I am having problems with the Philips on my Compaq computer. It's only with cd-rw discs. The burner does not recognize my Memorex disc. It recognizes the Sony disc but I cannot format it. After 2 minutes it gives me an "Illegal Start Block Address" message and then stops formatting. Is there a way to fix this? Or does the burner have to be replaced?

Upgrade the firmware to version 2.5
http://home.tiscalinet.be/stefsom/stefsom/FlashTool 3.1_004 setup.exe

Stefan.

I too am having problems with my Philps CDD4801 CD-/RW drive. I have a compaq 5WV275. It used to work fine. I upgraded to Windows XP back in January, still worked fine almost 6 months. Now it reads CR-R fine, records music CDs, and reads all my CDRWs that are all set (formatted and files stored on them. I thought I may have burned it out storing large (300mb) Video files, but all else works. I have Roxio Easy CD Creator 5.1 with all the XP updates installed, tried reinstalling that and no luck. I can't even format a blank CDRW to add my files to, it hangs - not recognizing it and eventually gives up, somes times even won't eject it for a while. I looked the world over for drivers for this device - no luck. ?This firmware thing?, I have heard it is verd hard to flash on new firmware, not like clicking an exe to install a driver and can crash a system permananly. Is this update god?, how do I know?, how do I install it?..............please, please, please someone email me with the help I need! I need to move these files to CDRW to have HD space of delete them to keep space for other files in the future. Email with any help anytime, thank you in advance, Bob

Here is my email address
bob

sorry - dragonheart@snet.net is my email addy,
Bob

A friend of mine has this drive that came with his Compaq 5000 (5WV260) and, after upgrading to XP, would not work at all. I flashed the firmware from Philips site from version 1.3 to 1.5 (as I remember) and that completed without a problem. However, he is still unable to burn cd's at all. Does anyone here have a solution?

I actually have been in contact with both Roxio and Compaq, both told me to update the firmware and Compaq even provided a link to get the falsh toll and firmware update from the Compaq site. If problems weren't bad enough, I could not get the flash tool to update the firmware - it kept saying I needed to install Adaptec ASPI first for it to complete the flashing of the drive....guess what?, I searched and found ASPI version 4.71 (the latest I presume) installed it and the thing still says I need to install it first. Wow, this is frutrating. Got a possible solution and can't get that to work. Tried everything, latest Roxio update, remove and reinstall the drive, you name it....the drivers are up to date too. I can't get it to recognize a blank CDRW so I can format it to put files on. Someone told me to try the demo of the Nero software (similar to Roxio) and see if that works for me. I have not got that far yet but I am about ready to try that too.
I will let you know how I make out, but in the meantime, any other suggestions are still welocme.
Thanks, dragonheart@snet.net Bob

I don't know about XP Home, but XP Professional ships with integrated burning software. It isn't very good at burning cds, and tends to interfere with other burning software. If XP Home is the same, you may want to try disabling this.

Hey this sounds like a step I have not tried. Do you know how the find and tirn off the built in CD burning ability of XP Home? (I vaguely remebber something about an Adaptec plugin of Windows Media Player too, can I take that out?
The folders all have the option to save their contents to CD, so there must be some kind of built in burning ability. If anyone knows how to access and shut this off, please share it here and/or email me that info. I would like to try it out. Also how do I inform MS about this prob, I see others too hhave it and maybe they can fashion is a patch???? Still looking for a solution.....Bob

I have the same CD-R/RW
and im having problems with it.. i think i need to place it.. but heres the problem..
the light indicator.. turns on sumtime when im using the computer to do whatever...(listening to music, surfing, typing..)
start out as green, then orange, the RED! wtf is RED supposed to mean?
then the Comp tends to freeze... oh, and also it makes funny noises.. i figured i need to buy a new one... but
havent done so yet.. maybe because there is a cure for it with out replacing it?
Thank you.. bye
o_O? eh?

