DVD/CDRW combo not working

[Derek Clegg]

When I boot up my laptop I get the following error message;

Devices or applications disabled
'CD recording software' will cause windows to become unstable.
Windows has prevented these drivers from loading.

Please, please, please can someone point me in the right direction of a website where I can download drivers for my CDRW/DVD combo drive. My original drivers have become corrupt and as a result Windows XP will not allow them to load. This then prevents me from reading or writing files from/to the drive.

I have the original drivers on my OE CD that came with the laptop, but because the operating system wont load the drivers I am then unable to re-install the drivers from the OE CD.

I have also networked my laptop to another PC and tried re-installing the drivers using the CD drive on the network but again no success.

The laptop is an Advent 7048 P4 2.8GHz

The CDRW/DVD combo drive is a QSI SBW242B

Thanks in advance.


ps. I have visited http://qsinc.com.tw roughly a month ago requesting help with the same problem and as yet I have not even received an acknowledgement.

[Sameer Jamal]

Have you tried to restore your syste to an earlier time when it was working fine. If it dosent work the try to modify registry settings manually as described here

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:fHeNyaM-PAAJ:answers.google.com/answers/threadview%3Fid%3D142430+%27CD+recording+software%27+will+cause+windows+to+become+unstable.&hl=en&lr=lang_en%20target=nw
[ August 24, 2005: Message edited by: Sameer Jamal ]

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Sameer Jamal:
Have you tried to restore your syste to an earlier time when it was working fine.
[ August 24, 2005: Message edited by: Sameer Jamal ]

Yeah the system restore didnt work. Thanks for the web link about the registry I'll check that out and see how i get on.

[Derek Clegg]

Still no joy.

I removed the upper and lower filters keys in the registry editor.

I uninstalled all the cd recording software from the laptop.

Still getting the same error message.

Any fresh ideas? This is doing my head in!

[Randall Twede]

this is probly a long shot, but maybe if you reinstall windows?

[Derek Clegg]

But how can i reinstall windows if the cdrom wont read/boot from my installation cd?

Also reinstallation to me would be a last resort, Id like to cure it without reinstallation. The drive isnt faulty its just windows point blank refusing to load the drivers.

I also tried booting with a linux live cd but the cddrive still wont boot/read from cd.

Stuck with this one!

[Sameer Jamal]

Sometime windows Xp just popup the message even though your optical drive might be working.

[Derek Clegg]

Believe me the drive isnt working at the moment, dvd's, cds, cdrs, cdrws have all been tried it wont read because windows is refusing to load the drivers or the drivers have become corrupted in some way.

[Derek Clegg]

Any other suggestions??

[Derek Clegg]

anyone??

[Sameer Jamal]

did you update your driver ?

[Andrew Eccleston]

Originally posted by Derek Clegg:
The drive isnt faulty its just windows point blank refusing to load the drivers.

I also tried booting with a linux live cd but the cddrive still wont boot/read from cd.

So now I have to ask: How do you know that the drive itself is not faulty?

If you can't boot from a live cd, I don't see how Windows is the (only) issue because booting is a BIOS level function - it takes place before Windows is loaded. So, I have a couple of questions: What's the error messages you see when booting from the live cd? Does the live cd work on another machine? Is your BIOS set to try to boot from the cd drive? (Sounds like it is, I'm just double checking.)

If your live cd is functional, and BIOS tries to boot from it, but you get errors reading a disk, IMO it sounds like a hardware problem.

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Andrew Eccleston:


So now I have to ask: How do you know that the drive itself is not faulty?

If you can't boot from a live cd, I don't see how Windows is the (only) issue because booting is a BIOS level function - it takes place before Windows is loaded. So, I have a couple of questions: What's the error messages you see when booting from the live cd? Does the live cd work on another machine? Is your BIOS set to try to boot from the cd drive? (Sounds like it is, I'm just double checking.)

If your live cd is functional, and BIOS tries to boot from it, but you get errors reading a disk, IMO it sounds like a hardware problem.

Well actually i dont 100% know that the cddrive isnt faulty im just assuming its ok as it was ok before the extra cd writing software was installed. No reason to doubt that its not still in perfect condition.

There is no error message when booting from a live cd - nothing at all really except the cd drive spinning up as normal, but then no os loaded.

Yes the live cd works on another machine.

Yes the laptop is configured to boot from cd then hd.

[Andrew Eccleston]

What about the cd writing software maker's web site? Any known issues or support options from them?

If your laptop is still under warranty, I think your best be might be to take the issue up with the manufacturer.

[Jesse Torres]

Originally posted by Derek Clegg:
When I boot up my laptop I get the following error message;

Devices or applications disabled
'CD recording software' will cause windows to become unstable.
Windows has prevented these drivers from loading.

Please, please, please can someone point me in the right direction of a website where I can download drivers for my CDRW/DVD combo drive. My original drivers have become corrupt and as a result Windows XP will not allow them to load. This then prevents me from reading or writing files from/to the drive.

I have the original drivers on my OE CD that came with the laptop, but because the operating system wont load the drivers I am then unable to re-install the drivers from the OE CD.

I have also networked my laptop to another PC and tried re-installing the drivers using the CD drive on the network but again no success.

The laptop is an Advent 7048 P4 2.8GHz

The CDRW/DVD combo drive is a QSI SBW242B

Thanks in advance.


ps. I have visited http://qsinc.com.tw roughly a month ago requesting help with the same problem and as yet I have not even received an acknowledgement.

Have you tried the System File Checker. This, built-in XP utility, checks for files that may have become corrupted and fixes them. Your drivers may have become corrupt, by third - party software.

