HP DVD Writer 840B suddenly quit recognizing DVDs

[Tod Santee]

Everywhere I look for help on this I keep seeing others having issues with the HP DVD Writer 840b. Everyone jumps through all of HP-Tech Support's hoops, even does a complete Restore to factory settings only to find the DVD Writer is bad!

I've tried everything I can find -- firmware, drivers, software, different media brands, all to no avail but HP Tech still wants me to backup everything and Restore to factory.

I purchased my Media Center with a DVD Writer so I could use THAT as my backup writer (big mistake now!).

HP wants me to buy a "Personal Media Drive" to back up to. The tech says it will last a lifetime! (And my DVD writer should last how long???)

Nero doesn't recognize any DVD media (though I can write to CDs).

Does anyone have any Non-Destructive suggestions for getting this drive going --OR-- getting HP to simply admit, based on all the horror stories I've read in 2 weeks, that they just have a bad drive and ought to replace it?

Thanks!

P.S. This trhead has been moved from Archived Desktops and Workstations Boards > Windows based to Optical Jukeboxes & Drives. - Hp Forum Moderator

[Ronald Postma]

Hi Tod,
You can do a few things:
1. Built in the writer in another system and check if it works, probably not.
2. Download a bootable CD with testing tools, or backup toos, see if you can burn to DVD google arround so you can download Hirens BootCD or so, it has backup software, so you can test if your burner works.
3. Just say to HP that you did a restore and did not work and that they can send you a new burner and you will send the old one back.
4. Buy a new Writer, they do not cost much these days.Here you can buy them for about 40 dollars.

Your system is under warrenty so I would choose option 3.

Have a nice day,
HTH, Ronald

[Tod Santee]

Hi Ronald... Thank you for the reply/suggestions!

> You can do a few things:
> 1. Built in the writer in another system
> and check if it works, probably not.

By this I assume you mean I should simply try the drive in a computer that I know already works. I may have a chance to try this if my computer at work (networked to a huge server) will allow me to do so.

The only other computers available to me are an old IBM running Windows ME and an Averatec Laptop/Notebook running XP. I doubt ME will support the CD/DVD-RW (though it does support a CD-RW...? Worth a try?)

Is there a way to temporarily install an internal 840b DVD writer to a notebook?

> 2. Download a bootable CD with testing
> tools, or backup toos, see if you can burn
> to DVD google arround so you can download
> Hirens BootCD or so, it has backup
> software, so you can test if your burner
> works.

I tried PC Doctor 5. It shows the CD read/write abilities working Ok but when it begins testing a DVD it ejects it and asks me to insert a DVD... as if there was no media inserted or perhaps as if the media inserted was not a DVD.

PERSONALLY, I believe the DVD laser is dead. It was behaving oddly a couple months ago when trying to play a DVD. I had to eject-insert-eject-insert a few times before it would work. I haven't used the DVD functions in 2-3 months because I didn't have the need to burn anything. I haven't installed any new software or changed any existing SW. It just plain quit.

> 3. Just say to HP that you did a restore
> and did not work and that they can send
> you a new burner and you will send the old
> one back.

The HP I talked to (who was quite rude) made notations that I was very reluctant to purchace new hardware do do a full Recovery. Most I've talked with (well, maybe half of them) were quite rude and simply refused to answer certain questions like when I ask what the result of doing a certain task would be.

EX: I had to really press the person I recently spoke with for an answer before she finally told me that doing this full recovery would erase all my data! I *almost* followed all her directions but then hesitated for a moment... just long enough to realize I might lose everything if I went farther. I got VERY lucky!!

I'm looking for a backup option (hardware) to use temporarily so I might at least try. But reinstalling ALL of my software is so incredibly time consuming -- if not impossible or expensive because some of my software was purchased online and has no "hard" media (Disk/CD, etc) from which to reinstall.

