Unable to read my burned CDs and DVDs in various DVD-ROM drives...

Ant wrote
> Rod Speed wrote

>>>>> I recalled doing firmware upgrades to remove region blockings on
>>>>> these old DVD-ROM drives. Can this affect its reading of burned discs?

>>>> Not unless its some dodgy firmware.

>>> Hmm. I wonder if the ones on
>>> http://backfire.rpc1.org/tsstcorp/in...path=SD-M1612/ are
>>> dodgy for my Toshiba SD-M1612 rev. B 16X/48X ATAPI/IDE.

>> If they are, someone would have reported that.

> True.

>>> Or maybe the DVD-ROM drives are just dang old like from early 2003 and 1/2005.

>> Very likely.

> Thanks. I tried the same burned discs (years old and recent ones, different brands and colors) on two other old
> DVD-ROM drives and it had zero problems in reading.

The symptoms can be a tad weird at times with dying drives.

> OK, I guess the drives are old. Funny thing is that I didn't use them that much! Sheesh.

It isnt necessarily use that matters. Things have improved significantly since they were made.

> I also tried clearing the inside with one of those disc cleaners with those brushes, but it didn't help.

From memory you arent a smoker. That can be a very significant problem.

On 10/12/2009 10:42 PM PT, Rod Speed typed:

>>>> Or maybe the DVD-ROM drives are just dang old like from early 2003 and 1/2005.
>
>>> Very likely.
>
>> Thanks. I tried the same burned discs (years old and recent ones, different brands and colors) on two other old
>> DVD-ROM drives and it had zero problems in reading.
>
> The symptoms can be a tad weird at times with dying drives.
>
>> OK, I guess the drives are old. Funny thing is that I didn't use them that much! Sheesh.
>
> It isnt necessarily use that matters. Things have improved significantly since they were made.

Interesting. How long do newer drives last then?


>> I also tried clearing the inside with one of those disc cleaners with those brushes, but it didn't help.
>
> From memory you arent a smoker. That can be a very significant problem.

Definitely not a smoker (don't even like being a second hand smoker),
but my room and PCs can be dust magnets. I have to clean the insides
of PCs about every two or so years, usually during major hardware upgrades.
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Ant wrote
> Rod Speed wrote

>>>>> Or maybe the DVD-ROM drives are just dang old like from early 2003 and 1/2005.

>>>> Very likely.

>>> Thanks. I tried the same burned discs (years old and recent ones, different brands and colors) on two other old
>>> DVD-ROM drives and it had zero problems in reading.

>> The symptoms can be a tad weird at times with dying drives.

>>> OK, I guess the drives are old. Funny thing is that I didn't use them that much! Sheesh.

>> It isnt necessarily use that matters. Things have improved significantly since they were made.

> Interesting. How long do newer drives last then?

We cant know that for a while yet. I meant that the most recent
drives dont have as much of a problem with burnt disks.

>>> I also tried clearing the inside with one of those disc cleaners with those brushes, but it didn't help.

>> From memory you arent a smoker. That can be a very significant problem.

> Definitely not a smoker (don't even like being a second hand smoker), but my room and PCs can be dust magnets.

Dust isnt a problem. Its cigarette smoke thats particularly insidious,
essentially because its a lot lighter than dust and forms a fine film
over the optical head that can be a real problem.

Its completely trivial to work out which machines are owned by smokers, they stink of it.

> I have to clean the insides of PCs about every two or so years, usually during major hardware upgrades.

Mine are likely even more dusty than yours and I never bother to clean them.

The most I do is blow the fur out of the cpu fan etc.

On 10/13/2009 10:50 PM PT, Rod Speed typed:

> Ant wrote
>> Rod Speed wrote
>
>>>>>> Or maybe the DVD-ROM drives are just dang old like from early 2003 and 1/2005.
>
>>>>> Very likely.
>
>>>> Thanks. I tried the same burned discs (years old and recent ones, different brands and colors) on two other old
>>>> DVD-ROM drives and it had zero problems in reading.
>
>>> The symptoms can be a tad weird at times with dying drives.
>
>>>> OK, I guess the drives are old. Funny thing is that I didn't use them that much! Sheesh.
>
>>> It isnt necessarily use that matters. Things have improved significantly since they were made.
>
>> Interesting. How long do newer drives last then?
>
> We cant know that for a while yet. I meant that the most recent
> drives dont have as much of a problem with burnt disks.

Recent as how far back? Is 2003-2005 considered recent for disc drives?


>>>> I also tried clearing the inside with one of those disc cleaners with those brushes, but it didn't help.
>
>>> From memory you arent a smoker. That can be a very significant problem.
>
>> Definitely not a smoker (don't even like being a second hand smoker), but my room and PCs can be dust magnets.
>
> Dust isnt a problem. Its cigarette smoke thats particularly insidious,
> essentially because its a lot lighter than dust and forms a fine film
> over the optical head that can be a real problem.

