Region Setting

[PhilGSmith]

I have a Plextor 708A, running windows XP.
I have tried changing the regional setting to Region 2 via device manager and I get the message, "unable to update region setting. Please make sure the drive contains a region 2 media and you have administrative rights".
I made sure there was a region 2 disc in the drive and I assume I have admin rights as I can add and delete software etc.
At present under region setting no region is selected, with the option to change it 5 times being available.
I have tried to change under PowerDVD but still get the same problem.
The drive seems to work fine except that I can't play any DVD's.
Could there be something wrong with XP. I only have one DVD drive.
Any ideas !!

[Quality's Proof]

The freeware ripper/burner DVDDecrypter can most usually do this for you.

Download and try to rip a dvd movie and see if this works.

[PhilGSmith]

I have tried that but still can't change it.

[Quality's Proof]

This is an interesting problem.

Many of the posters have installed @ least one dvd drive, so if you can do so, you could try this.

Turn your computer off. DO NOT DISCONNECT POWER SUPPLY CORD OR TURN POWER OFF (This is for grounding purposes (unless you have one of the wrist strap devices)), only turn the computer off (not standby or restart) Try to be as static electricity free as is practical, don't be wearing a sweater, etc... Undo the computer access panel so you can view the dvd drive. Before touching anything inside the computer, do touch the bare metal (not painted) casing part (to discharge any static electricity), determine which device is the dvd drive and determine where the ribbon connection to it is and the power cord (and any audio cable). Keeping one hand (1 finger is enough) on the bare metal, use the other hand to disconnect the ribbon connection (flat wiring strip) @ the dvd drive and also the power connector @ the dvd drive (and any audio cable @ the dvd drive). Now, re- start computer and let computer run for several minutes. Turn computer off. wait until processor fan stops completely , place one hand on bare metal of case (1 finger will do) and then re-connect ribbon connector and power connector to dvd drive ( and any audio cable). Replace and secure (put screws back in, etc.) access panel onto case. Re-start computer, @ start-up (on XP), windows will automatically re-install the dvd drive for you, with device manager, you should be able to set the region to whatever region you want.

I am posting this as if to a complete newbie as some people read these posts whom are complete newbies and I don't want static electricity to damage their computer if they attempt this.

The main thing is to have the computer connected (for grounding purposes) but turned off and to have physical contact with the bare metal case so as not to damage computer with static electricity.

The above should work. Post result(s) if you do or not, so others will have better idea if they have such a problem.

[PhilGSmith]

I have tried that still no good. According to Plextor this can only be changed when running PowerDVD. You run PowerDVD put in disc and you are given an option to change it. I click yes it starts to do something then stops. Nothing else happens.

The device will play DVD's I have made myself, re home videos, but this is because there is no region set.

Interesting point is that if I try and play a region 2 under windows media player then it says it is set to region 1 and needs changing, I click yes and then Iget the error as stated in my first post.

What I have done is thinking it might be something to do with XP I replaced my boot drive with one that had WIN98SE on it. Still get the same problem re can't change region setting.

Yet another interesting point, I thought all drives came pre-set re the region they were being sold in.

Anything else I can try.

[Quality's Proof]

No, the drives are sold (in US, anyway, with option to set to whatever region).

If you can get a refund, try to do so and buy a Pioneer, if you don't solve before guarantee is expired.

You could also try a fresh install of O.S. (with drive disconnected) and then try to install drive and not be suspended from administrative priviliges.

Or, you could post to somebody about how to get administrative priviliges whilst being denied such. I'm not really up on that stuff as I didn't give windows that right when I installed it. If you do get administrative priviliges and it still doesn't work, a re-format and fresh install seems next option. It seems there is a conflict somewhere, rather than a missing file, etc..

Have you opened up device manager and tried going through that long chain of devices to see if there are any conflicts (yellow highlighted symbols)?

[PhilGSmith]

I have looked at device manager, and everything is OK except for the LAN connection which is disabled as I don't use it.

One thing that has crossed my mind is that on the old system the ribbon attaching the two HDD I had was the one that had the blue connector for the board and the grey and black for the two HDD. The ribbon for my Plextor and ZIP drive was the old type of ribbon without the blue/grey/black connectors. When I upgraded, the new board I got (ABIT NF7-s v2) had one of these ribbons with a blue/black/grey connector. I therefore used this for my two HDD and used the old one (blue/black/grey connector) to attach the Plextor and Zip drive. Therefore could this be the problem, as I have heard of if the ribbon is the wrong length it can stop the system from booting.

I have run sfc /scannow, no problems. Norton Disk Doctor gives me a clean bill of health and the system seems to work fine, except for not being able to change my region setting, therefore can't play DVD's. I can play a DVD I have created myself but this is purely because it has no region setting.

I think I am fast coming to the conclusion that it will have to be returned to Plextor.

[Quality's Proof]

As to the length of cable, yes there is a "defined" length of cable which the manufacturers subscribe to (computers are fast and electricity, though fast, does not have an infinite speed, so the route is kept to a specific maximum for device communications, etc,), longer lengths supposedly interfere with communications (commands sent faster and at a rate that length of cable would be a de-limiter.....it's kind of like the longer the length of wire for a circuit, the larger the wire must be, but in reverse).

I have been trying to remember the maximum length and I am thinking it is 30" or less, though the lengths 24" and 18" also come to mind. As long as the sockets and pins hook up and you have the physical hookups the same as before (master/slave on drives and master/slave on hdd's), I really don't see the wiring (ribbon) as a problem, unless you have some how changed the master/slave wiring with the zip/dvd.

I really don't remember any change in pin/socket configuration within past seveal years, so it does seem, barring a wiring cross-up with the zip/dvd that the Plextor is somehow faulty or there is some problem with Windows.

If you can get a refund and upgrade to a Pioneer, that would be the best thing to do. The Pioneer even comes with a ribbon cable. Meritline.com has the '07 OEM for ~ $180.00 or less.

[PhilGSmith]

Thinking about, if it was the ribbon, then the ZIP drive wouldn't work properly and the DVD player surley wouldn't be able to write DVD's etc which it can do, and read CD's etc.

With Plextor saying it should come with the region set, and it isn't I am thinking it must be the drive.

With regards Plextor the response so far has been good but they haven't been able to come up with an answer. They are now considering having it back to run tests on it.

One of the reasons for getting the Plextor was that it is a good reliable brand, with the spec I wanted, although a little pricey at £200 back in Oct 2003. Now its only £140. Still thats life.

If I get a response from them, I will post here just in case somebody else has the problem in the future.

Thanks for your help.

[Quality's Proof]

You're welcome.

And on another thread somebody was writing dvd's with a Pioneer (without region set) and then later set the region (first time set after burning dvd's), interesting problem.

[PhilGSmith]

Well DHL have just picked my drive up as Plextor promised to look at it free of charge, paying the carriage both ways.

They said I should have a replacement next week, here's hoping !

What they think is that there is memory within the drive re region setting, and somehow this has got corrupted, similar to the BIOS on the motherboard.

[Quality's Proof]

Glad they are replacing drive, do post what problem is (according to Plextor's final determination) so others can view.