The Firmware Page

I have a Hitachi HL-DT-ST DVD-RW_GSA H41N and i was wondering if the LG version of this drive is the same, and if so will the LG GSA H42N or H43N firmeware be compatable with it, this drive is less than 3 months old and about 6 hours ago it stopped reading all of my cd's (dvd's of all types are fine), i have checked on the manufacturers website, all over the web and through this site thouroughly and i cannot find any info on this problem, i have also been through all my my windows registery files to see if there is a problem with then and everything is all ok.

Oh and i am using windows vista 32-bit and sorry for the typos

This is no combo drive...

The LG has the same hardware, AFAIK, but the drive is different to *42 or *43 drives.

@ darth furball,

Welcome to the Forum.

What makes you believe that your problem is Firmware related? Firmware just doesn

i have already checked through all of my files on vista and checked the drives drivers to see if there are any problems, i even uninstalled it and let windows reinstall it and i have used disc info version 161 (set to xp compatability to get it to work) and according to that programm it can run, write and erase all types of dvd's and cd's so it must be a combo drive, i have also got intouch with acer to see if they have come acrosse this problem before (still waiting for a reply). i have also reinstalled vista to see if that was the problem (not doing that again for a while) and i still have the same problem, i have also tried it in a friends computer who has vista and xp installed and on his copy of vista we have the same problem but on xp it runs everything as it should, so you should be able to see why i think it might be a problem with the current firmwear not being fully compatable with vista.

and thanks for the welcome

This is a DVDRW drive, not a combo, and the problem lies with windows vista

I have this same exact drive and I have a problem. Please, oh please someone help me?

I bought an Acer Computer less than a month ago that came with this same DVD/RW drive (HL-DT-ST DVD-RW_GSA-H41N ATA DEVICE).

I was happily adding data to cd disks last night (so I thought).

Today I put in a CD that I had erased with Vista's "erase this disk" thingie last night (I used the link at the top of the folder that said "erase this disk") into the drive so that I could put new data on it and it asked me if I wanted to format the disk (which I thought was odd since all I did was erase it). Anyway, I went ahead and started the format proccess. It says not to stop the process or turn of your computer, and just my luck, during this process there was a power failure (rural area, that happens).

Now, the DVD drive doesn't work at all. When I go to "my computer" it shows the DVD drive (E: and the little picture of the disk), but I can't read ANY disks I put into it (CD or DVD written or blank, not even my favorite game CD).

I tried uninstalling the DVD Drive and doing the deletion of the regedit that I found on another site, rebooted (it reinstalled the drivers automatically) and it's still not reading *anything*.

Furthermore, the CD that I thought I had added information to last night, can't be read by any other drive in the house! It's like the disk is toast.

It was mentioned a couple times here that this is a Vista issue. So, can someone point me in the right direction? Is this fixable or am I looking at replacing the drive completely? I googled this to death and this is the first forum I found that mentioned this drive.

I'm a retired grand-ma and I wanna play my games!!! Waaa!! Help!!

That sounds exactly like a crap OS (vi$ta) combined with bugged software (PW kinda like InCD).........

there is an option that says that choosing a certain recording format will make discs unreadable to OS's except for XP and Vista.

Also its an idea to turn of Vista's in built recording feature, as this can affect reading of discs and the problem of asking you if you want to format, even when a disc with data is in the drive

Thank you, I will definitely take that advice into consideration, however, the question is, how do I fix my drive or do I have to buy a new one?

Why do you think it needs "fixing"?
Test it in another computer with a better OS and you will probably see a fully working drive...........

Why do I think it needs fixing? Because I don't know squat about this stuff and I'm seeking help.

I'm thinking it's broke beyond repair. I can't read/write anything with it at the moment, so I'm thinking it got trashed somehow. That's why I think it needs fixing.

I'll try your suggestion of putting it in another computer and I'm hoping you're right! I'll let you know.

Which leads to other questions (which I'll find out myself, I guess) is if this drive does indeed work on another computer

1) how do I get it to work again in the original computer?

2) or if I replace it, will a different drive also not work in this computer? Am I forever without a cd/dvd drive in this computer?

Enquiring minds would like to know.

Because you posted this:
"Thank you, I will definitely take that advice into consideration, however, the question is, how do I fix my drive or do I have to buy a new one?"

@ aliceaod,

Perchance have you reviewed Forum Member darth furbal Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:19 posting in this thread and noted his comments concerning Windows XP?

Why don

_________________
Read The FAQFirmware Request Rules
MCSE Thread Utilities

Yeah, I'm going to have to put WinXP on here that's all there is to it.

I discovered that I'm able to see data files on other disks that I have (anything else I touched with Vista just doesn't work, can't read 'em, they're toast) and I can't run games that require the cd in the drive (like Battlefield 2), they simply don't run, they lock up the computer until I pop the CD out of the drive, nor can I install any programs from CD. I tried putting Nero on here, the disk just locked up the computer until I popped it out of the drive.

Not sure how I'm going to put WinXP on here if I can't install anything from CD, but I'll figure it out. Thank you all for your help!!!!!!! You made a big difference in this old lady's life.

go into internet explorer, choose tools, then internet options, then advanced and make sure under security you have the box ticked for allow active contents from cd's to run on my computer

I'm trying to get WinXP on here, but since I can't boot from CD (it hangs after I press F12 on restart and tell it to boot from CD with the WinXP in the drive)I'm not sure what to do next.

Thanks, I went into IE and it was UNchecked. I use FireFox tho (not sure if that matters), but I did as you instructed. I'll reboot and see if that makes any difference.

UPDATE: That didn't change anything. I give up. I'll try swapping out the drive with a different one and see if that makes any difference (which I don't think it will, but you never know) and if that doesn't work, stick a fork in me cos I'm done. I'll have to arrange for someone to take me back to the store where I got this and make them fix it. (which is why I have not returned it already....I'm in very rural area...closest store is 15 miles from here and the store I got this at is...well, it's on the the other side of the planet...and I don't have a car).

2ND UPDATE: Well, since I would have to practically dismantle the entire guts to get the disk drive out or put another one in (stupidest thing I ever saw--power supply is right behind the drive bays with no room), I left the side open and the guts hanging out (oh, it looked painful), I disconnected the original drive and hooked up my old drive and risking electric shock, held it in my hand (stupid but I was too lazy to prop it up on something). I found that the old drive works. I have to think that somehow Vista toasted the other drive, especially since it won't boot at F12...TAXI!!