Ah.


> Its completely trivial to work out which machines are owned by smokers, they stink of it.

Ha, I thought my dust issues are bad enough.


>> I have to clean the insides of PCs about every two or so years, usually during major hardware upgrades.
>
> Mine are likely even more dusty than yours and I never bother to clean them.

Wow.


> The most I do is blow the fur out of the cpu fan etc.

Fur? As you own a cat? I have no pets.
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Ant wrote
> Rod Speed wrote
>> Ant wrote
>>> Rod Speed wrote

>>>>>>> Or maybe the DVD-ROM drives are just dang old like from early 2003 and 1/2005.

>>>>>> Very likely.

>>>>> Thanks. I tried the same burned discs (years old and recent ones,
>>>>> different brands and colors) on two other old DVD-ROM drives and
>>>>> it had zero problems in reading.

>>>> The symptoms can be a tad weird at times with dying drives.

>>>>> OK, I guess the drives are old. Funny thing is that I didn't use
>>>>> them that much! Sheesh.

>>>> It isnt necessarily use that matters. Things have improved
>>>> significantly since they were made.

>>> Interesting. How long do newer drives last then?

>> We cant know that for a while yet. I meant that the most recent
>> drives dont have as much of a problem with burnt disks.

> Recent as how far back? Is 2003-2005 considered recent for disc drives?

Thats getting a bit old for reliably reading all burnt discs with the start of that time.

>>>>> I also tried clearing the inside with one of those disc cleaners with those brushes, but it didn't help.

>>>> From memory you arent a smoker. That can be a very significant problem.

>>> Definitely not a smoker (don't even like being a second hand
>>> smoker), but my room and PCs can be dust magnets.

>> Dust isnt a problem. Its cigarette smoke thats particularly insidious, essentially because its a lot lighter than
>> dust and forms a fine film
>> over the optical head that can be a real problem.

> Ah.

>> Its completely trivial to work out which machines are owned by smokers, they stink of it.

> Ha, I thought my dust issues are bad enough.

>>> I have to clean the insides of PCs about every two or so years, usually during major hardware upgrades.

>> Mine are likely even more dusty than yours and I never bother to clean them.

> Wow.

And I leave the covers off all the time, and we get very
spectacular dust storms here, and I have the doors and
windows open quite a bit of the time in summer.

>> The most I do is blow the fur out of the cpu fan etc.

> Fur? As you own a cat?

Nar, its mostly clothes fibres.

> I have no pets.

I havent had any for 30 years now.

On 10/16/2009 8:14 PM PT, Rod Speed typed:

> And I leave the covers off all the time, and we get very
> spectacular dust storms here, and I have the doors and
> windows open quite a bit of the time in summer.

Ah, I leave mine closed but still get lots of dusts. As for opened
windows, then yes because it gets crazy hot during the heat waves like
today! It was frakin cold (60s F degrees) with rain a few days ago! Now,
it's in 90s(F).


>>> The most I do is blow the fur out of the cpu fan etc.
>
>> Fur? As you own a cat?
>
> Nar, its mostly clothes fibres.

Ah.


>> I have no pets.
>
> I havent had any for 30 years now.

I haven't had any since I was a teenager. :/
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--Danish
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Ant wrote
> Rod Speed wrote

>> And I leave the covers off all the time, and we get very
>> spectacular dust storms here, and I have the doors and
>> windows open quite a bit of the time in summer.

> Ah, I leave mine closed but still get lots of dusts.

Yeah, its dragged in by the fans.

> As for opened windows, then yes because it gets crazy hot during the heat waves like today! It was frakin cold (60s F
> degrees) with rain a few days ago!
> Now, it's in 90s(F).

Thats not a heat wave. We get 10 days well over 100F, THATs a heat wave.

>>>> The most I do is blow the fur out of the cpu fan etc.

>>> Fur? As you own a cat?

>> Nar, its mostly clothes fibres.

> Ah.

>>> I have no pets.

>> I havent had any for 30 years now.

> I haven't had any since I was a teenager. :/

I had the last one a lot later than that.

On 10/17/2009 3:34 PM PT, Rod Speed typed:

>>> And I leave the covers off all the time, and we get very
>>> spectacular dust storms here, and I have the doors and
>>> windows open quite a bit of the time in summer.
>
>> Ah, I leave mine closed but still get lots of dusts.
>
> Yeah, its dragged in by the fans.
>
>> As for opened windows, then yes because it gets crazy hot during the heat waves like today! It was frakin cold (60s F
>> degrees) with rain a few days ago!
>> Now, it's in 90s(F).
>
> Thats not a heat wave. We get 10 days well over 100F, THATs a heat wave.

Well, it's hot enough. :P
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having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer and
gathereth her food in the harvest." --Proverbs 6:6-8 (Bible)
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