Hey all,

I have encountered a slight annoyance with my SH-S182D writer. It is usually reported as a DVD-RAM drive in Windows XP Pro. However, there have been a few occasions where it is reported as a CD drive and so won't play DVDs, instead only opening them like data files. The problem is solved by rebooting.

Is there any easier fix or way around this? I am googling this issue at the moment but thought I'd ask here since you're all so knowledgeable.

Thanks,
Colette

That is a normal Windows recognition.

If the drive is empty, it will be reported as "DVD-RAM Drive."
If there is a DVD movie, it will say the title of the movie.
If there is a DVD blank inside the tray it will be reported as "CD Drive". Sometimes it will still say as CD Drive even after you took the disk out.
etc, etc.

Hi, and thanks for your answer.

I see what you mean. However, after taking the disc out, it still remains as a CD drive and won't play any DVD movie until I reboot the PC.

I have just realised that this behaviour seems to occur after using CloneDVD2 to clone a DVD. This is my exact problem.

Normal Windows usage/prior to using CloneDVD2:
- The drive is recognised as a DVD-RAM drive when empty
- When a DVD movie is inserted, it will play in PowerDVD (default player) and obviously the name of the movie is displayed alongside the drive letter
- When the drive has a blank DVD in it, it does show the drive as a CD drive but with the DVD-R symbol alongside the drive letter
- When blank DVD is removed from the drive, the empty drive correctly shows as DVD-RAM drive.

All of this is normal behaviour. Where my issue starts is after using CloneDVD2 to clone a DVD (backup, of course):

- CloneDVD2 reads and creates files from source disc
- Blank DVD is inserted and CloneDVD2 burns newly created files to blank DVD
- Freshly burned DVD is ejected and re-inserted after CloneDVD2 is closed
- Freshly burned DVD won't play as a DVD; Explorer will open it as if it is a data disc i.e. it shows folders AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS (VIDEO_TS contains all the relevant DVD files i.e. VOB, BUP and IFO files) - right-click won't supply an option to restore associations
- After DVD is ejected again, drive still shows as CD drive and will not play ANY DVD movies at all. The only solution is to reboot the computer. This happens every time CloneDVD2 is used.

Surely the behaviour after using CloneDVD2 isn't normal? Of course, I realise that it may be time to ditch CloneDVD2.

Colette

Hi,

seems to be a CloneDVD issue (or feature) then. Have you already browsed through the CloneDVD forum?

Michael

EDIT: Moved to Clone DVD forum

I have a similar problem with my Sony DRU-710A. It used to be reported as a DVD drive, but now says "CD Drive" even after booting or when a DVD is in the drive (never says the title of the movie). I am not sure when it started doing it. I have XP Pro SP2. My other drive, a CD-RW is correctly reported as "CD-RW Drive".

Interestingly, when I fire Components Management (compmgmt.msc), the drive is reported as" DVD", so somewhere Windows knows it's a DVD drive, simply Explorer does not say that. Weird!

Didier