Computer issue, pulling hair out!

[Pierutrus]

Or what's left of it!
To make a long story short.
Bought a new video card for the desktop. Works great after I went to their site to get the driver because the installation DVD that came with it wouldn't work in my DVD reader/writer.
Pulled disc out and looked at it and it's not looking like a nice clean shiny surface on the bottom. It has a swirl around one side like it's defective. Plus it's cloudy. So now I'm thinking bad disc. Ok, let's double check and try it on the wifey's machine. It works. So now I'm thinking what's the difference between the wifey's and my machine. She has win 7 on her's and I still have XP on mine.
Hmmm. Could this be an XP issue with new DVD installation disc's? Hold on, so I grab my laptop which has XP on it (it has a dvd/cd burner on it). IT WORKS!
Ok, so now I'm thinking there's an issue with my Mad Dog DVD burner in my machine. It's a little over 2 years old, but wait, my laptop is older. It's 3 or 4 years old that's the reason it only has a dvd/cd burner in it.
So now I'm suspecting the Mad Dog burner. Which is actually an NEC ND-3550A (Mad Dog just slapped their name on it). So now I'm thinking maybe a firmware issue with the writer. Sure enough, there's a firmware update on the NEC site. I read the info on the update and it says it has updated definitions for the writer. I think YES, that's has to be it so I update the firmware and you guessed it, still no worky!
I know I should just go out and buy a new burner but this is driving me nuts.
On a side note, my printer died yesterday and I need one of those too!

So here goes............

"Please Santa, can I get a nice new wazoo DVD burner and printer for Christmas?"

Oh, I forgot to mention that the Mad Dog reads every other disc I put in it.
Dvd and data disc's! Just not that one disc for some reason.
Would love to know why.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Or what's left of it!
To make a long story short.
Bought a new video card for the desktop. Works great after I went to their site to get the driver because the installation DVD that came with it wouldn't work in my DVD reader/writer.
Pulled disc out and looked at it and it's not looking like a nice clean shiny surface on the bottom. It has a swirl around one side like it's defective. Plus it's cloudy. So now I'm thinking bad disc. Ok, let's double check and try it on the wifey's machine. It works. So now I'm thinking what's the difference between the wifey's and my machine. She has win 7 on her's and I still have XP on mine.
Hmmm. Could this be an XP issue with new DVD installation disc's? Hold on, so I grab my laptop which has XP on it (it has a dvd/cd burner on it). IT WORKS!
Ok, so now I'm thinking there's an issue with my Mad Dog DVD burner in my machine. It's a little over 2 years old, but wait, my laptop is older. It's 3 or 4 years old that's the reason it only has a dvd/cd burner in it.
So now I'm suspecting the Mad Dog burner. Which is actually an NEC ND-3550A (Mad Dog just slapped their name on it). So now I'm thinking maybe a firmware issue with the writer. Sure enough, there's a firmware update on the NEC site. I read the info on the update and it says it has updated definitions for the writer. I think YES, that's has to be it so I update the firmware and you guessed it, still no worky!
I know I should just go out and buy a new burner but this is driving me nuts.
On a side note, my printer died yesterday and I need one of those too!

So here goes............

"Please Santa, can I get a nice new wazoo DVD burner and printer for Christmas?"

Oh, I forgot to mention that the Mad Dog reads every other disc I put in it.
Dvd and data disc's! Just not that one disc for some reason.
Would love to know why.

You answered your own question!
Or, your Mad Dog is slightly illiterate!

I have a couple of game discs that will not play in one of my systems.
ALL others YES...the ONE I want it to play in NOOOOO!

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Sooooo....
The only disk the Mad Dog won't read is the questionable disk that you new video cards (probably outdated) drivers came on?

Doesn't sound like you need to "put down" your Mad Dog to me. Wait till he can't read the majority of anything you put in him, and starts peeing on the carpet......

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

You don't have a computer issue, you have a defective disk.

Download the required video card drivers, install them, and throw away the junk disk. Those driver disks that come with new hardware are outdated by the time you open the box. I never use them.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

One thing that I always do before I put a burner/drive out of its misery, is clean the lens in it, on Laptops its pretty easy, on desktops not so easy, but pick up a cleaning disc(wet type) and run it through the drive a few times, then let dry and try again, I have had certain discs that won't read in one machine but will in other machines, and if your light signal is weak due to dirt on the sensor a weak disc will be more difficult to read...

Another thing I have done in the past, when one machine won't read and another will is, if your machine that reads is a burner, then simply make a disc copy of the one giving you problems.

But the best advice no matter what you buy, is first, go to the website and download the newest drivers, because 99 out of 100 times, the driver disc you get with the card will be outdated..

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Doesn't sound like you need to "put down" your Mad Dog to me. Wait till he can't read the majority of anything you put in him, and starts peeing on the carpet......

Alright, that was just plain funny.

Download the required video card drivers, install them, and throw away the junk disk.

Did that, except for throwing away the junk disc. Reason being there's more on the disc than just the driver's.

One thing that I always do before I put a burner/drive out of its misery, is clean the lens in it, on Laptops its pretty easy, on desktops not so easy, but pick up a cleaning disc(wet type) and run it through the drive a few times, then let dry and try again, I have had certain discs that won't read in one machine but will in other machines, and if your light signal is weak due to dirt on the sensor a weak disc will be more difficult to read...

This is true, didn't think of that. But then again if I double the cost of a cleaning disc, I probably can buy a new burner. Their getting cheap.

Another thing I have done in the past, when one machine won't read and another will is, if your machine that reads is a burner, then simply make a disc copy of the one giving you problems.

That's the problem. The only dvd burner in the house is the "Mad Dog".
The wife's is just a reader and the one in the laptop is a dvd reader/CD burner.

Thanks for all the replies

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Copy the DVD onto the laptop hard drive then transfer it to a thumb drive. Read the thumb drive on the desktop.

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Copy the DVD onto the laptop hard drive then transfer it to a thumb drive. Read the thumb drive on the desktop.

That's the ticket!
To bad the only one I have is 256mb in size.
I bought it many moons ago. Just for mp3's. It cost a pretty penny back when.

Then again the wifey asked me what I wanted for a stocking stuffer about a week ago. I told her an 8 gig usb thumb drive. Hope she remembers.:redface:

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

I think you'd be shocked to see how cheap thumb drives are now. Go through Office Depot or any of the other stores & see what's on sale. I picked up a 16G for $39 last week.

 

[BlkY2k]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

^^ x2 When I bought my new desktop from tigerdirect they through 2 new thumb drives in the box. No charge
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=379&name=USB-Flash-Drives

 

[Outsider]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

To bad the only one I have is 256mb in size.

Then go buy one big enough! Jeez, quit being so cheap, life's too damned short ...

 

[scanman]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

You don't have a computer issue, you have a defective disk.

Download the required video card drivers, install them, and throw away the junk disk. Those driver disks that come with new hardware are outdated by the time you open the box. I never use them.

I agree. I'm still usin a 1995 radeon vid card & a 1986 desktop scanner! both have thier issues, but I go to the mfg website & all gets fixed! both still run well! people on World of Warcraft have a hard time believin I'm playin on a Compaq Presario from 1996! Gotta do the driver updates for all hardware at least once a month. It's a PITA, but my old hdwe keeps up with most out there!

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Computer issue, pulling hair out!

Then go buy one big enough! Jeez, quit being so cheap, life's too damned short ...

Gotta keep up the image, you know? LOL:redface:

UPDATE Wifey remembered. Found an 8 gig USB thumbdrive in the bottom of the X-mas stocking. Love you baby!

Image still in tact.