To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

[Guest Anopheles]

Dear Captain Microsoft,

 

I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

 

Anopheles

[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

news:eBWhXas9IHA.5928@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>

> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

>

 

This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as

intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to

actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Guest Anopheles]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"M.I.5¾" wrote:

>

> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

> news:eBWhXas9IHA.5928@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>>

>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

>> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

>> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

>> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

>> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

>> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

>>

>

> This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as

> intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to

> actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

>

Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear. It

is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it doesn't

recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

news:%23PbPTAu9IHA.1812@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> "M.I.5¾" wrote:

>>

>> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

>> news:eBWhXas9IHA.5928@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>>>

>>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is

>>> not functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it

>>> is definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

>>> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

>>> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

>>> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

>>>

>>

>> This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as

>> intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to

>> actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

>>

> Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear. It

> is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it doesn't

> recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

>

 

 

Your reply is a little contradictory. I presume that when you insert a

CD-ROM that the drive accesses it and reports it as a CD disc.

 

Are you saying that if you insert a DVD-ROM disc that it reports it as

CD-ROM but otherwise reads it, or that it doesn't recognise the disc at all

and doesn't report it as anything?

 

The former situation is the known problem that I refered to in my first

response.

 

The second situation means that the DVD laser has failed in the drive (they

have two lasers). These lasers are unfortunately limited life items but in

DVD drives they seem to have a much shorter life than they really ought to.

Fortunately, replacement drives are very cheap these days.

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:43:39 +1000, "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au>

wrote:

> Dear Captain Microsoft,

 

 

Who?

 

> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

 

 

If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted friend,

the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be reinstall

the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just give him

the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

 

> Anopheles

 

 

This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest Doug W.]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in

message news:96tg941r04od6shkhehgvop7jlc2s4lfd5@4ax.com...

> On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:43:39 +1000, "Anopheles"

> <hison@coolcats.net.au>

> wrote:

>

>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>

>

> Who?

>

>

>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend

>> and it is not

>> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only

>> whereas it is

>> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I

>> got some

>> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a

>> geriatric with

>> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it

>> was. If any

>> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it

>> forever.

>

>

> If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted

> friend,

> the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be

> reinstall

> the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just

> give him

> the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

>

>

>> Anopheles

>

>

> This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

>

> --

My thought exactly...LOL

-

> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest Anopheles]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"M.I.5¾" wrote:

>

> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

> news:%23PbPTAu9IHA.1812@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "M.I.5¾" wrote:

>>>

>>> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

>>> news:eBWhXas9IHA.5928@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>>>>

>>>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is

>>>> not functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it

>>>> is definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got

>>>> some excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric

>>>> with advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was.

>>>> If any here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it

>>>> forever.

>>>>

>>>

>>> This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as

>>> intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to

>>> actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

>>>

>> Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear.

>> It is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it

>> doesn't recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

>>

>

>

> Your reply is a little contradictory. I presume that when you insert a

> CD-ROM that the drive accesses it and reports it as a CD disc.

>

> Are you saying that if you insert a DVD-ROM disc that it reports it as

> CD-ROM but otherwise reads it, or that it doesn't recognise the disc at

> all and doesn't report it as anything?

>

> The former situation is the known problem that I refered to in my first

> response.

>

> The second situation means that the DVD laser has failed in the drive

> (they have two lasers). These lasers are unfortunately limited life items

> but in DVD drives they seem to have a much shorter life than they really

> ought to. Fortunately, replacement drives are very cheap these days.

 

Briefly, DVD in the drive-- nothing, zilch! The drive sees nothing and the

description changes from a DVD/CD drive to simply a CD drive.

I was fortunate enough to have found the solution that I used last time

after assistance from another group. The link below refers.

 

Thank you for your assistance though.

 

Anopheles

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

[Guest Anopheles]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:43:39 +1000, "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au>

> wrote:

>

>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>

>

> Who?

