IF YOU HAVE DVD/CD DRIVE PROBLEMS - READ THIS>

[Blencogo]

Several members seem to have problems with their CD/DVD drives at the moment. As far as I know, there is no magic solution but you could try some or all of the following: -

1. See if there is an updated driver or updated firmware for your drive at Vaio-Link. Some Sony drives are re-badged from other manufacturers and you may have to search for updated downloads. For example, if you have a Sony DW-D56A drive, you can get a firmware download from HERE (Use PFS2). Many other drives are also supported on this site.

2. Use System Restore to return your Vaio to the configuration when it was last working normally.
Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore - choose a restore date before you had the problem.

3. Look in Device Manager to see if there are any errors against your DVD/CD-ROM drive.
Start -> Right-Click My Computer -> Properties -> Hardware -> Device Manager - expand DVD/CD-ROM Drives and check the status. If there is an Error Code or a yellow triangle with a ! or ? come back here with the number and we may be able to help.

4. If there is no error and the drive is reported as working normally, try Uninstalling the drive by right-clicking on it in Device Manager and choosing Uninstall. Re-booting your Vaio will reinstall the drivers.

5. Try some different software to read/write your discs and see if that works. Also try a different brand of discs - Sony, TDK and Verbatim seem favourites.

6. Try a liquid lens cleaner on the lens and polish with a microfibre cloth ? this can sometimes help.

7. If your drive works with either CDs or DVDs only make sure the ribbon cable is not preventing the reader head from moving freely - check that the laser head in the drive can move freely for the whole range of its travel. The disc information is held on the outside tracks for DVDs and the inner tracks for CDs.

8. Last resort is to perform a full C:\ Drive System Recovery from your Recovery Discs. Make sure you back up all your Data as the contents of C:\ will be lost and your Vaio returned to the factory configuration.

If none of these work, you may have a hardware problem and you need to contact Vaio-Link. There is no point contacting them until you have carried out a Drive C:\ Recovery as this is the first thing they will ask you to do.

[Blencogo]

Hi Audrey17 and welcome to Club Vaio.

Double-Click on the drive in Device Manager and tell us what it says including the error code.

[eyeris]

Hi Blencogo

Thx for ur advice, but mine is Matshita UJ-850s and the firmware downloads are for other series

I've installed Nero and got rid of Roxio. But burning sony dvd+rw i get een power calibration problem??? I dont have a problem with the sony dvd+r

So, i've already contacted sony before after a very long wait on the phone, and i'm fed up with it...so back to sony with this notebook...

[candiru]

hi there,
i got some problems with my drive, too
it`s a pioneer dvr-k12d in a vaio pcg-fr4152.
the cd/dvd drive isn`t able to read any original cd anymore. strange enough it
can read copies.
i have tried everything what was said before: firmware, checked device-manager,
uninstalled the drive, cleaned lens etc etc.
it begins to read, then breaks, reads, breaks until it stops, no matter if cd or
dvd.
any ideas ?
candiru

[Turrester]

Still needing a replacement optival drive for Matshita UJ-832D drive on my Vaio VGN-S5HP.

Anyone know what kind of a drive would work as a replacement?
I'd really like to replace the original drive rather than get an USB drive.

-T

[candiru]

sorry, its a pcg-fr415s.
no ideas ?
i guess i`ll have to buy a new one 😕

[Blencogo]

Hi candiru,

Yes, it sounds bad is it reads some discs and not others. If there are no errors in Device Manager it does sound like a hardware or firmware fault.

Sorry.

[LeonB]

Hi everyone,

I've had my VGN-FE31Z for only a few weeks and it appears the cd/dvd driver has packed up.

It worked at the start because I managed to create my recovery discs on two dvd's but now it can only read a cd.

I've tried backing up my work onto cd and dvd (both sony) but nothing seems to be recognised. For example the prompt doesn't pop up when I put a cd or dvd in.

The driver is a MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ 850S.

I've tried to follow Blencogo's steps of looking for any new firmware but there doesn't appear to be any.

I've tried uninstalling the driver and rebooting but sadly it didn't work.

I'm guessing the next step is either to pick a date and restore or to go for the full system recovery.

The problem is I've done a ton of work towards our wedding plans before realising there was a fault and I can't really afford to lose all the work (wouldn't go down well with the future wife!)

I have a 2gb mini sd with usb adaptor which I thought I could use to backup my system but I can't find it when I plug it in. I go to the memory stick drive (E: drive) and it just tells me to plug in a memory stick!

When I safely remove the device it tells me it's in the G: drive but I cannot find the G: drive on my system.

The problem is I'm no techie and to be honest I'm totally stuck. If someone can firstly guide me to get my stuff backed up on this memory stick and then offer me advice of how I might get this poxy dvd drive to work then I'd be most grateful.

A couple of other points which may or may not be relevant. I tried to play a music cd on the machine but it came back saying:

C00D11BA: Cannot play the file
Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device, such as a sound card or sound controller.

Yet the sound works on the machine?

I also seem to be having trouble getting windows update to read my machine now (this wasn't a problem before).
It now just keeps searching with no end result?

Sorry to ramble but I don't know what else to do and really hope someone can offer some advice?

Cheers,
Leon

[LeonB]

I've managed to backup my docs! Read a post which talked about pushing the laser head back and forth and then leaving it in the far position away from the wheel and it worked - the driver wrote to my cd-r. The driver really is matSHITa!

Now if anyone can tell me how to find this memory stick then I'll be a happy man! Also I read earlier that you need software to burn to a dvd (which I didn't realise - and answers why I couldn't do it!). Can anyone suggest some good software and where I get it from?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Leon

[Blencogo]

Hi Leon,

Glad you've got the drive working.

The Memory Stick drive is the slot in the front of your vaio which only takes Sony Memory Sticks - it is not the USB drive you have connected.

There are frequently problems with recognising SD cards - particularly big ones. It is usually necessary to format them with your Vaio. Have you got a small SD card to try and see if thet is recognised?

If the USB drive is installed correctly it should recognise when a card is inserted and it should show up in My Computer.

[LeonB]

Hi Blencogo,

I should thank you for your earlier posts on this thread. They helped me to try out a number of things when trying to get the dvd drive working. You appear to dedicate a lot of time to helping people out so on behalf of them and me, thank you!

Unfortunately, I don't have a smaller size mini sd card (only 2gb). I've always been able to easily locate it when I've plugged it into various PC's and laptops but not this time. To be honest, it normally stays in my phone so I'm happy to leave it there for now while the cd drive is working!

I would appreciate your advice about backing up to a dvd+rw though. Am I right in saying I need other software to do this? I just assumed as the laptop came with a dvd drive and I had no trouble created the recovery dvd's that it would just work! I've got a lot to learn!

Thanks,
Leon