16x DVD burner won't burn over 2x...

[FredFredrickson]

About a year ago I picked up a Sony DW-Q28A (a link for specs: click here)

Burning DVD's at 16x and 8x was excellent! But once I got everything that I really needed to be backed up on DVD's, I didn't use it for a while, only occasionally using it to burn video DVD's. I also reinstalled Windows XP twice since I got it the drive.

I recently needed to start backing up my data in large chunks again, so I dug out the spindle of DVD's (th same ones I've been burning on since I got the drive, Imation DVD-) an lo and behold, I can't burn over 2x. Nero 7 doesn't even give me the option. This is the seconed DVD burner that has mysteriously downgraded itself on me, and I am pulling my hair out trying to figure out why this would happen.

I tried finding drivers for the DVD drive, but aparently it is a "driverless" device, and every time I try to find it at Sony's website, I just run into dead ends.

Has this happened to anyone else here? Is there a way I can get this thing burning any faster again? I'm really getting tired of wasting 20-30 minutes burning DVD's when I KNOW the drive is capable of a faster speed! I've never overburned anything with it, or done anything else that might damage the drive... I'm completely clueless as to how / why this would happen.

Any info on this would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[ScrapSilicon]

try the following.. Hard drives and optical drives can use various data transfer modes, and you always want to select the fastest mode supported by the drive. Unfortunately, WinXP sometimes defaults to a slower mode, dramatically reducing drive performance. Enter Device Manager and click the plus symbol next to the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers entry. Double-click Primary IDE Channel, choose the Advanced Settings tab, and use the Transfer Mode drop-down boxes in both Device 0 and Device 1 to select DMA If Available. Click OK and repeat the process for the Secondary IDE Channel entry in Device Manager. Reboot the PC, and the drives should be set to use the fastest available data transfer modes. If they don't support DMA, WinXP automatically sets them to use the slower PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode, so you won't hurt anything by trying this.
if that doesn't help(and its not a cable/jumper/media/Nero 7 issue) uninstall the ide channel the drive is on(in Device Manager) and the reboot allowing xp to redetect/refresh .. gl

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: FredFredrickson

I tried finding drivers for the DVD drive, but aparently it is a "driverless" device, and every time I try to find it at Sony's website, I just run into dead ends.

You say it's a driverless device, but have you tried looking for a firmware update or was that what you meant?

My drive or at least the DVD part of it may have just up and died overnight. May have happened to you (hopefully not).

 

[JEDIYoda]

It all boils down to how much you spend on your DVD burner.

 

[billyjak]

You need to update the firmware, just do a search for firmware for Sony DVD

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
It all boils down to how much you spend on your DVD burner.

Balls. The burner is fine, it looks like a configuration error.

My money is on the burner being in PIO, follow ScrapSilicon's description first of all.

 

[FredFredrickson]

Well, I checked through the device manager, and everything was already on DMA. Since Sony's website makes absolutaly no mention that they ever had anything to do with this drive, I took my firmware search to google and found this: Softpedia Firmware

I'm always really hesitant to install firmware for my devices, especially when the firmware does not come from the manufacturer of the drive... Think it'll be okay?