Sorry about the lack of message on the above.. pushed a wrong key combo.. I have struggled with this issue for too many hours .. and have tried all recommended fixes available and still the DVD won't do anything when a disk is inserted but lite for a few times, then go dead.. Cineplayer also is not able to be run as an application. It is version 2.5.00.138 (so both update fixes respond with the "not applicable to this version' message). Here's what I think... 1) the Phillips 8801 drive is lacking firmware that it needs to be current with the latest M$ updates.. and in my attempts to get it to work, Cineplayer has been altered so now it can't run. This will be a warranty job unless I've missed something. Suggestions anyone.

Here is a bit more info... likely should have put it down earlier.. the Dell is a Dimension 5150 about 6 months old... the Phillips DVD burner and player has worked quite a few time up until early January...I see in the XP system device drivers section that the Phillips8801 utilizes the Micro$oft OS drivers and similarly there are no "hits" on specific drivers when I "web searched". I can get a response with Roxio Burning (My DVD LE) but in 2 trials all I made were coasters. The couple of forum threads on this make me think i may be faced with OS software conflicts with poor (cheap) DVD burner firmware ie: BenQ is the closest burner firmware available)... I have also tried other DVD player software to see if I could get the Drive to respond beyond the initial "few seconds of green light)-no luck and that includes M$ media player 10. Any doing anything different or am I the only er with this drive-OS combo? BeardedWonder

Hi B-W,

The Philips 8801 is a rebagged BenQ drive and yes there is a non Dell firmware available that converts the Philips to the BenQ. However, the use of it will void your warranty on the drive.
As far as drivers, if you are game. click on the CD/RW link in my post and scroll to Section 15, article ; Section 20, article 3; Section 12, article 10 (Ignore the refernce to roxio). See if any of the above will help.

Best Regards





God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

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CD/RW Link

Jeff: Thanks for all the reference material... Wow.. some of this seems pretty deep for getting the drive to work on a relatively new system... I did try late last night just deleting the device from the device manager, then reboot and plug-n-play... and Windows XP set it up, etc.and shows it as a CD (generic) drive in "My Computer"... but same old thing with a commercial CD insert... it shows up, if at all, as an empty CD. That in itself points me to just a plain drive failure to read the disk properly(FYI the disk shows easily in my other PC's)...that's a firmware issue?... which, after all is said and done I can resolve by a) going to Dell for a Warranty replacement (hope not a Phillips) or 2) just buy a replacement name brand DVD-RW drive and be done with it... thanks again
B-W

Closing Update on this thread... Well I "bit the bullet" as they say and called Microsoft support. After 20 min. on hold (really!... at 4p.m. Friday local time AST)listening to awful elevator classics,I spent the next hour (plus) allowing a helpful, "by the book" Dell service person (2 a.m her time) take over my PC by VPN ,delete filters, change drivers, etc. etc. with many reboots...and at the end of it all, she agreed that the Phillips 8801 isn't working. Dell is supposed to be sending me a new drive replacement...hope I see it today and it won't hurt my feelings a bit if it's anything but a Phillips... time will tell. Thanks All for the advice. B-W p.s. once again, none of the patches matched the Sonic Version or the Phillips 8801 DVD-RW installed on this 6 month old PC... just for the record.

cLOSING uPDATE:

To All:
The new drive arrived yesterday from Dell as promised... the way the Dimension 5150 case is designed made physical installation a snap (love those step screws so you can actually handle them with your fingers)..the new drive is a NEC brand, jumpers in the correct place ... closed up the case and booted the PC...loaded a CD and "It's working"... Dell also sent most of the support media so I reloaded most just to be sure...so far everything is running smoothly. One more comment, this time about good old XP Pro that I run. It found this drive install, loaded the correct drivers, etc seamlessly. Even when I went to the System folder and checked the drive name, it had been switched to the NEC DVD ND- 3530A, this before I ran any of the software.
What ever is the problem with the Phillips, it does not seem to be a problem with other types of drives in the same "box".
B-W

Hi B-W,

I pleased to hear you received a new NEC and that this drive is working well.
Best of luck with the drive and your system...






God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

---

CD/RW Link