Erratic Creative CD4831E behavior

[FAX420]

I'm getting erratic CD-ROM access problems.

Under Windows 2000(SP2), my Creative CD-ROM will sometimes recognize and access the CD just fine. Other times the drive will not acknowlege the disc in the tray at all. Sometimes the disc will spin up, the HDD will initialize, then the drive will drop out completely giving me an unsafe removal of device message and I get no response from a windows or front panel eject command. The drive is no longer listed in device manager, nor will it autodetect until a reboot. Moreover both IDE channels are still listed. After reboot, the drive is back in my system and works until the problem(s) reoccur.

These problems are evident with all types of media, under all possible configs ie: IDE-0 slave/cs IDE-1 master/slave/cs. THESE PROBLEMS ARE INTERMITTENT. I am using all current drivers for my board controllers etc. I have tried 40 conductor cabling as well as 80. I have also used Windows's propriatory ide controllers. In Device Manager DMA is controlled automatically, selectable at the IDE channel, not at the device listing as in win9x (DMA is currently off, using PIO). Problems also persist within safe mode.

By what method do CD-ROM drives detect a disc in the drive? Do the lasers wear out? Is there an adjustment/alignment that can be changed like in a car CD player? Are there a standard set of procedures CD-ROM drives use when initalizing a new disk insert?

I have tried all troubleshooting tricks I know, to no avail. I relinquish my ailments to all you GURUs out there...

TIA (thanks in advance)

[Vic 970]

welcome to the forum.

I had a post up just a while ago as after 18 months of trouble free use, my CDRW (using adaptec) refused to burn CDs properly, having tried all, un installing, re installing, upgrades, etc, etc, (and making a few coaters along the way) I tried again, and it's working ok again.

I recently spoke to a friend who has been burning CDs (as had many of his friends) for many years, I told him of my probs, and his reply "Oh they do that, then they settle down again."

I shall watch this post with interest !!!!!!!!

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for every question there's an answer. Then a load more questions.
Definition of Upgrade "A means of introducing new bugs to a program to replace the ones that you have eventually found fixes for"

Regards..,
Vic.

[mjc]

Haven't seen a laser that has actually worn out, but they do get dirty...

Also some more system specs would be helpful, it could be a power problem since you say the disk starts, the hard drive starts and then the CD gets "lost"...that kind of sounds like a voltage drop on the 12V leg of the power supply. Often times when a problem seems random it is power based, because many things influence how much is available to use, including whether or not the voltage coming from the wall is "clean" and within spec.

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.