I need help getting a Sony DVD drive to work.

My girlfriend and I have identical DVD-RW drives: Sony DVD RW DRU-810A. We are both running the same version of Windows XP. Both drives are using Microsoft drivers and are of the same software version. Strangely, the install disc doesn't include drivers, only annoying Nero program setup files and language packs for about a hundred countries.

My drive completely works, hers doesn't.

I can read and write CDs, as well as read and write DVDs. Her drive can read and write CDs, but cannot read or write DVDs.

Our drives are both located on the secondary ATA channel in position 1. The device manager correctly names our drives.


Driver Details
Provider: Microsoft
Date: 7/1/2001
Version: 5.1.2535.0

I'm at a loss. All I can find online are firmware upgrades which I'd rather not do. I'm a bit irritated that there are no de facto drivers for these drives that I can find. I don't know why my drive would work fine, and hers would not. Her drive USED to work, but she reinstalled Windows and it stopped working. This might otherwise be suspicious, but we both re-installed the same evening and have the same updates/patches/versions and what not.

I think I've included all of the relevant information, but if I've left anything out, just ask and I'll do my best to grab it for you. Thanks for any help that anyone can give.

Welcome to the forum

To exclude a damaged drive, have you tried to swap drives between two computers?

Wow thanks, can't believe I didn't try that earlier. We swapped them and it worked. I forgot that the computer was dropped a few weeks back, damaged the motherboard so we replaced a few other things in addition. Must have damaged the drd rom as well :/

Thanks again!

You're welcome