Hello. I recently bought a new DVD-writer drive, the NEC ND-6750A Slimline Internal DVDRW ( http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=5753&category_id=121&manufacturer_id=0 ) for my laptop. Windows would recognise it, but the BIOS wouldn't. I flashed the drive with new firmware, but it still couldn't be recognised in the BIOS. I re-flashed the drive with the original firmware, and sent the drive back thinking that it was faulty. I then bought the same model drive from another company (it's a very cheap drive, and I love a bargain). This drive also fails to be recognised by the BIOS. What do you think the problem is, and how can I fix it? My laptop is just over 3 years old. Is it possible that my BIOS needs updating? If so, how do I go about that? Also: Is it possible that the problem lies in the power supply to the disc drive bay? The original drive that I got with my computer, a Panasonic combo CDRW/DVD drive, suffered badly from cyclic redundancy errors. I'm not sure if cyclic redundancy errors can be caused by a bad power supply, though; and that drive can still be recognised in the BIOS, unlike my new drive. Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any replies. - Dan

It is not unthinkable for Windows to see the drive while the BIOS fails to enumerate it. The question is does it work or not?

Yes, the drive can burn. But I need the BIOS to recognise it so that I can boot from it and use the reload discs that I got from the computer manufacturer.

If you don't know where the boot priority is menu is in the BIOS or how to invoke booting from a CD, you better start to look for your manual or you'll be SOL.

We need DETAILS about your laptop so we can help you search for an updated BIOS... you can download Everest Home Edition from MajorGeeks.com and use it to identify your BIOS, motherboard and chipset, and everything else we'll need to know about your laptop. Do NOT paste the entire report here; just copy-and-paste the important details (make and model, BIOS ID string, etc.); we'll let you know if we need more information for any reason. Your BIOS probably dates back to 2001 / 2002, before DVD burners were common; as you've discovered, there are major differences between a DVD PLAYER and a DVD BURNER, so let's see if we can help you update your laptop BIOS, then find a DVD burner that your system can work with...

Thanks for your replies. Here's a summary of my system information: Motherboard: CPU Type: Mobile AMD Athlon XP, 1533 MHz (11.5 x 133) 1800+ Motherboard Name: TimeComputers Motherboard Chipset: VIA VT8372 ProSavageDDR KN266 BIOS Type: Insyde (11/19/02) Communication Port: ECP Printer Port (LPT1) Storage: IDE Controller: VIA Bus Master IDE Controller SCSI/RAID Controller: VAXSCSI Controller Optical Drive: _NEC DVD_RW ND-6750A DMI: DMI BIOS Vendor: Insyde Software DMI BIOS Version: V1.05 DMI System Manufacturer: TimeComputers DMI System Version: 5a DMI Motherboard Manufacturer: TimeComputers DMI Motherboard Version: 5a I'm not sure what's relevant and what isn't. Also: I'm not sure of what some of the terms mentioned actually mean.

Here's more detailed information in case I've missed anything. I don't know what "DMI" means, but I've included information about it, along with information about the motherboard, chipset, and BIOS. --------[ [ BIOS ] BIOS Properties: Vendor: Insyde Software Version: V1.05 Release Date: 11/19/2002 Size: 256 KB Boot Devices: Floppy Disk, Hard Disk, CD-ROM, ATAPI ZIP, LS-120 Capabilities: Flash BIOS, Shadow BIOS, Selectable Boot, EDD, Smart Battery Supported Standards: DMI, APM, ACPI, PnP Expansion Capabilities: ISA, PCI, PCMCIA, USB [ System ] System Properties: Manufacturer: TimeComputers Version: 5a Wake-Up Type: Power Switch [ Motherboard ] Motherboard Properties: Manufacturer: TimeComputers Version: 5a [ Chassis ] Chassis Properties: Manufacturer: TimeComputers Version: S2054S Chassis Type: Portable Boot-Up State: Safe Power Supply State: Safe Thermal State: Safe Security Status: None --------[ Motherboard ]--------------- Motherboard Properties: Motherboard ID: <DMI> Motherboard Name: TimeComputers Front Side Bus Properties: Bus Type: DEC Alpha EV6 Bus Width: 64-bit Real Clock: 133 MHz (DDR) Effective Clock: 267 MHz Bandwidth: 2133 MB/s Memory Bus Properties: Bus Type: DDR SDRAM Bus Width: 64-bit DRAM:FSB Ratio: 1:1 Real Clock: 133 MHz (DDR) Effective Clock: 267 MHz Chipset Bus Properties: Bus Type: VIA V-Link Bus Width: 8-bit Real Clock: 67 MHz (QDR) Effective Clock: 267 MHz Bandwidth: 267 MB/s --------[ Chipset ]------------------- [ North Bridge: VIA VT8372 ProSavageDDR KN266 ] North Bridge Properties: North Bridge: VIA VT8372 ProSavageDDR KN266 Supported FSB Speeds: FSB200, FSB266 Supported Memory Types: PC100 SDRAM, PC133 SDRAM, DDR-200 SDRAM, DDR-266 SDRAM In-Order Queue Depth: 4 South Bridge Properties: Revision: 00 Package Size: 2.7 cm x 2.7 cm Process Technology: 0.22 um Core Voltage: 2.5 V --------[ BIOS ]---------------------- BIOS Properties: BIOS Type: Insyde System BIOS Date: 11/19/02 Video BIOS Date: 10/04/02 Thanks, - Dan