To Run System File Checker Follow the following Steps:
1: Click on Start
2: Click Run
3: Type in SFC /SCANNOW
4: Click OK

The preceding will launch System File Checker. You may be prompted to insert your Windows XP CD.

Good Luck!

[Derek Clegg]

Cheers, didn't know such a program existed, will run it and see how i get on!

[Derek Clegg]

Still not cured after all the above.

Last night i downloaded and installed CD burner XP Pro v3, and tried to write a cd with that. The drive went through the motions of writing a disk but after completion the same drive would not read the disk.

I brought the cd to another computer (out of curiousity) to see if it did in fact write the files and low and behold the files were on the cd.

Whats going on???

Still comes up with the original error message when i boot up windoze and wont read discs.

[Derek Clegg]

As a follow up I can confirm that there is no hardware fault. Im able to conclude this as I had a fiddle with msconfig trying out all the various boot up options and in the 'selective startup' option I have access to my dvd/cdrw drive and can read files from it etc.

Just wondering now how I go about tracking down the source of the conflict so that i can eliminate it and boot up in the normal mode, to have full access to all system resources.

[Sameer Jamal]

Are you talking about IRQ resource conflict ?

[Derek Clegg]

No I dont think so, im pretty sure its a conflict with a legacy driver and a windows xp driver.

[Andrew Eccleston]

I would go back to msconfig, and re-enable the options you disabled one by one until it stops working again. That should tell you what's causing the conflict.

[Jesse Torres]

Is your drive being displayed in the Device Manger and / or "My Computer" ? Also, does it have power; in other words, will it open and close?

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Jesse Torres:
Is your drive being displayed in the Device Manger and / or "My Computer" ? Also, does it have power; in other words, will it open and close?

Yes and Yes

[Jesse Torres]

Have you tried uninstalling the "extra CD recording Software?" If no, then uninstall the cd recording software. Then reboot your machine. If that doesn't remedy your dilemma then go into your Device Manager and locate DVD / CD-ROM Drives. This entry should have a sub-entry. Right click the sub-entry and select "uninstall." Reboot your computer. Windows should auto-detect your drive and install the necessary drivers. If this fails then you can rest assured that it is your drive that is corrupt.

Best of luck!

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Jesse Torres:
Have you tried uninstalling the "extra CD recording Software?" If no, then uninstall the cd recording software. Then reboot your machine. If that doesn't remedy your dilemma then go into your Device Manager and locate DVD / CD-ROM Drives. This entry should have a sub-entry. Right click the sub-entry and select "uninstall." Reboot your computer. Windows should auto-detect your drive and install the necessary drivers. If this fails then you can rest assured that it is your drive that is corrupt.

Best of luck!

I currently have no CD recording software on the laptop, after uninstalling all cd software i could find.

I have uninstalled (disabled) the drive and re-installed (enabled) it but still windows refuses to let the drive work. (its listed in device manager and shown to be ok)

Have tried updating the driver, but windows cant find a better driver than that its already using.

The drive is definitely not faulty I (briefly) had it working a few nights ago when fiddling with msconfig.

Tis soooo annoying, I would even pay someone a chunk of my student loan if they could fix it!

[Jesse Torres]

Try downloading Belarc Advisor.
Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware. Run it and then post your Drive specifications here. You may need a firmware update?
[ October 04, 2005: Message edited by: Jesse Torres ]

[Derek Clegg]

So I downloaded, installed and ran that advisor program and here is what it says for my drives;

120.06 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
72.28 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

QSI CDRW/DVD SBW242B [CD-ROM drive]

Generic USB Flash Disk USB Device (131 MB) -- drive 3
IC25N060ATMR04-0 [Hard drive] (60.01 GB) -- drive 0, s/n MRG308K3HZWYTH, rev MO3OAD4A, SMART Status: Healthy
Kingston DataTraveler 2.0 USB Device [Hard drive] (254 MB) -- drive 2
USB-HS SAMSUNG MP0603H USB Device [Hard drive] (60.05 GB) -- drive 1

[Sameer Jamal]

Derek havent you tried any updated driver yet.

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Sameer Jamal:
Derek havent you tried any updated driver yet.

I would if i could - the manufacturer does not release their drivers!!

[Jesse Torres]

Originally posted by Derek Clegg:
Still no joy.

I removed the upper and lower filters keys in the registry editor.

I uninstalled all the cd recording software from the laptop.

Still getting the same error message.

Any fresh ideas? This is doing my head in!

I didn't even ask; is the cd recording software named Roxio Easy CD Creator?
Try the following link. I know that you have removed the upper and lower keys. However, this link has more instructions.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315345

Good luck,

Please post your results.
[ October 27, 2005: Message edited by: Jesse Torres ]

[Derek Clegg]

Originally posted by Jesse Torres:


I didn't even ask; is the cd recording software named Roxio Easy CD Creator?
Try the following link. I know that you have removed the upper and lower keys. However, this link has more instructions.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315345

Good luck,

Please post your results.

[ October 27, 2005: Message edited by: Jesse Torres ]

No I dont have Roxio Easy CD Creator.

I followed the microsoft support link you posted but none of the registry keys they referred to were in my registry.

[Jesse Torres]

From My Computer:
Right click your cd-rom letter:
Select Properties
Select Recording Tab

Is "Enable CD recording on this drive" enabled or disabled? This is Windows Native CD recording software. Sometimes disabling this native software will alleviate certain problems.

Good Luck,

[Derek Clegg]

Enabled, but disabling it makes no difference

[Jesse Torres]

Were you able to resolve your problem?

Good luck!

[Rick Moral]

I also have the same drive in my Alienware Laptop. It has died twice in the last 6 months. The drive sucks and the support for it sucks as well. Alienware had to replace it twice of course. GZood luck.