Driver update for Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A

[Vince Cravotta]

I guess you haven't had time to read all the posts since that happened. I removed the program from my old XP right after that sequence and rented a new XP. In the meantime, because of the rented computer, I coudn't get my home network working so I couldn't install the MTU program on the rented computer. I download a trial version in the new one. The MTU burner started working and recorded 16 songs. When I put it in the Karaoke machine, only one song out of the 16 played. In looking at the recorded side of the new disk, I could see that more than half of the disk had been recorded on but they were empty tracks. I thought abut coping the disk and remembered in the preview program you can't copy anything. So I still want to know how to put the full version of MTU in the new machine. Can I make a disk copy and install it in the new rental. (Of course I will uninstall it after the test).

[Vince Cravotta]

It's been a while since we talked on the phone in the good ole days. Bryan If you have any time, would you please take a look at some of my posts between d.douglas and marklwood. This situation is getting very bad. I honestly have tried every suggestion the boys have given me in posts to the forum. They are great guys but, i still feel that only sending my unit back to MTU and having them try it in one of their machines that we'll be sure that it's my computer fouling up the system. At this time I have uninstalled some 17 editing and disk recording programs leaving only the MTU burner and Microstudio running. I even removed my Trend Micro security software and just turn off the computers when I finish trying to get this burner to work. I have been out of business since my plextor when down some five months ago. I would appreciate anything you can suggest.

[Vince Cravotta]

Bob,
I notice that D.Douglas mentioned that I used it on another computer and it worked fine. Just to be sure that you understand the burn. I tried to burn 16 songs. The burner worked fine, it stated that the burn was successful. What he didn't mention was that of the 16 songs I tried to burn only one of the 16 actually burned the other fifteen were empty tracks. I know they had .bin files to burn because I played them before I went to the Write Function. They had no names or artist or time of the song.
I don't consider that a successful burn!

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by Vince Cravotta

I guess you haven't had time to read all the posts since that happened. I removed the program from my old XP right after that sequence and rented a new XP. In the meantime, because of the rented computer, I coudn't get my home network working so I couldn't install the MTU program on the rented computer. I download a trial version in the new one. The MTU burner started working and recorded 16 songs. When I put it in the Karaoke machine, only one song out of the 16 played. In looking at the recorded side of the new disk, I could see that more than half of the disk had been recorded on but they were empty tracks. I thought abut coping the disk and remembered in the preview program you can't copy anything. So I still want to know how to put the full version of MTU in the new machine. Can I make a disk copy and install it in the new rental. (Of course I will uninstall it after the test).

Vince, I have been keeping up with this very closely so I do know what has been going on and hoping something would click in on this.
Anyway , none of this is any indication that the drive has failed. You had previously burned a disk with Roxio and it worked. You also burned one with the rental through MS Demo and that worked. That is all I was trying to get across to Bobcox. However this still tells me it is not the drive and sending it back to MTU would not solve this.
If it was me, by this time I would have "Scrapped the Caddy" and re-installed Windows and all my programs. That is a desparate and lengthy fix, but sometimes it is the only way to fix some things. I am not suggesting you do that yet, but it may end up as the only option left. You have already proved that on a new load (the rental) of Windows it does work.
I am going to call MTU tomorrow morning and see if we can get Bryan the MTU Support Manager to look at this thread and see if he has anything new to try.
We will solve this Vince, even if I have to drive over there and find it!!!

[MTUSUPPORT]

Vince,
It does look like you guys have tried everything possible plus some. The only thing that I can think of to try before you send me the drive, is to try updating the firmware one last time to this version 1.05, which sounds like its the same version you have. Update it once, and see if there is anything in the Drives firmware that is messed up http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1554

If this does not work, then ship the drive back to me at MTU and I will get you a replacement, and test that drive to make sure it does the same thing for me.

[Vince Cravotta]

I thank you for your reply. I just sent in my latest report. I think, as I stated in my report that I admit that it doesn't seem to be bad. It seems that there are too many other software programs that don't seem to check their systems against the other brands to try and make sure that they don't interfere any more than necessary.
I will upgrade the firmware with the information that you provided and maybe try to reinstall my other software one program at a time.

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by Vince Cravotta

I will upgrade the firmware with the information that you provided and maybe try to reinstall my other software one program at a time.

Go slowly on the re-installs. Remember, it took a while for the problem to surface. I would only install as needed. That way, when you do install each program, you will be using it. Some programs don't rear their ugly heads until you use some feature or other. They wait until then to make registry changes.

I am so glad that we are closer to finding out what was conflicting. I was sure it was not the drive. This is the first time I have seen the list of installed programs on your computer. Off the top of my head, I would suspect either the Pinnacle Instant CD (maybe not because I think we tried everything with that) Power DVD, CDRWin, or Clone CD. Be assured, I will still be checking on this and doing some research to try and find out what it was so no one else will have to go through what you just did.

I did hear back from my mentor and he told me to try the firmware upgrade also. After that, maybe a stick or 2 of dynamite would be appropriate. Please keep us posted and I will do likewise. To me, this is the most interesting thing to happen in the past several months. I don't play games or watch sports, this and woodworking are the things I love to do.

