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.

[Thalamus.]

Hi christoefour,

welcome to Club Vaio..

have you installed the latest Win DVD BD update for your AR31S.?

You can check and download updates for your Vaio..

either via the VAIO Update Utility: double click on the Vaio Update link in your system tray and follow the instructions.

or

By using the Sony support download page, use the following link then select your model in the drop down list to download the update: Sony Support Downloads

[letitiayeng]

Hi Everybody....

I don't know if anyone can help but I've got a VGN-B1XP (quite old)

I bought some printable DVD-R. When I write on it with NERO, the dvd comes out blank
when I try to read it. I tested it on my husband's PC and all the stuff I wrote are there.

Have tried a full recovery already.....tried different software.......even tried other printable DVDs written
by a different PC. NO LUCK

Can anybody help??

Thanks!

Letitia........

[bert2204]

Dear Biencogo,

ref to your advice #1 below, the updated driver for the drive Sony DW-D56A is not on the weblink you have posted below

Please help:
-have Vaio VGN-A417M (acquired Sept 05) with Sony DW-D56A drive
-installed on my Vaio Sony's Picture Motion browser software and want to burn the movies I shot onto a DVD. Each time after converting exactly 50% of the files to be burned onto DVD, get an error message with a red cross "Authoring Tool for DVD: Cannot write to the disk because an error occured"

I can write CDs without any problems, but not DVDs. Rightclicking Properties, the drive is working properly. I already tried different DVDs from different producers, reinstalled Picture MOtion browser etc and Sony Camcorder support tell me this is an issue with my DVD writer in the Vaio

Please help. It's extremely frustrating not to be able to transfer my movies onto DVD and only have Sony phone support during office hours when most people are in their day jobs and don't have time to spend hours on the phone

many thanks

[Blencogo]

Hi bert2204,

Is there anything in this thread that helps?

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=36622

Sadly, the DW-D56A drive is very unreliable and you may have to get it replaced. Have a look at this long thread: -

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=31787

[vinitha193]

i am new to the site
i got PCG-TR1MP the dvd driver will play cd's.vcd's but it will not recognize dvd disk. when i connect sony EXTERNAL dvd player model PCGA-DVRW1 it plays dvd's i had also installed latest firmware but no joy. pl some one help me

[letitiayeng]

Hi Everybody....

I don't know if anyone can help but I've got a VGN-B1XP (quite old) with a PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K14.

I bought some printable DVD-R. When I write on it with NERO, the dvd comes out blank
when I try to read it. I tested it on my husband's PC and all the stuff I wrote are there.

Have tried a full recovery already.....tried different software.......even tried other printable DVDs written
by a different PC. NO LUCK

Can anybody help?? Am getting frustrated!!!

Thanks!

Letitia........

[mangoginger]

Hi Blencogo
My CD/DVD hardware is working (i.e. it can play CDs/DVDs) but the open/shut button doesn't work anymore. I can eject from within a software programme (e.g. I-Tunes).
Thanks,
Lesley

[Thalamus.]

Hi Lesley,

try this..

Open your browser and go to Sony Vaio Support download site, use the following link: Sony Vaio Support download site

Select your Vaio model from the list and download the Original Utilities Package.

Once downloaded extract the files and install the following in order.

1 SonyUtils DLL
2 Sony Shared Library
3 Vaio Event Service
4 Setting Utility Series

Once completed re-start your Vaio.

You may have to do this more than once..

[terrynanni]

I thought I would post on how I fixed this problem with my DVD/CD drive randomly not working with various application yet working with others – this has happened from day 1 (about 9 months ago). I have a VGN-FZ11S and run Vista and had the problem before and after SP1. I had done the registry fixes and this seemed to work sometimes (depending on app). The other day I finally got around to burn the vaio backup dvds via the “Vaio Recovery Utility ” only to be told that "Cannot find the CD or DVD recorder. The recorder may be in use. Check your recorder then restart the VAIO Recovery Utility." I tried all the tricks but no go and was starting to think it was a sony hardware issue – especially after reading so many posts about sony vaio users who have the same problem. Anyway, a few weeks later I needed to burn a CD from an image file and fired up Roxio (for the 1st time). Suprise Suprise it could not find the DVD. I googled the error and was recommended to install pxengine3_00_58a.exe which is a patch for Roxio Easy Media Creator 8, but works with v9. I downloaded the patch and installed it. Not only did it fix Roxio, but it also fixed the sony issue of not detecting the DVD when I ran “Vaio Recovery Utility ”. I now hope the problem will never reappear.
The link for download is http://images.roxio.com/en/support/pxengine3_00_58a.zip

Good Luck

Rennce

I'd appreciate if Someone could please help me! 

I recently bought a VAIO VGN-FE41Z.  I've been trying to create a recovery disc (as I'm supposed to do in case of problems).  I click START, ALL PROGRAMS, VAIO Recovery Tool, and VAIO Recovery Utility.  The User Account Control window appears.  I click Continue.  I select Create Recovery Media Kit and OK 

and then I get "Cannot find the CD or DVD recorder.  The recorder may be in use.  Check your recorder then restart the VAIO Recovery Utility."  

Needless to say, my CD/DVD is not in use.  I've tested the drive and I can read a CD, no problem (I haven't tried a DVD yet 'cause I'm not sure which "DVD zone" I want to use). 

I've also downloaded and installed the latest drivers.  I still get the same message. 

It's getting a little frustrating, especially since I've eventually come to the advice that I should run my recovery disc.  I'd be very happy to do so IF I could create one.

Can someone please help?  

Thanks in advance. 

Scribbler

[Thalamus.]

Hi Rennce,

welcome to club VAIO..

Thanks for the information hopefully it will help others..