No Playback Or Reading From My Samsung Dvd-rom Sd-616t

[JHM007]

Hi.

I have with me a Samsung DVD Drive SD 616T, since March this year, It was working fine under my new PC (PIII, 128 MB RAM, ATI All in Wonder 16 MB Video, Win98SE), for 6 Months, untill when I decided to upgrade my PC to WinXP, After the updating, my drive suddenly stopped reading any cds or dvds, I have searched Samsung's website and found the SFDNDOS and the DOS based Flash firmware for the drive (F301), I flashed it under DOS, and it suddenly started reading the DVDs and CDs back to normal, but that only happened for like 2 days, after 2 days of my flashing the firmware, I found out again that my drive is dead!!!!, I re-flashed the firmware only to find out that it hasnt changed anything as it has done before, meaning that my drive is still dead even after the flashing.

I was running the drive quiet well under Win98SE before the upgrading, So I am convinced by the time that it must be the upgration of the WinXP which has caused the problem, So I took a very long and painfull hassle of formatting my HDD and bringing back the Win98SE, as it was before, But, only to find out that it hasnt helped for any problem at all, meaning that the drive is acting the same as it was in XP.

As for one last hope, I have again flashed the firmware which has worked for me once, But again it hasnt done anything to my stubborn DVD-ROM.

Then today (Sept 20th 02), I have found out at Samsung's page this new ODD Firmware Liveupdate service for updating the drive firmware dynamically under Windows.

I had installed and ran the program , BUT ALAS, I am afraid to admitt that it hasnt proved to be of any help!!!!, although I was so convined just by looking at the page and the way that programed had worked under Windows that it should bring back the things to Normal, But without any luck!!!!!

All it had done was updating the firmware to F303, but without bringinig any changes to my DVD Drive's performance.

I can see the drive in Windows Explore under the letter E:, and in the Hardware Profile, But it is not reading ANYTHING AT ALL. It is set to be a Secondary Master

It is also set under DMA mode in Windows, as it was before!

So you people were the only hope of mine, As I have purchased this DVD drive from Vancouver BC Canada in March, and now I am sitting here in my home town in Pakistan, I cant even afford or arrange to take it back to the dealer from whom I have originally purchased it.....

So is there any hope???????

Please Please Please, Send me a reply on my email or anywhere in here......I beg you all!!!!

[kr0-n0s]

You're not the only one having problems. There are scores of unsatisfied Samsung customers concerning their DVD drives.

Paintbug had posted a similar question in this forum but he had a Samsung SD-612 model.

To view the post click here. Note: I wasn't able to solve his problem so the link will merely be a "matter of interest".

Apparently the problem seems to occur when a user upgrades their system. And it doesn't seem to matter to what o/s (according to my long search ... and believe me I have been looking into it). Despite my long search for a solution (I kinda promised Paintbug I'd keep looking) I've yet to find an adequate solution. But lets try anyway!

I have a few ideas but first: have you checked your drive in the device manager to check the drives status and to see that the drive is enabled? It should be enabled. If it is then the following is the last thing I can think off.

I was running the drive quiet well under Win98SE before the upgrading, So I am convinced by the time that it must be the upgration of the WinXP which has caused the problem, So I took a very long and painfull hassle of formatting my HDD and bringing back the Win98SE, as it was before, But, only to find out that it hasnt helped for any problem at all, meaning that the drive is acting the same as it was in XP.

I'm not surprised nothing has changed because you now have the new firmware in your DVD drive. Of course this doesn't explain why it didn't work after the upgrade.

If your old firmware worked fine before the o/s upgrade do you still have the orginally firmware? If not then are you able to obtain the original firmware?

What I have in mind is restoring your system back to when it was working. Which is what you did, but minus the firmware update!

