Vista will not read DVD...

I have used my installed Sony DVD drive to install/read/write burn
programs/info etc etc many times.

Recently a colleague sent me a DVD with info on it (I think he used a
version of Nero). Vista 64 could see there was a disk in the drive but
could neither read nor open it.

I checked the Sony out and Vista sees it for sure...there are no yellow
'flags'...

I tried the disk in my XP PC and it was fine...could see and/or
manipulate everything...

I'm stumped...any guidance would be appreciated...

Cheers,

Michael


--
MikeTAD

MikeTAD wrote:

>
> I have used my installed Sony DVD drive to install/read/write burn
> programs/info etc etc many times.
>
> Recently a colleague sent me a DVD with info on it (I think he used a
> version of Nero). Vista 64 could see there was a disk in the drive but
> could neither read nor open it.
>
> I checked the Sony out and Vista sees it for sure...there are no yellow
> 'flags'...
>
> I tried the disk in my XP PC and it was fine...could see and/or
> manipulate everything...
>
> I'm stumped...any guidance would be appreciated...

It sounds like your colleague's disk was created with packet-writing
software (if Nero, then InCD is the program). This is one of the reasons I
don't recommend packet-writing software; if you don't have that software
installed on your computer (or a free UDF reader), the disk appears blank.
You probably have packet-writing software installed on your XP box (Sony
DLA, InCD, etc.). This article, although written for XP, explains the
situation quite well:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q321640

Here are various links for UDF readers. I think Nero has a free download
somewhere on its site, too.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...earch&aq=f&oq=

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

OK. Thanks for the input...I'm learning a lot...

My PC OS was not an upgrade from XP to Vista...it was a clean install
into a new computer...so the registry fix will not work as the files
mentioned do not exist (I did look in the registry for them).

As mentioned, my XP OS PC (not an X Box ) opens the DVD with no
problem at all.

Instead of trying to install a UDF reader, I installed Nero from the
original disk that came with my Sony DVD hardware.

Still no joy...cannot read the darn DVD disk from within Vista 64...

I'm finding some aspects of Vista to be very frustrating...this is one
of them...

Any further input would be appreciated...

Cheers,

Michael


--
MikeTAD

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:39:11 -0500, MikeTAD <>
wrote:

>
>OK. Thanks for the input...I'm learning a lot...
>
>My PC OS was not an upgrade from XP to Vista...it was a clean install
>into a new computer...so the registry fix will not work as the files
>mentioned do not exist (I did look in the registry for them).
>
>As mentioned, my XP OS PC (not an X Box ) opens the DVD with no
>problem at all.
>
>Instead of trying to install a UDF reader, I installed Nero from the
>original disk that came with my Sony DVD hardware.
>
>Still no joy...cannot read the darn DVD disk from within Vista 64...
>
>I'm finding some aspects of Vista to be very frustrating...this is one
>of them...
>
>Any further input would be appreciated...
>
>Cheers,
>
>Michael


Back up a bit. When you insert a DVD that has data (meaning the DVD
isn't blank) one of two things should happen.

1. Auto Play will launch some application that can read the file
formats on the DVD and begin to play. This is typical for
music files, videos, images like in a slide show.

2. If a mixed bag, the AutoPlay window should pop up giving you
choices of what to launch to view the files. If nothing else
one choice should be to view the files on the disc using
Windows Explorer.

Do you at least get this far?

You should also check in Control Panel under Auto Play. One nice
improvement in Vista is you can set up HOW Vista should handle common
file types automatically.

What TYPE of files are on this DVD? Vista might play dumb if the DVD
contains file types that don't presently have any file association set
up to launch some application.

Just so you know, I have had two Sony DVD/CD burners fail within the last 6
months.

I now use a cheap $36.00 Lite-On drive and have no problems with it.

Sony used to be good - at or near the top of the heap with their hardware.
They have taken a big slide down hill in my estimation.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"MikeTAD" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> I have used my installed Sony DVD drive to install/read/write burn
> programs/info etc etc many times.
>
> Recently a colleague sent me a DVD with info on it (I think he used a
> version of Nero). Vista 64 could see there was a disk in the drive but
> could neither read nor open it.
>
> I checked the Sony out and Vista sees it for sure...there are no yellow
> 'flags'...
>
> I tried the disk in my XP PC and it was fine...could see and/or
> manipulate everything...
>
> I'm stumped...any guidance would be appreciated...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Michael
>
>
> --
> MikeTAD

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:38:03 -0400, "Richard Urban"
<> wrote:

>Just so you know, I have had two Sony DVD/CD burners fail within the last 6
>months.
>
>I now use a cheap $36.00 Lite-On drive and have no problems with it.
>
>Sony used to be good - at or near the top of the heap with their hardware.
>They have taken a big slide down hill in my estimation.

I'm amused at how prominent Lite-On drives are these days and how
dependable they are.

"Back in the day", Lite-On was a new name, and it was mainly known for
its low prices.

Richard Urban <> wrote:

<newbie top-posting macro corrected>

> >
> > I have used my installed Sony DVD drive to install/read/write burn
> > programs/info etc etc many times.
> >
>
> Just so you know, I have had two Sony DVD/CD burners fail within the
> last 6 months.
>
> I now use a cheap $36.00 Lite-On drive and have no problems with it.
>
> Sony used to be good - at or near the top of the heap with their
> hardware. They have taken a big slide down hill in my estimation.



Would you please tell me which models those two Sony burners were? I ask
because they are most probably rebadged Lite-Ons, which would make your
estimation quite funny. My Sony DRU-800a is a rebadged Lite-On.

All the Japanese manufacturers, including Sony, stopped making optical
drives years ago (around 6 years ago, IIRC), and have only sold rebadged
Korean, Taiwanese, (and now most probably Chinese) made drives since. I
think all current Sony optical drives are made by either Lite-On or Samsung.

ss.

DRU-830a, DRU-810a

Both of them stopped writing to DVD's
Would read DVD's just fine

The 830a died 2 days after warranty ran out

CD's were not affected

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Synapse Syndrome" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Richard Urban <> wrote:
>
> <newbie top-posting macro corrected>
>
>> >
>> > I have used my installed Sony DVD drive to install/read/write burn
>> > programs/info etc etc many times.
>> >
>>
>> Just so you know, I have had two Sony DVD/CD burners fail within the
>> last 6 months.
>>
>> I now use a cheap $36.00 Lite-On drive and have no problems with it.
>>
>> Sony used to be good - at or near the top of the heap with their
>> hardware. They have taken a big slide down hill in my estimation.
>
>
>
> Would you please tell me which models those two Sony burners were? I ask
> because they are most probably rebadged Lite-Ons, which would make your
> estimation quite funny. My Sony DRU-800a is a rebadged Lite-On.
>
> All the Japanese manufacturers, including Sony, stopped making optical
> drives years ago (around 6 years ago, IIRC), and have only sold rebadged
> Korean, Taiwanese, (and now most probably Chinese) made drives since. I
> think all current Sony optical drives are made by either Lite-On or
> Samsung.
>
> ss.
>

Are you suggesting that my hardware is at fault rather than it being
software problem

--
MikeTAD

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:40:14 -0500, MikeTAD <>
wrote:

>
>Are you suggesting that my hardware is at fault rather than it being a
>software problem?

Since you didn't quote what you are replying to, I'll take a guess and
say yes. Drives do quit working unexpectedly, and their age is no
predictor.