HL-DT-ST DVD+RW GCA-4040N

I am also having problems locating the firmware update, for my HL-DT-ST GCA-4040N Burner that came in my Inspiron 5150

Hello,

I had the same exact problem with my dvd burner (gca-4040n). Appearantly so has many other people. This forum is full of unhappy gca-4040n owners. I wasted 6 dvd+r disks before calling Dell support. They agreed to send me a replacement drive. I demanded it be a different brand, otherwise I'm sure I would end up at square one all over again. I suggest that you and anyone else with this problem do the same. It is my opinion that Dell realized there is a problem with this drive after it had already released it, and figured the cost of replacing the drive only to disgruntled owners was far less than openly admitting the error, which would in turn open the floodgates. That is just my opinion. I am only posting this reply b/c it was this forum, with all the same complaints, that prompted me to call Dell and demand a replacement. Had I not read this forum, I would've listened to the tech support and reinstalled Windows. That would have been an unnecessary nightmare. I feel compelled now to do my part for the next guy that gets sold a dell with the same piece of junk drive. I must say though, the Indian tech support fellow who helped me was very polite and helpful. I have no complaints there (except for a political "outsourcing" argument, but that's not relevant here). If I continue to have problems when I recieve my replacement, I will post again.

Hi:

If anyone ever got firmware update for this model, kindly post here.

Thanks.

I am still looking for the firmware, if anyone finds it please paste a link in this forum.

 

Thanks in advance

moved to a new topic

Message Edited by PiK on 06-19-2004 03:23 PM

I've got a Inspiron 600m notebook and am having the same problem with my drive.  I've gone through the process with tech support and they sent out a new drive.  Unfortunately it was the same exact drive.  I asked them for one from a different manufacturer.  I still continue to have the same problem.  I asked them if I could pay the difference to upgrade to to the 8x and they said sure but that difference is $193, when if I had selected the 8x at the time of purchase it would have only been around $65.  Overall very unsatisfied with the way Dell is handling the situation, or not handling it.  If anyone finds the firmware update, posting it here would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

I've got a Inspiron 600m notebook and am having the same problem with my drive.  I've gone through the process with tech support and they sent out a new drive.  Unfortunately it was the same exact drive.  I asked them for one from a different manufacturer.  I still continue to have the same problem.  I asked them if I could pay the difference to upgrade to to the 8x and they said sure but that difference is $193, when if I had selected the 8x at the time of purchase it would have only been around $65.  Overall very unsatisfied with the way Dell is handling the situation, or not handling it.  If anyone finds the firmware update, posting it here would be greatly appreciated.

I don't have my PW 620 yet but I'll tell you that the computer I'm posting from runs a HL-DT-ST-CD-RW GCE-8240b and a HL-DT-ST-DVD-ROM GDR8161b and I've been very happy with them.  They are LG drives, so mabye check out the LG electronics site.  You might find some firmware or something there.  In fact my CD-RW is pushing almost 3 years old and still kickin.  Not scsi drives though.  We'll have to see what drives show up with my workstation.

I was having similar problems (the drive worked perfectly for everything except burning DVDs). After reading this forum, I called into tech support. I was on hold for AN HOUR (!), but when I finally got to a technician, she was very helpful. I explained my situation and that I had read about similar problems on the dell chat forums. It was a total non-issue, she agreed to send me a new NEC drive within 48 hrs. She warned that there would be a possibility that the warehouse might send me another Hitachi if they run out of NEC, but that she made a special note for them not to do that. Notwithstanding the hourlong wait, it was overall a fairly painless process thus far.  However, we will see if I ever get the drive, and if the NEC works better. More to follow.

Well, good luck getting your new drive. I recieved the same junky GCA-4040n two times. Both times I called and complained. I recieved a bill for the drives after I had already sent them back. After an hour or so on hold, Dell Wreck Support, as I call it, told me to disregard the bill. Then they once again promised to send me the new drive in 3-5 business days. I waited two weeks and still no drive arrived. I called Dell and they said it was a paperwork error, and that my drive was never ordered. I was assured one would arrive within 3-5 business days. Again, two weeks later I recieved nothing. This time I called back and demanded a refund. Dell had the gaul to tell me that they would take back the computer, but because the initial period to return had past, I would have to pay a 10% depreciation fee. Can you believe that? The computer's DVD RW never worked, I tried to resolve the matter through their tech support, and due to their incompetence I should suffer a penalty. I contacted an attorney friend of mine, and he said to try to get all my money back. He said if that did not work, he would get involved. After countless hours of dealing with this poor excuse for a computer company they finally agreed to give me a full refund in 10-15 business days. I waited the 15 days and still no money. I called and they once again apologized and said it would be another 10 days. I freaked out and threatened legal action. They agreed to expedite my refund to 5 business days. After the 5 days, I finally got back my money. Sorry this post is so long but it takes a while to write all the incompetence and lack of regard for customer service I have suffered at the hands of Dell. I PROMISE THAT I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DELL, I WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE I CARE ABOUT TO BUY A DELL, AND I WILL TELL ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH DELL.

did you get a refund and keep the computer, or have to send it back?

I currently have no Problems using my GCA-4040N (Rev. C108) on an Inpiron 8600. It's fast, reliable and seems to have a good error correction (i use rented dvds from www.netleih.de, they are scratched/blinded often).
Probably you have Problems with special kind of DVD+Rs/DVD+RWs media? I cannot believe, that all the three Drives were not functioning.. probably a mainboard/connector issue then, or just a 'wrong' brand burn media!? So if i have problems to blieve that, a firm like dell could have it too..



Manuel

I have changed my brand of blank dvds to the ones from brisbane car sound, and now the dvd+rw works great.

I don't think that this is the correct forum to bring this matter up, but I seem to be having heat problems with my inspiron 5150 laptop. I use it for a lot of 3d graphically demanding programs, but I even had to go and purchase, a laptop cool pad, and a little desktop fan to keep it cool, which I think is a bit of an overkill, also my son has a toshiba satellite pro 4600 laptop, and it runs fine, without any additional cooling gear. The temperture I am currently getting on my dell is 70 to 80 degrees with the 3d application, and 25 to 30, without running the application, but it is the point of the thing, I shouldn't have to purchase additional cooling gear to keep the computer cool, it is not the internal dell fan, because I downloaded some temp and fan monitor software called i8kfangui, just do a google search for it and you will find it, but yeah,

Anyway I wonder if anyone else has the same problem

I have a GCA-4040N with an Inspiron 8600, and I don't have any problem with it to write DVD+R, I use Verbatim DVD+R (on www.nierle.de/fr)

 

is there a difference between using "dvd-r" and "dvd+r" in the hl-dt-st maybe as i see the one person who has it working is using dvd+r.

i am using dvd-r and mine is NOT working on the copy data mode

thanks,  ted s.