Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

It isn't possible to have USB ports devoted to a single device.

Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

Ok, so download this zip from Soltek:
http://www.soltek.com.tw/soltek/down...l/75FN220L.zip

It comes with a readme and a flash utility (I looked http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif so just follow the directions.


Then reboot, and go here:
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

and follow this trail:

platform/nForce Drivers
nForce 1/2
Windows XP

download those and install them.

If it still does not work after that, post again, and I'll tell you how to get rid of StarForce and spyware that might be causing the problem.

Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

Which nvidia driver should I download, U.S english or International?. I am in Australia.

these steps

Step 2. Create a pure bootable diskette by including only the Drvspace*.bin file, Io.sys and the AWDFLASH.EXE onto the diskette. This program only works in pure DOS environment, the utility can not be worked in win95/98/ ME/NT/2000/XP.

Step 3. Insert the diskette into drive A; reboot your system from the disk.

I can find no sign of an IO.sys on my computer to put on a diskette. also, does reboot from disk just mean rebooting the computer while the boot disk is in drive?

Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

Download the English one http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

As for the steps, hmm.... use the flash tool I attached instead. You can flash from Windows; much more convenient.


By the way, if anyone else in the forum has a Phoenix Bios (very common), I recommend this flash tool - much better than booting into DOS. I can't boot into DOS anymore because my motherboard doesn't have a floppy drive port.

Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

I'll give it a try later. I can say one thing though. I tried it on my brother in laws laptop and it worked, no problem, so obviously it's not broken as I thought. Can you tell me, might my AV software cause a problem? I am fairly certain I wouldn't have spyware and I know nothing about starforce. If it doesn't work I can do a scan to make sure.

Re: OT- DVD drive trouble
 

Antiviruse programs cause all kinds of trouble with software, so I don't use them and haven't since 1997. But I've never heard of one causing trouble with hardware before, so I doubt it.

Starforce is an copy-protection virus that comes on games by some companies like Ubisoft. It hides in your computer and disables CD-copy software like Nero, and it stays when the game is uninstalled. It also interferes with the correct function of optical drives and sometimes damages them.

Wikipedia has an article on Starforce:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starforce

and near the bottom, a link to a removal tool:

http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55

I don't know if it tells you "You had Starforce and we removed it" or what, since I've never used it, but I assume it works.


P.S. I doubt that Starforce is the problem, but you never know. Besides, it's not something you want on your computer anyway http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

How to detect StarForce in your computer
 

Found it! This even has nice little screenshots.

http://www.glop.org/starforce/detect.php

Re: How to detect StarForce in your computer
 

well I had like 3 different versions of Starforce http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif. Removed them all.

I downloaded and installed the nforce stuff. Still no luck

I can't use winflash. It wants a sys file, I assume IO.sys, and as I said as far as I know I don't have it. Is there another sys file I have to use?

I am grasping at straws here, and I apologise for not having any luck. I am mentioning things in case they matter.

my computer's HD is split into a C drive and a D:backup drive. There are is also a floppy drive (A) and the CD drive (E). IS it getting blocked by all the drives ie. no letters left or something. When I use the DVD playing software that came it seems to try to use my CD drive (E). I tried disabling the E drive but it made no difference.

Re: How to detect StarForce in your computer
 

Hahaha... wow... I can't say why that seems so funny to me. Starforce sure gets around; they're like STDs.

No, you can have all 26 letters used for disk drives, maybe more. Sometimes the letters get changed when you add new hardware (e.g. I added a DVD burner and it stole E, bumping my CD burner to F) but don't worry about it.

Winflash: I just gave you the executable, as that is the only file in the directory; maybe the installer comes with the missing file.

You can get the installer here:

http://www.ecsusa.com/downloads/bios/winflash151.exe

Plus, it's a newer version, too; not that that matters.


Once you update the bios, now that you've installed the latest nVidia drivers, and now that Starforce is dead... if it doesn't work... take the drive back. Keep your fingers crossed, though.

Re: How to detect StarForce in your computer
 

Odds are good that they were not actually removed, and are still festering.

I suggest backing up your files to another disk (if not a CD, another harddrive is good), then format & reinstall the OS.