Hi everyone.
I have been burning DVDs with DVD-Decryptor for 6-months no problems. I was backing up my games using CloneCD for about a month no problems. I copy of my games wouldn't back up so I tried Alcohol 120.

I installed the trial version. It seemed to work fine. I backed up 4 games. I then tried to use DVD-Decryptor for a DVD and it wouldn't recognize the DVD. I then realized that Windows Explorer won't recognize the DVD. Complains about a incorrectly formatted disc. CDs seem to have no problem. Only DVDs. I went ahead and uninstalled A120 but still had the problem. Removed the DVD-Writer from device manager and rebooted and still had the problem.

Here's where it gets even stranger. I then used a USB2.0 DVD-Writer and DVD-Decryptor worked fine. I install A120 and about 10 minutes later the external DVD-Writer has the same problem. CDs work but DVDs don't. I take the external to another computer and it still doesn't work!

Thoughts:
- Did Alcohol 120 cause this?
- Did the drive actually get physically messed up? Firmware altered?
- Doesn't seem to be software since moving the external to another computer didn't work either?

Any help on this one? Thanks all.

viperss

I have run into much the same problem after installing some cd/dvd burning and editing software. Take a look at the instructions on this page of mine:

http://mysite.verizon.net/eric.groves/pg43.html

It may or may not help you.

Eric

I already tried that but big thanks for replying. The weird thing is the drive exists and CDs work fine, but when you insert a DVD, it doesn't recognize it. It almost seems like the DVD drive thinks it's a CD drive.

That sometimes you'll see cd drive is typically windows, with other words normally.
But wasn't there if could remember an option in alcohol Hide CD/DVD or something like that. If it's checked does it make any differences if you uncheck it?

I already uninstalled Alcohol. Also, my external drive doesn't work anymore either even when I move it to another computer. I'm wondering if something is written to the drive itself. Firmware change? I don't know.

Alcohol does not change your Firmware, you were also asked by Alcohol Support if you have any Starforce Games installed as there have been reports of Drives giving problems when Starforce was installed.

I ran a Starforce search program I downloaded and no Starforce games reported. I'm not going to give up yet. I'm going to install Alcohol 120 at work. At least if my drive dies there, my work will replace it at no cost to me.

Have you removed your drives, reboot and let windows reinstall them?

Yeah. The weird thing is the external drive didn't work on another computer. I've swapped my internal drive with a new DVD writer and it works fine. I'm going to put the internal drive in my external enclosure and give that a shot.