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Tech TIme: CD-R Freezing Computer

croxiscroxis I am the walrus
AURGE. Eversence I moved to college when I insert a black CD-R into my CD-RW drive, my comuter freezes, and then it unfeezes when I eject the blank CD. This didn't happen before I moved! Any ideas on what is wrong?

Comments

  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    Havent changed drivers? Anything get jostled around? Have you tried multiple CD's? Those are three things I can guess...
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    tried everything. Don't have any CD-RW though, those are at home. I contacted Yamaha (they made the drive) and they just said to re-install everything relating to the CDRW drive. I uninstalled it just now so i'll see next time I re-boot.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Have you installed any antivirus software?

    What OS are you using?

    Try turning off Autoplay btw - it could be that for some reason the Autoplay feature is trying to run the cd...which obviously can't be read.

    [This message has been edited by Random Chaos (edited 10-01-2002).]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Nothing has changed. It worked with autoplay before and I changed anti-virus programs after this problem showed up. I do remember dropping the tower for a height of about 4 inches as I was putting it under my desk. Could have it been damaged then or on the car trip down to my dorm? And if that is the case why deas it read normal CDs and written CD-Rs just fine?
  • Rogue TraderRogue Trader Somebody stop him...
    just because it worked with autoplay before doesnt mean itll work now. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    You should also try seeing if you have the latest Firmware upgrade to your CDRW drive also.

    My drive was a few months old, and it was something like version 1.9 and I DL'd a 1.10 Firmware upgrade that gave it the ability to recognize a whole slew of new media types for CDR and CDRW discs...

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    hmmm. look I will
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Speaking of Firmware - where is a good location to get them in general?
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by Random Chaos:
    [b]Speaking of Firmware - where is a good location to get them in general?[/b][/quote]


    Typically a Flashable Firmware upgrade comes from the manufacturers web sites. If you buy a device through Dell or other distributors, sometimes they will also carry firmware for the devices that they sell if it is available at all.

    My drive's firmware came from it's manufacturer's web site, and I had to look for it by model number, then refine it to assembly board numbers...

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
  • Does it read normal discs?

    Have you opened it up and checked the power and IDE cables?

    Do you have gremlins?
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Does it read normal discs?
    Yes

    Have you opened it up and checked the power and IDE cables?
    Yes

    Do you have gremlins?
    I think it might be a blue aardvark!
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I think it works now.
  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    [quote]Originally posted by croxis:
    [b]I think it works now.[/b][/quote]


    Good! What did you do?
  • ArgoneArgone Genuine Klingon
    Did you apply the thump method? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    Argone



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    [b]4 Thousand Throats can be cut in one night by a running Warrior[/b]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    You mean a Physical-impulse-mechanical-stress routine?

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Rogue TraderRogue Trader Somebody stop him...
    the apple IIIe method of fixit?
  • shadow boxershadow boxer The Finger Painter & Master Ranter
    nah Rogue...

    fixing a Mac requires, and I quote from a service bulletin " a sharp percussive force ".

    One must use the correct terms my friend, can't have people associating the riff raff with Mac's.
  • AnlaShokAnlaShok Democrat From Hell
    The Apple III had a slight problem with the motherboard. If the table upon which the computer was sitting got bumped, the board came unseated. The solution given by Apple was to hold the computer above the table at about chest height and drop it, reseating the board. Being an Apple, of course, meant that opening the computer voided the warranty, but dropping it from about 2 feet was just fine.

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    AnlaShok, Captain of the Gray Hand of Fate Squadron
    Sidhe-1
    Wielder of the Big Heavy Hammer of Obvious Truth
    "FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!"
  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    [quote]Originally posted by AnlaShok:
    [b]The Apple III had a slight problem with the motherboard. If the table upon which the computer was sitting got bumped, the board came unseated. The solution given by Apple was to hold the computer above the table at about chest height and drop it, reseating the board. Being an Apple, of course, meant that opening the computer voided the warranty, but dropping it from about 2 feet was just fine.