***************
NOTE: Flashing should not be taken lightly!!! This should be done if you know what you are doing and you are prepared to accept the consequences
***************

Now that is all said and done! Flash your DVD drive with the originally firmware. Unistall the DVD drive from within win98se and reboot. Let the o/s autodetect the drive. I haven't run win 9x o/s' in awhile so I can't remember what happens when a new hardware has been detected but do as instructed!

Try playing a CD/DVD and let me know if it worked!

----------------------
If it doesn't work:
----------------------
Was there any error message that appeared ... if so then what was the error message?

Have you gone back to the device manager to check the drives status and to ensure that the drive is enabled?

- kr0

[JHM007]

Dear Kro-

Thanks for taking your concern and time in my problem and thanks for your continuos research for finding the solution for such problems for all the Samsung Victims!

As for the answers to your querries first , Yes, The Drive is ENABLED in the Device Manager, It is said to be working fine by Windows.

And yes, As you have mentioned, My concern was also to restore my OS as it was before, with the old firmware......

As you have told me , I have reflashed the drive before removing it from the windows with the original firmware!!!!...But I have to say it again, It didnt bought any change to its vitality.

But there is one more thing which is bothering me about that firmware, and which could be the problem, and which, as I can guess, could be the only different thing in my attempt of restoring the previous setting.

The Original Firmware version for this drive was numbered as F301, Now, I have downloaded a firmware with the same name and number from Samsung's original site, But there is one thing which is not ringing the bell?????? The Link which is there at their page for the firmware, Says something like:
" F301- Firmware" and then in the brackets (WINDOWS XP)??????

Now why they have put the Windows Xp in front of it, Do the firmware differs from one OS to another, If thats the case than I am running the Win98SE, Is that is the problem, And if it is, then why Samsung ( Or any other service!!!!.....I searched them all ) dont have a specific firmware for the 98SE OS. Does that really matters when the firmware, according to my understading, is a software which sits on the drive internal memory, NOT IN THE OS?????

Its all so very confusing and frustrtating, But the main thing is that, that I am still in a ditch, and couldnt seem to get myself out of it.....

[kr0-n0s]

I'm sorry for not replying sooner ... but really busy!

I'm kinda confused with your last post ... did you flash your drive with the original firmware?

- kr0

[JHM007]

Dear Kro

Thanks very much for your reply,

Yes, I was eagerly awaiting for it becuase you guys were my only hope.

Yes, It was the original firmware which I flashed in my drive and I have downloaded it from Samsung's own web site.

http://www.samsung-odd.com/eng/LiveUpdate/FWDownload/FWDownload.asp

As i have mentioned earlier, the only thing which is doubting me upon the failing performance of the firmware for my drive, is that the firmware is said to be of WINDOWS XP, whereas all the other details of the firmware were the same, That is, Its number and the drive for which it is specified (SD-616T), AND THEY DONT HAVE A SEPARATE FIRMWARE OF ANY SORT FOR WIN98SE???????
That is the only original firmware for this drive which they supplied on their site??????? And it should be working according to my understanding cause as long as it works with the drive internal chip, I think it dosent matter which OS the drive runs under, cause if its the case, then my drive would have worked under WinXP the first time I have flashed it with this firmware, But it hadn't

So I was just wondering that why they have to put the OS name infront of it, I guess it dosent matter what OS you are using, as long as it supports your hardware and can detect it, which my OS does ( and I guess millions of other users who still prefers to use WIN98SE), and was running the DVD ROM all so fine before the upgrading to XP.

Now I am at this stage:
The Firmware (Original) has been re-flashed several times in my drive with no results.

I can see the drive in Windows Hardware Profile all right WITHOUT ANY ERROR MESSAGES SHOWING.

I can see the drive as E: in my Windows Explorer, But when i try to access it, It gives the error message that
"E: is not accessible, The device is not ready", with a DVD DISC in it!

Please please pleaseeeeeee. I mean , What is this??????, Does that mean a user has to buy a $115 DVD Drive after every 6 months when it does thsi things???????, How can that be of any sort of a rational cure to the problem??????

