Computers and Related Hardware/Software

Anime Dad wrote:I see Google have released their own browser - Chrome.

Anyone tried it yet?

It's still in beta testing, I think...

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Google, though I wouldn't mind having shares of their stock. :mrgreen:

Anime Dad wrote:I see Google have released their own browser - Chrome.

Anyone tried it yet?

I would try it, if the darn thing would actually install :grumble: I understand it's a beta and all, but installation failures?

deseipher wrote:I would try it, if the darn thing would actually install :grumble: I understand it's a beta and all, but installation failures?

All the more reason to stick with Firefox. :victory:

<--- does not normally beta-test.

krim wrote:<--- does not normally beta-test.

Probably the better idea :beaten: I try out betas of anything I may find interesting. From Vista to Google Chrome, if it stirs my curiousity I'm willing to give it a try.

deseipher wrote:

Probably the better idea :beaten: I try out betas of anything I may find interesting. From Vista to Google Chrome, if it stirs my curiousity I'm willing to give it a try.

Me too... I just installed IE8 beta 2 a few days ago (am typing this on it) and now I gotta try out this other new beta browser? Life is rough.

You guys must love punishment installing all these beta code. :whipped:

dochira wrote:You guys must love punishment installing all these beta code. :whipped:

Trying to stay ahead of the curve, I suppose.

As I've seen with trying to do a new XP install, "Leave well enough alone." :sweat: :banghead:

bmwracer wrote:
Trying to stay ahead of the curve, I suppose.

As I've seen with trying to do a new XP install, "Leave well enough alone." :sweat: :banghead:

Well, you see, I set my computer up in a way that I can theoretically remove my operating system drive and have the system up and running again from a new drive in less than about 15 minutes with all of my core settings and programs set up in pristine install. Careful segregation of data partitions & image backups make this a snap. Even moreso now that Vista has the sophisticated backup and restore tools that it does.

And besides.. a browser ain't gonna screw up your computer that much - it's a modular program that will likely only mess up your browsing experience.. and these days, only a little - the IE beta has had no errors and has only misrendered one page to a degree where it was necessary to use the compatability button (a built in feature).

A good reason for testing beta code is that some of it never makes it to market and there are some amazing tools out there. The new photosynth tool that MS has put together is soo cool! I've been hearing about it for a few years now, but now you can actually create a browsable 3D image based on a series of photographs of a scene or object. I have done some tests... and it works amazingly well!! Check it out:

http://photosynth.net/

phlargo wrote:

Well, you see, I set my computer up in a way that I can theoretically remove my operating system drive and have the system up and running again from a new drive in less than about 15 minutes with all of my core settings and programs set up in pristine install. Careful segregation of data partitions & image backups make this a snap. Even moreso now that Vista has the sophisticated backup and restore tools that it does.

And besides.. a browser ain't gonna screw up your computer that much - it's a modular program that will likely only mess up your browsing experience.. and these days, only a little - the IE beta has had no errors and has only misrendered one page to a degree where it was necessary to use the compatability button (a built in feature).

A good reason for testing beta code is that some of it never makes it to market and there are some amazing tools out there. The new photosynth tool that MS has put together is soo cool! I've been hearing about it for a few years now, but now you can actually create a browsable 3D image based on a series of photographs of a scene or object. I have done some tests... and it works amazingly well!! Check it out:

http://photosynth.net/

Oh.. and another reason I test beta software is that most of my friends and family come to me asking if they should use is. I'm the resident computer guy, so I have to be ahead of the curve on all things hardware and software. I kinda enjoy it too :ashamed:

phlargo wrote:Oh.. and another reason I test beta software is that most of my friends and family come to me asking if they should use is. I'm the resident computer guy, so I have to be ahead of the curve on all things hardware and software. I kinda enjoy it too :ashamed:

But you haven't helped me resolve my "new XP install mystery" yet. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
But you haven't helped me resolve my "new XP install mystery" yet. :sweat:

okay, okay.. I'll take a look - wanna give me a brief recap of where you are? I've been trying to avoid taking on that mantle here.. ;-)

Or is the the blank DVD media thing? XP doesn't natively write to DVDs - you need a piece of third-party software to write to DVDs.

phlargo wrote:okay, okay.. I'll take a look - wanna give me a brief recap of where you are? I've been trying to avoid taking on that mantle here.. ;-)

Or is the the blank DVD media thing? XP doesn't natively write to DVDs - you need a piece of third-party software to write to DVDs.

It's not blank media: my new install of XP doesn't recognize DVDRW discs in my multidrive... If I plop in a CD or DVDR, no problem.

It's not a hardware issue, since everything works fine with my old XP install.

bmwracer wrote:
It's not blank media: my new install of XP doesn't recognize DVDRW discs in my multidrive... If I plop in a CD or DVDR, no problem.

It's not a hardware issue, since everything works fine with my old XP install.

