cdrw drive + strange noise

[glr]

hi can anyone help,i installed EAC last week but since then my cd-rw drive cannot write cd-r's anymore(or even recognise them),shortly after ive put a cdr in and closed the tray i hear a click,then a squeeking/squeeling noise for a few seconds,then a click,then squeeking noise again etc,this goes on for a while,then nothing.the drive still recognises and writes cd-rw disks,but not cd-r's.ive tried re-formatting my HD but it doenst fix the problem.

win98(SE),sony cd-rw CRX100E (firmware revision 1.0m),ive run the 'aspi installation verification' program and it says i have these components installed--> 'apix.vxd 4.5.7(1014)' and 'wnaspi32.dll 4.5.7(1014)'.EAC v0.9beta4.im not really sure about bus type.

[cfitz]

Try uninstalling EAC, ASPI and your regular burning program. Then reinstall your regular program and see if the problem persists. Use google to find ForceASPI if you need help uninstalling ASPI.

Based on the symptoms you have described, though, I think there is a chance that your drive has suffered a mechanical failure that just coincidentally occurred around the same time you installed EAC.

cfitz

[CDRecorder]

I agree with cfitz. If it's squeaking abnormally, it's probably broken. One other thing to check: does the squeaking happen with several brands of CD-Rs, or only one brand?

[Inertia]

glr,

The ASPI drivers that you listed are obsolete and the wrong ones for your system. Instead of v4.57 (1017) you should have v4.60 (1021) loaded on your computer. You should download ForceASPI to install the correct drivers. cfitz has given you good advice, but I would try using the drive with the correct ASPI version installed before giving up on EAC (and the drive).

Go to cyrus-troy Downloads and download the ASPI Check and Force ASPI programs.

Run ASPI Check to verify that the installation is incorrect. If this is the case, unzip (extract) ForceASPI, read the Index.htm file carefully, and run the program. ForceASPI will repair and properly install the current ASPI layer.

Reboot, run ASPI Check again to verify that version 4.60 (1021) is properly installed, and if correct, try the drive again.

[glr]

hi guys,yeah i get this problem with all brands of cd-r (although all brands of cd-rw work fine).i used aspicheck and forceaspi to install v4.60,rebooted but still get the same problem.someone has said it might be firmware related,any thoughts on that?

[Inertia]

There is a firmware version 1.0n available at The Firmware Page, but I doubt that will solve the problem.

From the symptoms, it seems more like the laser is unable to read and calibrate inserted CDR's properly. This could be caused by a failure of the optics in the drive, but is frequently caused by dust, smoke or other contaminants interfering with the optics or mechanical movement.

I would try cleaning the drive first if you want to keep it. This will often resuscitate the drive and keep it operational much longer.

If you want to try this, general burner cleaning instructions can be found at Simple Recorder Maintenance - Lens Cleaning and Lubrication

and Clean Your CD-RW.

[glr]

thanks for the info everyone ,ill try cleaning the drive,then get a new one if it still doesnt work.

[Inertia]

You're welcome, glr.

Let us know if cleaning the drive revives it.