NEC ND-3550A DVD-RW Install Problem

I recently upgraded my Asus P4C800-E system with an NEC ND-3550A
DVD-RW. The previous configuration had a Sony DW-U14A (DRU-510A OEM) 4x
DVD-RW set as Master and a BENQ 1648A 16x DVD-ROM set as Slave on the
secondary IDE connector. This configuration has worked flawlessly for
over two years, but I wanted the additional speed and DL media
capability provided by the NEC ND-3550A. The Sony DVD-RW was removed
and replaced with the NEC ND-3550A set as Master. Win XP SP2 recognized
and installed the driver, requesting reboot. Device manager shows the
drive installed properly and windows explorer also shows the drive. It
will read and play CDs, but will not read or recognize any DVDs. It
just posts the message to please insert disk into drive D: and then the
drive icon changes from 'DVD-RW' to 'CD.'

Nero recognizes the NEC drive and I succesfully burned a TDK 8x DVD-R,
but the NEC drive still can not read it. I reinstalled the original
Sony DVD-RW and it can read the DVD burned on the NEC drive with no
problem. I have tried swapping the Master/Slave drive jumper settings
with reboot, as well as trying Cable Select setting on both drives
using an 80-conductor cable with the same results - Everything appears
fine in Device Manger and Explorer, but still unable to read DVDs. I
tried the NEC drive on another XP SP2 system with the same Master/Slave
configuartion, and it works with out any problems. I am considering a
BIOS upgrade (currently rev. 1014), but don't see why that should have
anything to do with this problem. Any suggestions?

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
>I recently upgraded my Asus P4C800-E system with an NEC ND-3550A
> DVD-RW. The previous configuration had a Sony DW-U14A (DRU-510A OEM) 4x
> DVD-RW set as Master and a BENQ 1648A 16x DVD-ROM set as Slave on the
> secondary IDE connector. This configuration has worked flawlessly for
> over two years, but I wanted the additional speed and DL media
> capability provided by the NEC ND-3550A. The Sony DVD-RW was removed
> and replaced with the NEC ND-3550A set as Master. Win XP SP2 recognized
> and installed the driver, requesting reboot. Device manager shows the
> drive installed properly and windows explorer also shows the drive. It
> will read and play CDs, but will not read or recognize any DVDs. It
> just posts the message to please insert disk into drive D: and then the
> drive icon changes from 'DVD-RW' to 'CD.'
>
> Nero recognizes the NEC drive and I succesfully burned a TDK 8x DVD-R,
> but the NEC drive still can not read it. I reinstalled the original
> Sony DVD-RW and it can read the DVD burned on the NEC drive with no
> problem. I have tried swapping the Master/Slave drive jumper settings
> with reboot, as well as trying Cable Select setting on both drives
> using an 80-conductor cable with the same results - Everything appears
> fine in Device Manger and Explorer, but still unable to read DVDs. I
> tried the NEC drive on another XP SP2 system with the same Master/Slave
> configuartion, and it works with out any problems. I am considering a
> BIOS upgrade (currently rev. 1014), but don't see why that should have
> anything to do with this problem. Any suggestions?

Chances are you have bought a defective drive. There are two
'read' lasers (of different wavelength), one for reading DVDs, one
for reading CDs. It sound like the DVD one isn't working.
You should be able to exchange it via the supplier.
HTH
--
Rob

Rob wrote:
> Chances are you have bought a defective drive. There are two
> 'read' lasers (of different wavelength), one for reading DVDs, one
> for reading CDs. It sound like the DVD one isn't working.
> You should be able to exchange it via the supplier.
> HTH
> --
> Rob

That's what I thought as well. The drive was purchased as an OEM unit
from newegg.com. I RMA'd the first drive and promptly recieved a second
drive, which exhibits exactly the same problems. Also, the drive works
fine on another motherboard reading DVDs and playing DVD movies. My
original Sony 4x DVD-RW also works fine on this motherboard. Both the
NEC and Sony drives have a Burst Transfer Rate capability of Ultra DMA
33, so I doubt it is a signal quality issue (i.e. cabling, etc.). Very
strange, but I have seen similar posts, all with no resolution.

You didnt say you tried a different IDE cable. As I have read in earlier
posts, newer IDE drives with ultra ata-66,100,133 transfer rates require
shielded or newer cables to avoid EMF, crosstalk, and other interference.
You said you tried the drive in another computer with a different cable. Can
you swap cables and try it again to see if it makes a difference?
jon

=======================================
<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
>I recently upgraded my Asus P4C800-E system with an NEC ND-3550A
> DVD-RW. The previous configuration had a Sony DW-U14A (DRU-510A OEM) 4x
> DVD-RW set as Master and a BENQ 1648A 16x DVD-ROM set as Slave on the
> secondary IDE connector. This configuration has worked flawlessly for
> over two years, but I wanted the additional speed and DL media
> capability provided by the NEC ND-3550A. The Sony DVD-RW was removed
> and replaced with the NEC ND-3550A set as Master. Win XP SP2 recognized
> and installed the driver, requesting reboot. Device manager shows the
> drive installed properly and windows explorer also shows the drive. It
> will read and play CDs, but will not read or recognize any DVDs. It
> just posts the message to please insert disk into drive D: and then the
> drive icon changes from 'DVD-RW' to 'CD.'
>
> Nero recognizes the NEC drive and I succesfully burned a TDK 8x DVD-R,
> but the NEC drive still can not read it. I reinstalled the original
> Sony DVD-RW and it can read the DVD burned on the NEC drive with no
> problem. I have tried swapping the Master/Slave drive jumper settings
> with reboot, as well as trying Cable Select setting on both drives
> using an 80-conductor cable with the same results - Everything appears
> fine in Device Manger and Explorer, but still unable to read DVDs. I
> tried the NEC drive on another XP SP2 system with the same Master/Slave
> configuartion, and it works with out any problems. I am considering a
> BIOS upgrade (currently rev. 1014), but don't see why that should have
> anything to do with this problem. Any suggestions?
>

I don't think his drive is defective so much as incompatible . I have also tried 2 drives with the same results . My Nd-3500 works fine on both my machines but the 3550a only works on my abit board with a via chipset . the 3550a will not read 95 % of my dvd's on my nforce 2 asus a7v8n-deluxe . I can swap it over to the abit board and read all the disk's just fine . I'm thinking there is some fix that nec needs to do to correct this incompatibility . I'm also thinking the majority of people spread around the various forums that are having this problem most likely have an nvidia chipset . The 3500 has no problem on the nvidia board .At first I thought i had a defective drive so I rma'd it to newegg and got a replacement . It was even worse than the first drive .It wouldn't read the few dvd's that the first drive had managed to read .Swapped it over to the abit via board and wallah , it reads fine . I have also noticed several people stating they swapped to another machine and their 3550's read fine as well . Gotta be a firmware bug in my view .

GoldBerg