I've actually only used 2 or 3 DVDRW discs in the last 10 years or so, so I'm not the best expert on them, but a few reasons come to mind.

This might also be a question of the drivers that your third party writing tool are installing. Certain DVDRW discs are 'harder' to read that others and if you installed an older version of your authoring software, it may not contain the compatibility features as the updated version you were using.

Different media works different. Two different manufacturers of DVD media use different tolerances and manufacturing style. This can mean that one brand of DVD can be read and written to at full speed and another is unreadable in certain older drives.

If I remember, you're using a Lite-On DVDRW drive, which if it's not too old should be a dual format drive sourced from NEC (good drive, by the way). DVD-RWs come in two major formats - DVD+RW and DVD-RW. An older drive may only be able to read and/or write to one or the other.

If you are using 'the same media you always have' then you are probably looking at a difference in ATAPI or authoring software drivers.

Beyond that, I'd start looking towards your Southbridge drivers. Make sure you have the newest nForce, Via, AMD, or Intel chipset drivers. Those things can be easy to forget on a new install. It may not make a huge difference, but it also may open up ATA Mode 5 or better serial ATA compatability modes.

phlargo wrote:I've actually only used 2 or 3 DVDRW discs in the last 10 years or so, so I'm not the best expert on them, but a few reasons come to mind.

This might also be a question of the drivers that your third party writing tool are installing. Certain DVDRW discs are 'harder' to read that others and if you installed an older version of your authoring software, it may not contain the compatibility features as the updated version you were using.

I'm using the exact same version of Nero 7 on the new XP install as the old one.

Different media works different. Two different manufacturers of DVD media use different tolerances and manufacturing style. This can mean that one brand of DVD can be read and written to at full speed and another is unreadable in certain older drives.

The exact same disc that can't be read in the new XP install reads just fine in the old XP install... And both installs are SP2.

If I remember, you're using a Lite-On DVDRW drive, which if it's not too old should be a dual format drive sourced from NEC (good drive, by the way). DVD-RWs come in two major formats - DVD+RW and DVD-RW. An older drive may only be able to read and/or write to one or the other.

No, my current multidrive is an Optiarc, a joint Sony-NEC project... The DVD+RWs I use are TDKs.

If you are using 'the same media you always have' then you are probably looking at a difference in ATAPI or authoring software drivers.

Same software. See above.

Beyond that, I'd start looking towards your Southbridge drivers. Make sure you have the newest nForce, Via, AMD, or Intel chipset drivers. Those things can be easy to forget on a new install. It may not make a huge difference, but it also may open up ATA Mode 5 or better serial ATA compatability modes.

I'm using the same nVidia nForce 2 drivers on the new XP install as the old XP install.

Like I've said, the only difference is a new HDD and a new install of XP SP2... And a difference of two-plus years since my last fresh install. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
I'm using the same nVidia nForce 2 drivers on the new XP install as the old XP install.

Like I've said, the only difference is a new HDD and a new install of XP SP2... And a difference of two-plus years since my last fresh install. :sweat:

So is the read problem that which you were explaining about your installation process? You are getting an unreadable file - or was that an older issue?

Or is the problem that you have a completed install now, but when you put discs in the drive, the system just doesn't recognize that you've put in some media.

Well.. new hard drive question - is the new drive a SATA drive? Is your DVD drive an PATA or SATA drive? Was your old hard drive on the same bus as the DVD drive?

phlargo wrote:So is the read problem that which you were explaining about your installation process? You are getting an unreadable file - or was that an older issue?

That was resolved: I re-seated all the memory modules and everything was okay after that.

Or is the problem that you have a completed install now, but when you put discs in the drive, the system just doesn't recognize that you've put in some media.

Yes.

And it's localized to DVDRW media: all other media is recognized by XP.

Well.. new hard drive question - is the new drive a SATA drive? Is your DVD drive an PATA or SATA drive? Was your old hard drive on the same bus as the DVD drive?

PATA drive... Same 80-conductor cable in the Primary IDE slot.

The CD/DVD burner is all alone on the Secondary IDE slot with a 80-conductor cable.

That is one strange problem you've got 'racer. I was thinking maybe the laser that reads the discs is wearing out, but that wouldn't explain why only DVD-RW's don't work. Hopefully you find a solution for it. :victory:

deseipher wrote:That is one strange problem you've got 'racer. I was thinking maybe the laser that reads the discs is wearing out, but that wouldn't explain why only DVD-RW's don't work.

And it doesn't explain why it works fine with my original XP install. :crazy:

bmwracer wrote:
And it doesn't explain why it works fine with my original XP install. :crazy:

I don't have any answer based on what you've said. Were I there, I might be able to think of some other things to try.. but really I got nothing - you basically have ruled out everything but 1. systemic error from original OS installation, 2. hardware failure, or 3. specific disc damage.