I've bought a Benq 800A and then installed the DW800A DUAL B5N7 firmware. It seems to read and write normally but I've noticed that even when the drive is idle (and without any disc inserted) the green light is on. When the drive is reading the light becomes orange and when writing it's blinking (green/orange).

It's my first Benq drive so I wonder if it is normal because all my other drives (nec, plextor, pioneer, etc) have no light when there is no disc inside.

Do you have the cable hooked up right? On my 1620, the light is of until I insert a disk. Then it is green.

I don't have one but wanted to correct jake8131..............he's got a DW 800A not a 1620..............

My setup right now is:

Primary Master: Nec 2500@2510
Primary Slave: Plextor PX-W2410A
Secondary Master: Banq 800A
Secondary Slave: Plextor DVD-ROM PX116A2

The cables are hooked up right.

I've used the drive before I've installed on my PC on another computer (as Secondary Master without any Slave) and I remember that the light was always on since the computer starts booting.

I see you have some f/w changing experience with you NEC. Have you thought about changing your DW 800A to a DW822A with dual layer capabilities? Don't know if it will change your led problems though. Might read here > http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=117695

Well, the firmware changing solved the problem.

And maybe the problem was caused by so many flashing in the first place

I explain:

When I bought the drive the original firmware as B2K7, so I tried to install a 800A dual firmware but I got an error. So I tried the newest 800A firmware (B4N7) and I got another error and again no change was made to the firmware.

Then I tried the next version after B2K7 and installed sucessfully B2L7. I thought that I had to update each one of the firmwares till I reached the newest (I guessed it was different from another brands). So I did it: B2K7->B2L7->B2M7->B4N7->B3A7->B3C7-> B3D7 ->B5N7.

Afterwards, after posting in this forum I tried rolling56 suggestion and I went back to B3D7 and the "light problem" went away. Then I thought, what the hell lets crossflashed it and I installed B3EC. Then, I tried the latest B3KC and it made the upgrade.

Now I have the B3KC with the dual layer and so far so good. I read a dvd+r to test the speed and the performance is just the same as the older firmwares.

Well I never payed for a dual layer recorder and it seems that I have 2. Thanks to all the guys who made it possible

Well i am glad you like the final results I have a friend that has the same drive and he flashed today and likes his new found drive........Happy burning

Maybe u have flashed it with media in

no, that wasn't the case. I am very aware of that detail

While it may not be a glitch, I do find it odd that the led stays on with a disc in the drive on BenQ drives.

Yeah, it tellls you there's a disc in there, but I'm just not used to it.

Steady green light -- disc inserted
Blinking green light -- drive busy (reading)
Blinking red light -- drive busy (writing)