with skipping etc etc etc. So I think, the Plextor has it's days numbered as its only a matter of time before the problem grows into the Plextor also. What dou think? Yes syxguns has been a great help also. @ syzguns Both ways skipped. I removed the IDE and power off of slave..skipped.. Swapped power connections and it skipped. It didn't skip on slave drive. It plays fine on the IBM Mulitiburner. So are we at the power source? If so what do you recommend and where should I go to get it. What do you think about the theory for the Plextor syzguns?? 1G of RAM
Ok - did you try the BenQ on the slave connecttion and it worked? Or did I misread your post. Oh when I say pc - I kinda mean it in a broad sense - like the different connections not drive (burner) related. So far you've tried 3 new drives so unless you have some really bad luck I'm still leaning towards the pc end.
jrocc019, Well, I wouldn't change the Plextor yet. Wait until it isn't working. Before you buy a power source, (I do my shopping at Fry's, but any computer store will do.) Get a DVD head cleaner. Probably cost 10 or 15 bucks. Run that through the drive first. You could also try a can of compressed air to blow (lightly) in it. This may free dust off the laser. Seeing that all of your other drives are working fine, I don't want you to spend money on something you may not need. Wait on the power supply for now. The other thing I want you to do is to go to the control panel and select the device and then remove it. Reboot your system and let the computer re-install the drivers. If there is an "!" next to the device then the driver was not installed correctly and needs to be re-installed. If your system is not able to re-install the correct driver then we will need to look for an update to the driver. [bold]Don't buy the power supply yet. Let's try these other steps first. Go ahead and put your machine back in order[/bold]
@ syxguns I just want to make sure that we are clear on this. I have three seperate drives currently and my system only holds 2. I have a IBM multi burner that came with the PC that is in the slave position. Of the benq and the plextor, I am only keeping one of those drives. However, I want to keep the benq. Each time I am physically removing the plextor out of the system from the master location of the IDE cable and putting the benq in its place. The plextor plays fine in the master position when inserted. When I take the plextor out of that same exact drive and replace it with the benq, the benq skips. Through the entire process, the IBM multi burner remains stationary. I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page as to what we were doing and how this pertains to my dilemma.
Ok, put the new drive back in. Is the new drive a burner or a DVD player? If it is a burner then put it to master and the multi-burner to slave. If it is a DVD drive then put it to slave. The master has to be set to the burner. Next after it is set up follow the instructions from my previous post. After the drive is reset if it doesn't work then we will need to find an update to your driver. Give me the full name of your driver and I will search for you or [bold]binkie[/bold] will as to the fact that I'm about to log off for a while. Also include the current driver that you have installed i.e. 6.0.21.0 or whatever. Thanks.
Just in case you are not sure. the device manager is located when you right click "My Computer" and select properties.
@ syxguns I have had the plextor and benq both as the masters in the past. The BENQ (new drive) is currently inserted and is the master. IBM Multiburner (old drive) is the slave..both are burners. The memorex, when I had it, was also the master. @ binkie I'm leaning toward bad luck or a driver or I don't know LOL How can the Plex play/burn etc etc fine and no other drive worked. I went to COMPUSA and I have a power source standing by if we need it. If not I will take it right back. I have not tried the BENQ on the slave. Shall I do that also or keep it to Master as syxguns stated to? I'm going to shut down now and put everything back the way it was so I can un-install the benq and get that info. How do you idenfy the driver that is installed in the BENQ? Be right back
jrocc019 Yeah put the machine back together. Get me the driver that you are currently using for the benq. Also include the model #. The first thing I want you to do is download Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. You can find it at download.com. Also make sure you have updated dat files for your AV. Boot into safe mode and then run both. After that download HijackThis. you may download it at hijack-this.org. Run a system scan and post it so that Binkie and I may look it over. Once you have the information we need we will see if there is an updated driver for your benq.
Here is the location for one driver. I don't know if it is updated or not. But you may disregard the last question. Sorry, I tend to think more than read I guess! http://drivers.softpedia.com/progDownload/Benq-DW-BCDB-Download-14386.html
@ syxguns I must have just missed you last night...i turned in early very fatiqued if you know what i mean. Oh..i forgot that I went through 2 memorex burners..I took the first back and got another one..it skipped 2...then took that back too..So we're 2 mems 2 ben Qs..FYI Model number of the BenQ? Here is the driver info Drivers 5.1.2535.0 dated 7/1/2001 I'm running the latest f/w BCHD as well. I downloaded it right after the BenQ install. I'll stand by for further instruction.
Did you clean the system in safe mode? I need you to do that. Use Lavasoft Ad-Aware, and run a virus scan with the latest .dat files. Look at my post 2 or 3 above. Be sure to post a HT log file for me to look at. I want to see your system settings before we go any further. Thanks!