    [/b][/quote]

    That is just weird...
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by AnlaShok:
    [b]The Apple III had a slight problem with the motherboard. If the table upon which the computer was sitting got bumped, the board came unseated. The solution given by Apple was to hold the computer above the table at about chest height and drop it, reseating the board. Being an Apple, of course, meant that opening the computer voided the warranty, but dropping it from about 2 feet was just fine.[/b][/quote]

    They don't make them like they used to. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I lied, it isn't working anymore. I use to be able to get to yamaha.com but now I can't to update my firmware (site not found). *tear* WHY ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just hope I don't have to shell out the cash to pay for another bloody drive.........
  • Do you have redundant dormant computer AIs that are just now surfacing?

    Next time...get a plextor. They cost more, but they RULE, and their support services are great (I did have one fail after many, many CDs...and they replaced it willingly).

    Anyway..yeah, I would try to get a firmware..and if that doesn't work...see if you can get it replaced under warrenty (if it is under one still)...otherwise..well...

    Did you try the drive in a different computer if possible?
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    Dude, what model is it? I'll see if I can get it for ya.

    As for the case itself, you're damn lucky your hard drive didn't get toasted. Excessive force tends to kill critical components.

    What OS are you running? 9x? NT/2k/XP?

    If the latter, hit CTRL ALT DEL and look at your task manager and see what happens when you stick in a CD-R. Pay close attention to the memory usage. That'll tell you if its software or hardware causing this. (ie: if memory usage skyrockets, its software.)

    If you're running 9x, you can try running System Monitor. I haven't used 9x in ages, but if you installed it then you can find it located in your System menu via the Start Menu. If it ain't there, go into your windows setup and install it.


    One question though, does the LED on the front of the drive blink like crazy when your system freezes like that, or does it stay off?

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    [b][url="http://www.savefarscape.com/"]SAVE FARSCAPE![/url][/b]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    [quote]Originally posted by Vertigo1:
    Dude, what model is it? I'll see if I can get it for ya.[/quote]

    Site is back up :-)

    [quote]As for the case itself, you're damn lucky your hard drive didn't get toasted. Excessive force tends to kill critical components.[/quote]

    bah, a four inch drop isnt that much

    [quote]What OS are you running? 9x? NT/2k/XP?[/quote]

    ME (so 9x)

    [quote]If you're running 9x, you can try running System Monitor. I haven't used 9x in ages, but if you installed it then you can find it located in your System menu via the Start Menu. If it ain't there, go into your windows setup and install it.[/quote]

    The only thing is processor useage dropps to zero when it freezes.

    [quote]One question though, does the LED on the front of the drive blink like crazy when your system freezes like that, or does it stay off?[/quote]

    No

    I have a Yamaha CRW3200EZ

    and I can't find the firmware download!!!!!!!!!!!!


    I figured something else out. The freeze only happens when the computer looks at the Yamaha drive (I also have a DVD drive, in case that is important). So autorun will case the freeze, Nero will cause the freeze as it scanes the IDE bus, and it will freeze if I open My compute or Windows Explorer.

    Note, my fermware is allready up to date, but I will install it anyway.
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by Keyan:
    [b]Next time...get a plextor.[/b][/quote]

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]

    That's what I have...

    I'm very pleased with it.
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    No, no luck.

    I don't want to spend any more money :*-( I wanna do drum corps, and that costs alot!
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    hmm. I will re-install lunix and see if the same thing happens there.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    Dude, if usage hasn't skyrocketed, then its definitely hardware. Get an RMA.

    btw, 4 inches may not SEEM that big of a deal but hard drives are VERY SENSITIVE equipment. They don't like shocks. Period. Its a damn good way to scratch a platter or two.

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    [b][url="http://www.savefarscape.com/"]SAVE FARSCAPE![/url][/b]
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    Bah Vertigo1! you just need the right hard drive, I have this Quantum SCSI drive thats been dropped from four feet onto asphalt (shortly after purchase!) then since it got old (and small) It was taken out, knocked off desks twice and had coke spilled on it, and now its humming away in a linux box! (its only a 2 gig drive)

    although I am NOT going to try any of the above with my 40 gig seagate [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    They don't make em like they used to. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img] I could dropkick my old 170MB Quantum several feet into the air and it would still work like a charm. However, if I did that to that 6GB Western Digital drive I used to run, it wouldn't even spin up without scratching the platters into non-existance. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]

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    [b][url="http://www.savefarscape.com/"]SAVE FARSCAPE![/url][/b]
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