Help! - DVD-ROM won't recognize anything!!

[Tazzin]

I am working on a friends computer. Had to FDISK and Format the HD. Installed WINXP Pro. I had to use a spare CD-ROM drive to do all of this because the DVD ROM in the computer wont read anything! Please Help!

The computer is a lame ass eMachine 766id.
The DVD-ROM Drive is a Samsung DVD Master 12E Model SD-612.

WINXP sees the drive and everything and says it is working properly but the drive wont read any disc's! I searched Samsung's site for new firmware but I can't find ANY the SD-612 ... they have only 3 models SD-612B, SD-612F, and SD-612S.

Can anyone help?

[Dax_Brandy]

maybe a defective dvd rom drive.. btw, have you check for the cables and other stuff..

[Mickwish]

Is it a winders prob or a DVD hardware prob? You can check this by starting with a DOS disk that loads a CD-ROM driver. Should then let you read CD's in the drive (I assume DVD-ROM's will work with generic ATAPI drivers - anyone know for sure?).

If the drive reads CD's in DOS but not in winders, it's a winders issue. If it doesn't read any disks in DOS, probably a bad drive.

Cheers
Mick

[Tazzin]

It wont read CD's at all. I think it is a bad drive. I think someone tried to flash the firmaware in the drive to make it region code free and the flash wiped out the drive. I am trying to get Samsung to send me the orginial firmware for it.

Thanx.

[MrMikeL]

This may be a naive observation, but is it possible this DVD drive won't read CDs?

[Tazzin]

The DVD Drive is dead.. all DVD ROM drives read CD's .. so this drive is dead.. oh well.. its not like they are expensive.. it isn't even my computer.. haha.

Thanx for the replies .. I dont need to fix it.

P.S. - Samsung does not provide support for OEM products.