Share your experience!
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.
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.
Dont know much about computers but my drive doesnt read anything. Laptop= VGN-FZ21Z drive= MATSHITA BD-MLT UJ-2205 ATA. Checked the device manager and says windows cannot start this device cause config info in the registry is incomplete or damaged (code 19)..... Can any body help.
I've had my VAIO VGN-SZ1XP for just over two years now. I've had no problems with my DVD/CD until now.
The other week I was going to install a program from a CD and the CD was not read. I noticed that the drive is not visible in My Computer nor can I see it in Device Manager. It has totally disappeared. When I put a CD or DVD in the drive it makes a noise as if it's reading the CD but nothing happens.
Also when I ran the Windows Update Advisor ( I was thinking of upgrading to Vista), it says that there was no DVD/CD drive.
What has happened and how can I fix it. I've trawled through the posts here and none have really solved my problem.
Can anybody help. I need my drive to reinstall some programs.
Hi guitardeejay and welcome.
Unfortunately, if it is not present in Device Manager then it is probably a hardware fault or a bad electrical connection.
Check again under DVD/CD-ROM Drives in Device Manager and if it is not there, you will almost certainly need to replace the drive or at least check the physical connections.
Unfortunately, it is a big job as the keyboard and palmrest must be removed to undo the DVD drive retaining screw.
If you PM me your email address, I will send you the manual - at 3MB it is too big to attach here.
Hi Blencogo,
Thanks for your reply.
It's definitely not in Device Manager, there isn't even a section DVD/CD ROM drives. Only disk drives and it's not there.
I've PM'd you my email addy.
Thanks
Hi guitardeejay,
just a thought but do you have any unknown or hidden devices listed in device manager.?
Hi Thalamus,
I had a look in Device Manager and viewed hidden devices, there is a long list but only one has an exclamation mark on it "PCLEPCI". I don't know what device this is but the does say that device is not present (Code 24).
Any ideas?
If the drive is not showing in Computer, try the following.
Go to Start>Type Run into start search(just click run in XP)>click on run>type in regedit and press OK.
Navigate to the following key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SYSTEM>CURRENTCONTROLSET>CONTROL>CLASS
In this folder you should be able to see the following registry key:
4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318
Click on this folder and on the right you may see upper or lower filters.
If you see either of these filters delete them by clicking on them to highlight them then press edit>delete.
Restart the unit after both filters have been deleted.
If you see XXXXXfilters.bak DO NOT DELETE THESE FILES.
Also the other advise already given applies:
- Reinstall the driver in the device manager.
- Check for updates to the firmware for the drive.
- System restore if the drive has worked before or if a Windows update was installed and the drive didnt work after the installation.
- Try different software to read/burn disks.
@ JWalker69,
Thanks. I did what you said but still nothing showing in My Computer. I've a few system restores but I'm not sure exactly when the problem arose as I hadn't really used the DVD drive for ages, only until I needed to install from a disc. I can't even recall the last time I used the drive successfully but this is going back months.......may perhaps.
I'm not keen on a full recovery......but I was wondering how can do a full recovery if the CD won't boot?????
Hello,
I have a problem with the CD/DVD drive, it says: Impossible to start device (code 10).
the device is Optiarc BD ROM BC-5500A ATA
installed in a Vaio VGN-AR71M