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.

[g90]

Hi, i have a problem with my cerything cd/dvd drive. In vista everything worked prefect but now that i've downgraded (upgraded :P) to XP i can't read or write any cd's or dvd's. I insert the disk and windows notices that a disk is inserted put it can't read the data in it. Theres no problem with the when i look in the device manager.
I have a VAIO CR21Z/R with a pioneer dvr k17 burner

[wistaria]

VAIO VGN-C2S, with PIONEER DVR-K17.

I never used the drive to burn disk before (cos I have another external DVD-burner).
Today I wanted to have a try and I found the drive can’t burn any disc, nor even read any burned disc! (they worked fine on other computers).

There is no error code when I check with device manager.
I checked registry, there's no 'UpperFilters' or 'LowerFilters'.
I tried uninstall the drive and reinstalled, didn’t do any help.
I tried different discs in several brands (TDK, Memorex, Kodak and Verbatim), none of them worked on this DVR-K17.

Could anyone suggest what the problem is?

[donovani]

hi
it doesnt show any other devices

[donovani]

am finding it difficult to show you whats really going on!
how do i show the windows that i'm looking at on here? just like g90 has done???
how do you that???
thanks

[Thalamus.]

am finding it difficult to show you whats really going on!
how do i show the windows that i'm looking at on here? just like g90 has done???
how do you that???
thanks

This guide should help: [GUIDE] How To Post A Screenshot

As your Vaio is just over two weeks old I would suggest you return it to the retailer..

[donovani]

is it possible i might need to download some updates from vaio-link???
is der no other solutions???
der is a sony shop close to where i am shall i take it der???

[theSpid]

I got also a prob with my dvd-rw in my Vaio. Point is that device is called Matshita UJ-841S, very offten when i burn dual-layer or normal DVD using my vaio DVD-RW he cannot read them, other drivers got same problem. Whats with this hardware ?


As for other people try to search firmwares on

CDRInfo.com

or if you speak polish:

CDRInfo PL

I doubt that there is network of those sites. Try adresses with you own country domain at the end

[HarisUK]

Hi,

I tried to read as many of the answers to this thread as possible, but still have not seen any mention to my problem. My CD/DVD works fine but when it powers off (usually default to power off in battery) when it powers on again the laptop will not recognise it. If I check device manager at that point, i get an error that the driver cannot be loaded because a previous instance of the driver exists on the system (something like this!) and the error code is 38. A temporary solution to that is to disable the setting on the power manager to turn off the drive when in battery, but I guess this defeats the purpose of having the ability to turn it on and off. Any ideas/solutions?

[t-pilot]

hello.. i dont have problem with the dvd of my new vaio VGN-AR51M but i cant play the blu-ray dvd that comes with it.all other normal dvd play allright but not blu-ray. can you help on that please do you know why? thank you..

[Thalamus.]

Hi HarisUK,

welcome to Club Vaio..

Try Microsoft's solution below..

Code 38
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)
Recommended resolution

The driver could not be loaded because a previous instance is still loaded. Restart the computer.

On the General Properties tab of the device, click Troubleshoot to start the Troubleshooting Wizard.