DLA drives me crazy!

[Tania]

XP Home/SP2 - Samsung CD-RW
RecordNow Max ver 4.5 + DLA packet writing.
No other burning software on the system.
(How to check DLA version? May-be through the *tfswctrl.exe* file? which is ver 3.50.14)
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Whenever I try to DLA-format my CD-RW or use a DLA-formatted CD-RW I get a message *Direct Access Component has encountered a problem and needs to shut down* on disk insertion.

I've had the above problem since recently reinstalling XP + SP2 - though I've been able to use DLA a few times during the course of program re-installation before this hitch has suddenly occurred and become permanent.

No point in trying to find info at the Veritas site, there's no help at all there, and the RecordNow Max Forum has the feel of a funeral parlour. Would someone please be able to offer help? I really need packet writing.

[dodecahedron]

moved to Sonic Solutions forum.

[burninfool]

Make sure you disable Windows writing software(My Computer->right-click on drive->Properties->Recording).

[Tania]

I forgot to mention that yes, of course I deselect 'Enable CD recording on this drive' and tick 'Enable DLA on your drives'.

Through CD-RW properties I've found that DLA version is 3.57 and when checking for updates on Veritas server I get the report *system is up-to-date*.

[Tania]

I've now uninstalled/reinstalled RecordNow Max and the Veritas software. I couldn't *repair* DLA as the Veritas software is all wrapped up together within the RecordNow Max install file.

The problem is STILL there - when my drive detects a DLA formatted disc I get the Direct Access Component failure!

[burninfool]

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/155248

[Tania]

Vow! I quote from that post:
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*Sonic DLA on HP with AMD processor & Winxp sp2 will not work. We tried version #460 and #460-1 and #359 At Present All agree HP, MS, & Sonic)it's a problem with xp sp2 & the AMD chip. They say they are working on it and will soon have a fix available. *
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(I have orlogix DLA ver 3.57 BTW).

The fact is, I don't have AMD but an Intel chipset. Whom do you reckon I should report this to, so that they look at it from this angle as well?

But above all, if I have to uninstall DLA which I received with my RecordNow Max, could anyone recommend some other packet writing software I could use? RecordNow Max is great so I'd like to have something that doesn't interfere with it.

So grateful for your help.

[II_V_I]

Hello There Tania,

(I know this is L O N G, but bear with me. I've researched this issue in depth!)

BACKGROUND:
For quite some time I have been using W2K instead of XP because I ran into problems with XP "emulating" Peer-to-Peer connections at incredibly slow speeds, something W2K does much more efficiently. I actually down-graded my Thinkpad from XP to W2K over this issue for our home wireless network.

Recently I bought a router, so this was no longer an issue. My system shipped with XP SP1a AND IBM's version of DLA, which was the Veritas variety (version 3.26). These two worked together fine. My work overseas in high humidity environments required me to use non-magnetic media for backups, so I have accumulated quite an archive of CD-RW discs formatted for DLA, an archive/backup system covering several years' work.

DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM & ATTEMPTED SOLUTIONS:
After installing SP2 from a CD-ROM ordered from MS (so no download errors can be held responsible!) my OS began issuing the same error messages you've described. For the past 3 weeks I have been engaged in conversations with techs at both IBM and Microsoft and have forum hopped myself into fatigue.

On IBM's web site is posted an update to the DLA software (version 4.95 or 4.96). I downloaded it and installed it and it makes no difference whatsoever under SP2, so don't bother.

SP2 has incorporated Roxio's version of Drag-and-Drop, which is a real DRAG if you've been used to DLA's versatility and speed, and it's a real DROP in user friendly file manipulation as well. The only thing it has going for it is faster format times initially.

The gurus at Microsoft have worked on my complaint to them, escalated it up a notch, and after running all kinds of tests on my system (which is essentially a clean installation of WXP with SP2 applied and very little in the way of third party software to interfere (since I've been using W2K), they are essentially in denial.

What is it about (SP1a + DLA = working system) and (SP2 + DLA = crash) that they can't work out? Duuuuuuhhhhh!

At the website of Sonic (www.sonic.com) which has relieved Veritas of its ownership of DLA, there is posted very clearly a statement of incompatibility between Roxio's software (incorporated into SP2) and DLA. Whereas under SP1a users like us could CHOOSE which recording and readup utility we would like to use for reading and burning CD-RW discs, under SP2 this choice has been taken away. I won't go so far as to say it was intentional; but, it is certainly crippling for those of us who prefer DLA and have substantial investments in that format.

No matter what choices you make under your optical drive | Properites | DLA (and) Recording tabs, when the system reboots, it runs back to Mama (so to speak) when it tries to read up the contents of your optical drive. Since the embedded Roxio software doesn't recognize the DLA formatted disc, it produces that first error screen you've seen enough of.

On my system, if I boot with a DLA formatted CD-RW disc in the drive, XP barks like that but will not go so far as to crash. It doesn't do that until I eject the original disc in the drive at startup and insert another one. That'll get me to Blue Screen Death quicker than anything else I can think of. XP SP2 issues the error message that it cannot read from the disc; and, I can click the OK button on that error message. The very next click, anywhere, launches me into the Blue. It's such a bad crash that on my Thinkpad, when the system attempts to restart, it hangs at the WXP logo screen. I have to remove the battery and remove the AC to get the machine to reset. After that it will restart normally if I select that option from the black and white DOS screen which appears.

