DVD-ROM and other DVD drives need firmware upgrades...

[gcutler]

For those of you with DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD+-RW drives, you may want to visit your vendor site and apply the latest Firmware upgrades.

One of my DVD-ROM drives needed a firmware upgrade to read DVD+R discs.

My DVD-RW needed a firmware upgrade to handle high speed DVD discs without doing damage (faster than 2x DVD speed)

Another DVD-ROM firmware upgrade upgraded me from 5x to 6x max read speed.

So while maybe there hasn't been a need to upgrade your CD-ROM or CD-RW firmware, don't let your DVD drive miss too many firmware upgrades.

Some of these firmware upgrades were runable from Windows, others required a floppy disk to create a boot disk, so the annoyance factor may differ greatly from drive to drive

[gcutler]

You didn't read for content. I'm specifically talking about DVD drives. Any upgrade you do to your CDRW is your own fault :p

[Jacob S]

So are these companies going to replace those that have damaged their units because of the companies mistake?

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Jacob S
So are these companies going to replace those that have damaged their units because of the companies mistake?

I'm sure they will say no, but if the user complains enough they will eventually say yes.

[MarkA]

I tried to flash me DVD drive from a floppy (the only way it works, I HATE flashing from a floppy). It failed, but didn't damage the drive. Some error just flashed on my screen for just long enough for me to read the first couple words. Something about wrong firmware or something

Me thinks it tried to flash my CDRW, because the CDRW decided not to work. It wouldn't even power up. It wasn't detected. I turned my computer on and off a couple times, and on the second time the drive decided to power up. In case the firmware got damaged, I am now going to reflash my CDRW before I restart again. Wish me luck!

[gcutler]

The firmware should not attempt to flash anything but what it is supposed to, so I doubt the DVD SW tried to flash the CD-RW. I had a model xxxxxxxxxxxx-T and tried to use a xxxxxxxxxx-B firmware from another similar device and it said no devices match the firmware. Don't know what brands you are using, but firmware typically today will not attempt to touch anything but the exact device it is designed for.

[craig559]

Gang sorry to bring this back to the top,but I am new to all this and was wondering if I should do anything before I attempt to load the enhancement CDs(got 4 of them) from Compaq, for my Presario700
Thanx and have a great and safe New Year

[gcutler]

What are "Enhancement CDs?" Firmware upgrades, driver patches? The term is not a general one used by all vendors, must be specific to Compaq?

[craig559]

Yes they are firmware and driver upgrade.
Sorry, I ordered them off there website after they did some kind off scan of my notebook and it popped up with a pile of updates. Only reason I even went to check on this is because of test results from PC Pitstop and they kept on saying to check for updated to my specific model.

[gcutler]

Most of the time these upgrades go fine, but I would backup any important data or printout any important info you might need in case anything goers bad (if you do scheduled backup, before applying CD might be a good time). Make sure you know if you need to boot off floppy (or boot off the CD). Now a days most programs that must run via boot disk or CD-ROM will not run in command prompt (but wasn't always the case).

Chances are when you reboot, it will recognize new hardware (because of different firmware) Don't worry too much. If everything they sent you is correct then everything should work fine. Often when new drivers installed, setting go back to default so if you told a Video Card icon not to show up in System tray, it might come back, etc.