Problems with MSI MS-8348 (A assumably)

[colvin]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum, I really hope I can get help. I have got a cd-rw MSI MS-8348 which I assume according to my sources is the A version. But I have had a lot of trouble reading mediums, namely most CD-R / CD-RW that I've tried. Verbatim CD-Rs, Packard Bell CD-Rs, BASF CD-Rs, and Fuji CD-RWs.
In both easy Cd creator platinum and Nero 5.5, they say there is no medium in the drive, or that it's not ready. I have 150D firmware which I got recently, have disabled all firewalls, disabled UDF filesystems as suggested, and asked around, but to no avail.
I have had only 3 successes, 2 times with MSI brand disks, and once with a Verbatim, but it either failed half way, or I couldn't read it, so was just as the same as the other blanks I have.
Everything should be installed ok, as the comp knows the drive is there, and I can open and close the lid ... ... but it also has burnt on msi disks before. The only problem was with a sound lead, which I couldn't insert onto my motherboard, but I swapped the connection from my main top drive to the cd-rw.

So, the question is, why does my system have such a job reading blank media???

Thanks for any help, and I'm sure that some other people have had this problem.

[colvin]

*bump* anyone can help?

[colvin]

Can't no one help me? Please, I've tried everything, I am desperate for help here.

[Ian]

Give us some more info on your system. Specs, OS, etc.

Have you tried the drive in another computer?

[tweakerxp]

I've got the same drive and never had a problem with it. I had the B version but it died when it got RMA'd, I got the A version, I guess MSI no longer distributes the B versions. The easiest way to tell the difference between the A and B versions is by the front panel. The B version has square buttons and an MSI logo on the front, the A version has rounded buttons and no MSI logo. The A version is actually a rebagged OptoRite and the newest firmware can be found here: http://www.optorite.com/firmware.htm The B version is actually a rebagged BENQ and firmware can be found here: http://www.benq.com/drivers/storage_drivers.html

[colvin]

I must be running on version A then, but if I used optowrite firmware, would it solve compatibility problems with media, and is there a technique with it?

[jase]

If it is reading original CDs OK but not CDRs/CDRWs (when written), or is able to write to some blanks but spitting others out, then it's a bad drive and should be sent back to the dealer for replacement.

So the MSI drives work with the Optorite firmware do they? Interesting....

[colvin]

Hey again, sorry haven't been online for a while, here's my pc specs

Intel Celeron 700mhz
Intel Integrated Graphics
20GB hard Drive
320 SDRAM
Windows SE
Model Name: E Machines 700 DVD

I haven't been able to try the drive on another pc yet, but I shall do so.

At the moment, it can't even write on the disks because it doesn't recognise them it seems. 99% of the time it won't read the disk, and before begining the burning process, it will ask for me to insert a medium, even though there is already one in there. I say 99% because of one exception with a verbatim disk when it wrote, but I could never read it, rendering it practically useless, and unreadable like the blanks.

Oh, and one more thing I'd like to mention. During installation of the drive, there wasn't room on the motherboard to insert the second sound cable that came with my cdrw, so replaced the one from the original drive and used it for the cd-rw ... Is that ok? they looked practically identical.

[colvin]

*bump* I am quite desperate, can I plz get some help? Oh, and if this helps, I tried to re-write on the disk I made and it thought there wasn't a disk in the drive like the others, but it wasn't formatted ... so I'm curious if that helps or not...

[cfitz]

I'd go with Jase on this one. Sounds like the drive is bad and a trip to the return depot would be in order.

cfitz