P.S. I have also written to Samsung about the similar problem, But uptill now, NO RESPONSE AT ALL.......

[Baggins]

same

I have the exact same problem, only I have a Pioneer DVD-114. I upgraded to Windows XP and had Windows 98 SE before on which it worked perfectly, and now, it will not read anything, cd's or dvd's. I would put one in there and it would not do anything with it and I wouldn't hear the disc spin at all. With a CD or DVD in it I would click the drive icon in my computer and a 'Q/: is not accessible...device is not ready' error screen comes up.

You're not alone......can anybody help this?

[JHM007]

Dear Baggins

Its a relief to know that I am not alone, and Its also very sad to know that I am not alone!!!!

I can feel the agony you must have been going thru with this problem cause I myself am a victim of it! Shouldnt have upgraded to XP if i know such a problem would occur afterwards!

So as of you, I am also waiting for some miracle to happen or someone to show up as an angel of mercy who can provide us with the solution to this dreadfull problem!

JHM

[arry]

Did you every get an answer as I have the smae problem now, one year later

regards

A

[Crashed]

I had a problem where a Samsung DVD rom drive
decided to demote itself to a CD Rom drive.

Samsung just done nothing apart from mess me around
with stupid useless replies that was well of the mark.

The fact is it did not read DVD's, it still don't and the matter
has never been resolved in 3 years.

Advice is to get another thats not made by Samsung.
Note - Samsung Combo drives can flip too..

Some friends drives have had the same problem.

[Quality's Proof]

JHM007,

only recently been posting, so only now read your pot.

Sometimes when updating a O.S., a complete and thorough re-format is necessary.

Also, have you installed the available updates from Windows Updates' site?

Your drive should work as most others do.

Asides from the rollback, update drivers, ou could re-download the firmware and flash again (sometimes a flashfirmware (over time) will de-grade).

[mp213]

i have a (wud u believe it?) samsung sm-348b combo drive, which is a little over 2 months old and after working well, it hsa now stopped reading DVDs altho it reads software cds & music cds as well as VCDs. it stopped working two weeks ago. i always had winxp so therez no upgrade issue here; i also have win2000 and it has the same prob. i tried everything from uninstalling & reinstalling directx, uninstallign and reinstalling the IDE devices; uninstalling and reinstalling the dvd drivers; uninstalling and reinstalling the hardware but nothing has worked. so someone please tell me what i should do now? its killing me...lol. i need some serious help here. i m not sure if it would make an y difference reinstalling the OS, since its the same prob in win2000. i do nt know what i should do. please help me before i lose my mind.

regards,
mp

[warrlen]

mp213 and JHM007,

I, too, had a Samsung DVD drive. It worked a couple of times on my PIII with Win98SE. Then it stopped reading DVDs.

Neither the operating system nor the firmware have anything to do with the malfunction. It's the low manufacturing quality and the design of the lens. (I learned this from researching sites other than Samsung's.)

I'm sorry you're in Pakistan, JHM007, and cannot afford to replace your shoddy merchandise.

I'm not so bad off, as I bought mine used. My solution was to remove the Samsung drive, open the back door, and toss it!

[LiveLong]

Reading this, i've just realised I've got no hope of reviving my drive.

I have a Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T, which I have had running on XP for at least 18 months, which has suddenly decided to demote itself to a CD-ROM drive.

Please if anyone has any kind of solution to how to fix this, it really would be greatly appreciated, if not, looks like i'm going to have to buy a new DVD drive!

[gct]

Has anybody been able to resolve their issues with their samsung drives? I also have the samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T and it also recently stopped being able to play dvds. It will still play store boughten cds, but it will not play store boughten dvds or any cds that I have written. I have used this drive very little but it had always played everything without a problem until recently. I have tried everything. Has anyone ever gotten samsung to respond to their problems?