DVD-RAM Driver for 2003 Server?!

[kahunanui]

Aloha! I have looked far and wide for the native dvd-ram Panasonic drivers (lused to be distributed by BHA but i can longer find their site - seems they've disappeared?) for Windows 2003 Server. I do have versions 5021 & 5025 for both W2K and XP but i don't see anything for W2k3 serv. I presume that is why some people fixed drivers so that they didn't check OS upon install? I see links to some of these drivers, but they are all old and no longer active.

I can't believe that more people wouldn't need these for W2k3. I don't want to use InCD for this as the native panasonic drivers have served me well for many years with no problems...both in W2K and XP. i also just don't want to get into the InCD thing on this system.

I've tried installing in both W2K & XP compatibility mode with no success. It just stops cold upon the OS id check. If i could remove that check i'm sure i could install them.
Can anyone point me in the right direction and/or let me know how i can fix these so that they will install?

thanks for any and all help on this problem

[Ian]

Whoa.. I didn't realize BHA went out of business. I know you could hack the old installers to work with win2003 but I couldn't find any info on how to do this.. just some old, broken links.

If anyone has drivers newer than 5025, let me know. I'll be glad to host this stuff on our website. Actually, I could probably use a copy of 5025 too. I probably have it somewhere, but I have no idea where.

[Ian]

It looks like you need to go into the SETUPINI.TXT file and change the TargetOS line. I don't have a computer running 2003 anymore, but I'd just try incrementing it from 9 to 10 and see what happens.

[kahunanui]

Whoa.. I didn't realize BHA went out of business. I know you could hack the old installers to work with win2003 but I couldn't find any info on how to do this.. just some old, broken links.

If anyone has drivers newer than 5025, let me know. I'll be glad to host this stuff on our website. Actually, I could probably use a copy of 5025 too. I probably have it somewhere, but I have no idea where.

Aloha Ian! Well, as much as you've helped me on this Great Forum, i'd be happy to post it/send it/fly it/fling it or wing it over to ya. Just let me know... i couldn't find anything later than 5025 -- it's as if this is dying technology?
Man, if you can help me with this what a BLESSING that would be. I will try anything you suggest. I'm pretty good at figuring out stuff but this one's got me. So you don't think i need to 'operate' on the actual setup.exe file with ultraedit or something? Wow, if it could only be something simple like an ini file change.

P.S. Hope all is well with you & yours

[kahunanui]

Yes, i see that now... don't know how i missed that... i'll give it a try Ian... but it sure seems too simple...

[kahunanui]

Dag nab it Ian, you're a Genius! It WAS just that simple. I checked the W2k version and sure enough, it was listed as "8". Since XP was "9" i put "10" and everything installed and works as normal. Thank you very much for putting me on the right track. I never thought for a NY second that it would be that simple.

Let me know if you need the 5025 for w2k & xp. It appears that 5021 is easy to find, but 5025 much harder. Let me know.

Thanks again Ian!
A Hui Hou -- Aloha!

[Ian]

I'm glad I could help. I was able to grab 5025 from Toshiba's website but wasn't able to find anything newer.

Vista and Windows 7 have packet writing support built in which is probably why there haven't been many, if any, updates.

[kahunanui]

Vista and Windows 7 have packet writing support built in which is probably why there haven't been many, if any, updates.

That was going to be my next question - YOU'VE READ MY MIND! Since i've not done much with the new os's, i didn't know if they had a way to deal with dvdram. Thanks for letting me know. I wonder how stable the built in stuff is. i've had plenty problems with built in stuff in win os's over many years. Not sure why, but these panasonic? drivers have been rock solid for all our systems. After the problems with incd, it was a blessing to have these.

[Ian]

Yeah, InCD turned into a dog when they stopped using (I think) BHA's burning engine. It's gotten better, but the performance still isn't up to where it was.

I haven't tried the packet writing support in Windows 7, but the stuff in Vista was pretty decent.