[Vince Cravotta]

I tried the web address in three browsers and each one was rejected as
not a valid site.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1554

If you check and it is not the right address please repost.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by Vince Cravotta

I tried the web address in three browsers and each one was rejected as
not a valid site.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1554

If you check and it is not the right address please repost.

If you tried to cut and paste the link that may have messed it up. Just click on the link below and you should be good.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1554

Just trying to help.

Jim

[Vince Cravotta]

Bryan,

You won't believe what I'm about to tell you!! I finally found the correct address and downloaded the firmware. When I clicked on it to install it stopped and stated that this firmware is not for RW AD 1790A but for RW AD 7201A.
Bryan, this morning when I ran my hardware device it was: Optiarc DVD RW AD 7190A and now the hardware device lists it a Optiarc DVD RW AD 7201A.
I have never seen this happen before. I am at a loss for words.

[Vince Cravotta]

Thanks alot Madjim. You were correct, I did tried to copy and paste. Have you ever had a piece of hardware change numbers? I been working with a Optiarc RW AD 7190A for months. It was listed in all my screens and paperwork. Now when I tried to download and install the new firmware, it stated "you can't install this firmware in a Optiarc RW AD 7190A it is only good for a 7201A 1.06 Optiarc!!!

[madjim- with the Lord]

Vince,
Have you checked to see if the firmware update makes the drive work correctly?

Did you restart your machine after you updated the driver?

If you restart your machine and the drive still does not work you can rollback the driver and windows should read the correct drive again. The new driver may be causing this to happen.

Did you check the site to see if they have a driver for the 7190 model?

Jim

[Vince Cravotta]

Madjim,
You missunderstood me, my burner has always been listed in my system as a Optiarc DVD RM AD 7190A. Now as I was downloading the site that Bryan and you emailed me. I started the installation and it stated that I can not install this firmware in a 7201 Optiarc. It is only for a Optiarc RW AD 7190A. I check again in my hardware device and sure enough it is now listed as an
Optiarc DVD RM AD 7201A.

[ddouglass]

Vince, I think Bryan missed when he set the link. This is the one for the AD-7190A
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1553

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by madjim

Vince,
Have you checked to see if the firmware update makes the drive work correctly?

Did you restart your machine after you updated the driver?

If you restart your machine and the drive still does not work you can rollback the driver and windows should read the correct drive again. The new driver may be causing this to happen.

Did you check the site to see if they have a driver for the 7190 model?

Jim

Jim this is not the driver so Windows can't roll it back. It is the firmware on the drive itself. The only way to straighten it out is to reload the correct firmware. Drivers and firmware are not the same animals.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

Jim this is not the driver so Windows can't roll it back. It is the firmware on the drive itself. The only way to straighten it out is to reload the correct firmware. Drivers and firmware are not the same animals.

10-4. I have never had to install anything when I installed my Optiarc drive. Thought maybe the firmeare installed a driver as well. Learn something every day.

Thanks Dale!

Jim

[Vince Cravotta]

Dale, The driver and or firmware site that Bryan gave was for the 7190A burner. I never got the download because the application stated that the firmware I had tried to download and install was for a 7190A burner and that my burner is a 7201A burner. I have never heard that burner number until the message that the download came up with. I went to my device manager and sure enough the number of the Optiarc in my computer now is listed as a Optiarc RW AD 7201A.
I did try to roll back the driver and received the message that there had not been any new drivers installed. How can a burner change its number?
These things are driving me out of my mind.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by Vince Cravotta

Dale, The driver and or firmware site that Bryan gave was for the 7190A burner. I never got the download because the application stated that the firmware I had tried to download and install was for a 7190A burner and that my burner is a 7201A burner. I have never heard that burner number until the message that the download came up with. I went to my device manager and sure enough the number of the Optiarc in my computer now is listed as a Optiarc RW AD 7201A.
I did try to roll back the driver and received the message that there had not been any new drivers installed. How can a burner change its number?
These things are driving me out of my mind.

Vince.
Welcome to the world of PC's, I'm surprised I have any hair left on my head from my 10 years of working with them.

I see two things you can try. One is to try and get windows to read the drive as a 7120 like you say it always has. The other is to go ahead and install the firmware for the 7121 and see if it works.

Being the firmware is in a zip file, when you download it, save the file to your hard drive first and unzip it before you do the install.

If this does not work, uninstall the firmware then try disabling the drive then restart your computer and see if the drive number changes. (Either way you will have to re-activate the drive in order to test it. )

Tryin' to help!

Jim

[marklwood]

Originally Posted by Vince Cravotta

How can a burner change its number?
These things are driving me out of my mind.

One possibility is when you took the dive out and installed it in the other computer and re-installed it in your machine, Windows read it wrong. Go in to Device Manager and delete the drive, then let Windows re-install it and see what comes up. I suspect it will come up 7201A this time.

As far as the second statement. How far do you have to go?

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by marklwood

Go in to Device Manager and delete the drive, then let Windows re-install it and see what comes up. I suspect it will come up 7201A this time.

That's what I ment to tell Vince, thanks Mark! Long day and a long night.

Jim