Wow -- Green, Orange , Red? You are right, wtf is red? I have got to orange but never red. Must be repeatedly trying toaccess something in the drive even when there is nothing, bit why is a mystery. I am getting so frustrated here and now I see that my ASPI layer is not properly installed and I am having no luck getting that to upgrade....or my flashware upgrade won't work as a result....??? go figure...start out to fix a prob and find even more glitches along the way. I do know this, Microsoft and Roxio had better put their heads together and find so many of us paying customers a solution fast.
Stay on the fix trail folks, stick together, and keep reporting the problems to the manufacturere (hardware, OS, and software).....Bob

I have the Philips CDD4801 CD-R/RW and the dang thing keeps opening and shutting. I ran Ad-aware, Pest Patrol, and TDS-3, and Norton 2002. The TDS did indicate that the cd drive was acting funny. I don't believe that I am infected, but it could be something new. I disabled it, but just now it started opening and shutting again. I have a wireless router, could someone be in my system and just wants to open and shut my drive? That is what's peculiar? No other signs of infection;I think it is a malfunction of the drive.

i have the same prob too, i cant burn anything. it used to open and shut, again and again. why is this? hmmm, hopefully all of us here can figure it out.

Hi all,

Found this on the PB website re: our CD/RW drive:

Disc in/Active/Error indicator: Lights green when a disc is present. Flashes green when reading/writing/test writing. Flashes green/orange while flashing drive firmware. Lights red upon error.

Hope it helps

L

my burner works, but at only half speed for some reason. If you want to update the firmware and it thinks that aspi is not installed, download this file:
http://www.audiotools.co.uk/downloads/frcasp17.zip

and run INSTASPI.BAT

it let me update the firmware, but I still can't burn at full speed.

I have a presario 7000US that has this drive in it . My girlfriend uses this system to play games all the time. Some of the trouble she is having is the games seem to hang( like waiting for a large read or write but the drive lights are not on) and the biggest problem I am having is sometimes when Windows XP Pro boots up this drive some how does not appear to be loaded.
Nothing will work and of course there is not a manual open to get any cd that is trapped inside. I just keep booting up till I get the drive back. I am going to try a firmware upgrade and such.
I have tried a couple different burns and so far so good, I just can fingure out what cause this drive to disappear.
Please if anyone can help or needs more info email me at ebj76@hotmail.com

Arthur: thanks, that did let me install the firmware update. but the thing formats like every 8th disc (CDRW) only (I shuffled the discs to be sure it is not defective discs), and it takes a loooong time to format, and even haged over 2 hours on one.....hey, all else works ok....MS probably needs to set us up with a Hotfix patch to clear it all up???
....
Hey eric: do'nt have the URL handy but look on the Microsoft Knowledge database site, and remember seeing a known issue and patch fix for the "disappearing drive" issue. May do it for you, check it out! As for the rest of us....keep looking out and sharing.....we can and will be back to normal again eventually. I'll be glad when mine works like it used to again.
Bob

Wow! I thought I was all alone. I have a Compaq 5008sr with the Philips CDD4801 drive. The drive worked just fine until I upgrated to Windows XP. Since then, I have not successfully burned one cd. I've been looking for an updated driver for a while now. It does not seem to exist. I am ready to replace the burner itself. It seems to be the only solution to this mess.

Hi Eric:
I replied that I remember seeing reference to that specific problem on the Microsoft Knowledge Database site and could not remember the exact URL. Well I came across it again and here is the Exact URL for the page: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q320553
it includes a patch to download to fix the problem. I wish my problem was resolved so easily (can't load/format blank CDRW discs). Your disappearing drive is a known problem to the clowns at Microsoft (among several other glitches with XP and especially in combination with other software like CD burning programs) and although they don't yet acknowledge all the existing problems yet, at least they've made certain known issues public and some even have patches or work-around suggestions. Good luck. I am sending this to your email and posting it to the forum as well so others can see who may benefit from this. I hope all us experiencing problems can keep sharing info/solutions so many of us can benefit and even not feel "alone". Peace,
Bob