 

It got your attention, right. :-)

>

>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

>> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

>> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

>> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

>> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

>> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

>

>

> If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted friend,

> the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be reinstall

> the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just give him

> the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

 

Ken, the computer is one of my old ones so I have some trust in the original

owner. :-)

 

The problem is a registry problem. The link refers to it.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

>

>> Anopheles

>

>

> This is the first time I've ever replied to a mosquito! ;-)

 

Well, now, and you lost so little blood, too. You're lucky I'm an Aussie

Mozzie, I drink beer.

 

Thanks for your attention.

 

Anopheles

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 06:14:33 +1000, "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au>

wrote:

>

> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> > On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:43:39 +1000, "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au>

> > wrote:

> >

> >> Dear Captain Microsoft,

> >

> >

> > Who?

>

> It got your attention, right. :-)

 

 

Actually, no. It was the text below that got my attention.

 

> >> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is not

> >> functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas it is

> >> definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got some

> >> excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric with

> >> advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was. If any

> >> here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it forever.

> >

> >

> > If it were me receiving a used computer, even from a trusted friend,

> > the first thing I would do with it when I got it would be reinstall

> > the operating system cleanly myself. If I were you, I'd just give him

> > the computer and the Windows CD, and let him do it.

>

> Ken, the computer is one of my old ones so I have some trust in the original

> owner. :-)

 

 

As I said, it's not just a matter of trust. If my best friend were to

give me a used computer, even though I trusted him implicitly, I would

still reformat and reinstall. No matter how trusted the person is,

there is always risk of his having done something wrong. If I got a

computer, I would want to start it with a clean slate.

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: To the Most Knowledgeable MS Guru

 

 

"Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

news:%23aNhZcz9IHA.1420@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>

> "M.I.5¾" wrote:

>>

>> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

>> news:%23PbPTAu9IHA.1812@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>>

>>> "M.I.5¾" wrote:

>>>>

>>>> "Anopheles" <hison@coolcats.net.au> wrote in message

>>>> news:eBWhXas9IHA.5928@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>>>> Dear Captain Microsoft,

>>>>>

>>>>> I am setting up one of my old computers to give to a friend and it is

>>>>> not functioning as normal, i.e. it is reporting as a CD only whereas

>>>>> it is definitely a DVD burner. This has happened in the past and I got

>>>>> some excellent advice from a MS newsgroup however, being a geriatric

>>>>> with advanced senility and hygiene issues, I can't recall what it was.

>>>>> If any here has sage advice in this matter, I will appreciate it

>>>>> forever.

>>>>>

>>>>

>>>> This is a common problem. Does the DVD burner still otherwise work as

>>>> intended (I'm sure you are aware it requires third party utilities to

>>>> actually burn a DVD). If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

>>>>

>>> Thank you for your reply. Perhaps I didn't make my meaning quite clear.

>>> It is not a matter of the burner. When I place a DVD in the drive, it

>>> doesn't recognise anything is there. It also reports very disc as CD.

>>>

>>

>>

>> Your reply is a little contradictory. I presume that when you insert a

>> CD-ROM that the drive accesses it and reports it as a CD disc.

>>

>> Are you saying that if you insert a DVD-ROM disc that it reports it as

>> CD-ROM but otherwise reads it, or that it doesn't recognise the disc at

>> all and doesn't report it as anything?

>>

>> The former situation is the known problem that I refered to in my first

>> response.

>>

>> The second situation means that the DVD laser has failed in the drive

>> (they have two lasers). These lasers are unfortunately limited life

>> items but in DVD drives they seem to have a much shorter life than they

>> really ought to. Fortunately, replacement drives are very cheap these

>> days.

>

> Briefly, DVD in the drive-- nothing, zilch! The drive sees nothing and the

> description changes from a DVD/CD drive to simply a CD drive.

> I was fortunate enough to have found the solution that I used last time

> after assistance from another group. The link below refers.

>

> Thank you for your assistance though.

>

> Anopheles

>

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

>

 

Glad you fixed it.