THE BAD NEWS:
Unfortunately, unless MS decides to issue a fix for this problem, there doesn't appear to be anything we users can do (in terms of manipulating settings) to work around the issue. The problem stems from the fact that SP2 fails to integrate the Reading and Writing processes into a single user selectable option. The Write option APPEARS to be selectable, but the READ option is not. When the system's embedded Roxio software encounters a disc formatted in a format it cannot read, instead of defaulting to the user's choice, it insists on its own way and creates multiple conflicts which eventually spell CRASH for most of us.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Lots of users on forums have reported this problem or some variation of it. Dell posted a firmware update for their CD-RW drives, but I don't think it adequately addresses this problem. If Bill's gurus do decide to take responsibility for the bad code and decide to fix it, I'll be more than happy to e-mail you the GOOD NEWS.

[II_V_I]

It's a week down the road, and a several consultations and phone calls with a Microsoft engineer later, but -- for some -- there is some good news, at long last, RE: DLA after SP2.

There is also some BAD news and a few warnings.

First, the GOOD News

For IBM users, at least.

Here are the steps by which I eventually got DLA working again with SP2:

Caution: Before following these steps make sure that you have the original versions of DLA and RecordNow software available to you for reinstallation!

Also, make sure that you download from Lenovo/IBM's web site, their fixes for Veritas versions of the DLA and RecordNow software that shipped with their machines. These updates will upgrade and convert your software from the Veritas variety to Sonic's variety. The URL below will get you to the site where the DLA upgrade is found. Note the restrictions on drives, etc.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-40970

The next site will get you to the RecordNow update, which, again, converts your version from Veritas to Sonic.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-43887

My recommendation is that you order a CD-ROM version of SP2 from Microsoft. It is absolutely free to registered users of SP1a. It makes what follows easier; but, it's not necessary if you've got it saved somewhere on disc or HDD.

1) Uninstall SP2, uninstall Veritas DLA, and uninstall Veritas RecordNow (The Veritas version of DLA which shipped with my Thinkpad last year was ver 3.26).

2. Boot to SAFE mode, re-install SP2, and then restart.

3. In normal mode, reinstall the Veritas version which originally shipped with your IBM computer. Do not attempt to use this version, and do not insert a DLA disc into the computer yet. The upgrade to Sonic ver 4.95 is just that: an upgrade. It will not install a standalone version, but will only upgrade a previously installed version.

4. Run the DLA upgrade to version 4.95 which you downloaded earlier.

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At this point you should be able to regain control of your DLA discs, and you should have the ability to read from the older UDF version and write to them without crashing or getting error notices from XP SP2.
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5. Reinstall the original version of RecordNow.

6. Run the update which you downloaded from IBM/Lenovo. It will delete the old version and rename folders, etc, and install RecordNow! (with an exclamation point as part of the new Sonic name).

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After taking these steps in this order, my Thinkpad will now do DLA as it always has in the past, without SP2 barking at it, issuing error messages, to crashing into the Blue (Screen Death).

You will need to reinstall any Windows Updates or Security Patches which you may have installed after applying SP2 the first time.

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The BAD News from Sonic

Warning: If you are running a previous (Veritas or other) version of DLA and have been having problems after installing SP2, I recommend that you DO NOT pay for and download the version of DLA offered by Sonic on their website (www.sonic.com), not if you want to be able to read from AND write to your old DLA discs. Their version (which I paid 19.99 for, downloaded and installed yesterday) is version 4.90. It will work OK under W2K if you are running that. It will NOT work OK under XP SP2.

Here's what it does. It will permit you to read your old DLA discs without the annoying error messages issued by SP2 ("ADC" and "XP cannot read this disc"). It is stable under SP2 and does not crash it. But it will not permit you to write to your old DLA discs.

If (and this is a big IF) you are willing to copy all the data from your old DLA discs to another drive, reformat each disc with Sonic's version of DLA, and then restore the data to each disc, then the Sonic ver 4.90 will, eventually, provide you with a workable DLA solution and access to all your old data.

If you are like me and have many DLA discs which you use for ongoing projects, this process simply takes too much time to be feasible. At 22+ minutes of reformat time each, and approximately 7 minutes of copy time on the upload to HDD (for a full disc) and approx. 11 minutes of download back to the disc, in a best case scenario you are looking at more than 40 minutes per disc to re-do your archives -- and that is just for CDRW archives. DVD-RW archives may take much longer.

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Bottom Line:
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IBM's version 4.95 update takes care of the problem for those users who had IBM systems running the previous version of DLA. Those of us fortunate enough to have had Veritas software can upgrade and enjoy DLA life after SP2.

Perhaps other users could try the IBM fix to see if it will work for them.
I don't know.

Good Luck!

[Ian]

Thanks for the info II_V_I

I dunno why Sonic doesn't have the latest version of their own software available. I've said this in the past and I'll say it again.. I hate their software update stuff too. Just put the damn files on the web like normal people and let us download them manually.

[burninfool]

I dunno why Sonic doesn't have the latest version of their own software available. I've said this in the past and I'll say it again.. I hate their software update stuff too. Just put the damn files on the web like normal people and let us download them manually.

Amen...I hate all that "you must register first" crap.
If any Sonic employees read this forum I have one thing to say to you:Your website support( www.sonicsolutions.com ) sucks,the navigation runs a customer into circles.

[unclebud]

here, here! i concur