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.

[Blencogo]

Hi walms - I think you are in luck!!!

A small Registry edit will fix your problem. Be careful and don't change anything else while you are in the Registry.

1.Click Start > Run and type REGEDIT and hit enter.

2. Navigate to –

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

and highlight it. Then locate UpperFilters in the right hand window, (if it exists) right click on this and select Delete and then OK.

3. Under the same Registry Key locate LowerFilters, (if it exists) right click on this and select Delete and then OK.

4. Quit Registry Editor and re-boot the computer, new registry values will be created that will hopefully cure the problem.

After you remove the Upperfilters value and the Lowerfilters value, you may possibly need to re-install your burning software – but not necessarily.

Welcome to Club Vaio and Good Luck !

[jlmerino]

Hi.Do you know if is there any update firmware for sony DW-u54a?
Thank you very much!!

[walms]

Hey,
Thanks, that worked a treat! Do you know why it happend/happens???? Thanks a lot, i thought i may have to send it back!

cheers

[Thalamus.]

Hi.Do you know if is there any update firmware for sony DW-u54a?
 Thank you very much!!

Hi jlmerino,

Could you let us know what model Vaio do you have please...

[Blencogo]

Do you know why it happend/happens????

The UpperFilters and LowerFilters keys in the Windows registry store information about CD and DVD burning drivers. When you add or remove CD and DVD burning applications, these registry keys are altered and they can become corrupted. When you remove the registry keys and restart the computer, Windows refreshes the keys. Some applications may use a different burning driver than the application you reinstalled. If the other CD or DVD burning applications installed on your computer cannot access the drive after Windows refreshes the registry keys, you will need to reinstall those applications before they can access the drive.

Adobe Photoshop Plugins and Roxio/Nero are the common culprits.

[lovely_mummy]

Wow Wow Wow, it works!
Had to post to say that I've been metaphorically sitting on my Vaio for the last 18months with the DVDRW drive not recognising any discs I put in it, so hence not burning or playing anything....Had been in touch with online support half a dozen times, upgraded firmware, uninstalled drivers etc with no luck. I posted a drive relpacement question last week I was that desperate to get the damn thing working again. After reading all the posts in this thread I tried lens cleaning and freeing the moving bit in the dvd drawer, and bloody hell it's all working again. $2 (I now live in Aus) and 10 mins is all it took. I think Sony should advise people to do this on a regular basis! THANKYOU Brown Polar and Blencogo for your posts, you've solved my problem and saved me around $250. PS, I have nil techie exp, anyone can do it! :smileygrin:

[Blencogo]

Hi lovely_mummy,

Nice to hear you have got it sorted !!!!

You are now a DVD Drive 'Expert'

:smileygrin: :smileygrin: :smileygrin: :smileygrin:

[Blencogo]

Hi dogma43 and wecome to Club Vaio

When I look into the properties of the drive (in the device manager), it says: Code 41

The solution to your problem is the same as for walms 'Error Code 39 in Device Manager.

If you follow the instructions to remove the values in the UpperFilters and LowerFilters, it should fix your drive also.

This will also work if anyone has any of these Error Codes: -

Error Codes 19, 31, 32, 39 or 41

[blue_belle]

Hi everyone......new to this forum as I have just purchased a laptop and having problems and need some help. I have a VGN-CIS/W and my dvd drive is missing when i started up. I have only made my recovery discs, updated any updates and had a quick look at what programs were installed. I'm also getting a message that updates are ready(windows auto) and even though I have installed and rebooted they keep coming back. I obviously cant use my recovery disc so I was hoping someone could give me some advice taking into account that I'm not great with computer terminology Or should I just demand my money back !!!!

[anibalstereo]

hi everyone,
i have a vgn-fs115z model and i´ve started having problems with my cd/dvd device. it reads every cd or dv disc but refuses to burn any of them. now it seems that the drive doesn´t recognize any empty disc... i´ve tried the lens cleaner, but nothing changed. please, please help me, as i need my computer to work!!!