Obviously I can't backup to DVD. I have approximately 160 Gig of recorded television from the past month that is intended for work (I'm a science teacher and planned to use these for multimedia lessons... everything from science programs to governmental debates on scientific topics. But now I can't get them off the computer.)

ONE "backup" I did involved copying several to my laptop via wireless network. But that drive is full with no DVD write capability.

The Windows Recovery disk I created when I purchased the computer was burned to a DVD. I can't do that again if something happens to that disk while recovering.

Between a rock and a hard place it seems.


Thanks again! I will try it in a new computer. Do you think the ME OS will handle it? Or any way to try a laptop?

Much appreciated!

Have a great day!!
--Tod

[Ronald Postma · Accepted solution]

Hi again,
The drive should work under ME, only you need burningsoftware tot write disk, you can download a demo of Nero or so.
But you can not even read DVd's anymore, so you can just test under ME with reading a DVD, if the drive can not read, it can also not burn DVD's
DVD's and CD's are read/written with differtent lasers, so I think your assumtion is ritht, the DVD laser is dead.

You can attach the drive to a laptop by buying an USB external bracket that can house internal PC drives (5.25 inch)

You need to backup everything, even if you get the DVD to work that will be quite a task. if you want to backup 160GB you need 40 normal DVD disks.
Futher you have to backup your other stuff, if you want to backup everything, you need a second HD, maybe you can get one from your work if you say that you need it for your classes, then you can buy an external one. You can then take the drive with you to your work, if your students need to watch these movies.

After this testing, I would call HP again, say that you tried the drive on a clean install and on another computer and that in both cases no DVD's could be read or burned. Ask them if they can send a replacement drive.

Here in Europe we have HP service centers, that can be contacted, you can let them test and repair HP systems. You can try to find one if the exist where you live, say that you have an damaged DVD burner and if thay can send a replacment part. (If they want the unit there ask if you can do it without the HD, so you can keep your data safe.

Lots of luck,
Regards, Ronald

BTW, buying a new burner will sove the problem, but will cost you money, but this costs a lot of time, so pick the one that suits you the most.

[Tod Santee]

Thanks Ronald!

Actually, I spoke with an HP Tech last night and discussed trying the drive in other computers rather than a Full Recovery.

He agreed that would be an acceptable alternative to the time for that kind of large backup PLUS the loss of certain applications that I would be unable to reinstall due to the App. Registration Keys being invalid if I try to install again (i.e. it would appear to the distributor that the software app is being used on multiple computers).

Thanks for the suggestions, though... I'll let you know how it turns out before closing this thread.

Regards!
Tod

[Ronald Postma]

Your welcome, I hope you get it fixed and if you need some more advice, just ask.

Regards, Ronald

[Preston Jimno]

I am having the same issue with TWO HP M7248n PC's the DVD R/W drive on BOTH are having the SAME ISSUE!!

[Tod Santee]

Hi... I'd suggest following one or more (all?) of Ronald's original replies to my question... (Below)... particularly #1 and 3


-----
May 1, 2007 08:16:57 GMT 7 pts
-----
Hi Tod,
You can do a few things:
1. Put the writer in another system and check if it works, probably not.
2. Download a bootable CD with testing tools, or backup toos, see if you can burn to DVD google arround so you can download Hirens BootCD or so, it has backup software, so you can test if your burner works.
3. Just say to HP that you did a restore and did not work and that they can send you a new burner and you will send the old one back.
4. Buy a new Writer, they do not cost much these days.Here you can buy them for about 40 dollars.

Your system is under warrenty so I would choose option 3.

Have a nice day,
HTH, Ronald
------------

Mine *was* a burned out/dead laser for DVDs. Apparently, it is a pretty common reason for DVD-R/RWs quitting.

However, with the cost of DVD-RWs dropping as they did, at this time I'd buy a new one (unless you DO have a warranty! That's what they're for, right?)

Best of luck!
--Tod