Member Avatar for QKSTechTrainee

Bit of an odd one this.

Running Windows XP Pro on a single workstation.
My MATSHITA DVD-ROM SR-8584A was working fine the other day, but now it is convinced it is only a CD ROM. The diagnostic tools I've run also seem to insist it is a cd-rom. I haven't had any luck finding drivers for it on the net as yet, but XP is reporting the drivers as fine anyway.... Any ideas anyone?

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 116 Views
  • 5 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Coconut Monkey

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary and focused troubleshooting you can try before (or while) swapping the unit.

A drive that suddenly "thinks" it is only a CD-ROM can be caused by three broad things: a hardware problem in the optical pickup (DVD wavelengths/filters fail more often than CD ones), corrupted/misreported firmware on the drive electronics, or an OS/driver/registry-level misidentification. All are plausible; the next steps below will quickly isolate which one it is.

Quick isolation checklist (in roughly this order):

  • Try a known-good DVD and a known-good CD and note which one the drive reads. If CDs work but DVDs do not, that points more to hardware.
  • Boot from a Linux live CD/USB and test the same discs. If Linux sees the DVD correctly, the problem is likely Windows-side. If Linux also fails to see DVDs, it is almost certainly hardware or firmware.
  • Check the BIOS/POST messages to see how the drive is identified before Windows loads.
  • Use a low-level drive-info utility (for example, Nero InfoTool or similar) to read the drive’s reported capabilities and firmware revision; that tells you whether the drive itself is advertising DVD support.
  • Inspect Event Viewer for device/driver errors after inserting media.

Quick fixes and cautions:

  • Clean the lens (cheap cleaning disc or careful manual clean) and reseat/change the data cable or port (IDE jumper settings or SATA connector issues can cause weird behavior).
  • Firmware updates exist for some Matshita OEM parts but are often vendor-specific; only flash with firmware exactly matched to the drive’s model and vendor—wrong firmware can brick the drive.
  • If the drive reads CDs but not DVDs even outside Windows, the DVD laser/pickup is likely failed; replacement is usually the most reliable fix.

Tying back to earlier replies: was right to push for testing outside of the current Windows install — booting a clean environment (Linux live medium) is the fastest way to determine hardware vs OS. If a replacement is fitted, confirm interface/jumper compatibility and keep the old unit until you’ve verified the new one works so it can be returned if needed.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for QKSTechTrainee

Just a brief follow up on this post - Newe DVD rom ordered and awaiting installation - I'll let everyone know if this fixes the problem.

PS - when people view the threads, how come no-one ever says - "I dunno either"?

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

PS - when people view the threads, how come no-one ever says - "I dunno either"?

Because it's a waste of time and contributes nothing. Plus I tend to delete posts like those. :cheesy:

If you still want to resurrect the old DVD drive, perhaps try uninstalling the entry for it in device manager, rebooting, and letting Windows reinstall it. You could also test it out in another PC.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.