DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

[pentool]

Hello,

I have an EP45-UD3R rev. 1.0 board. It's been running stable for over 7 months at stock speed. No problems to report (knock on wood).

However, when I insert a DVD data disk to copy data from it to the HD, the DVD drive keeps spinning on and off and this makes data xfer really slow.

For example, when copying a directory with LARGE files in it (a few hundred megs in size - or just a single big file) it spins up, and runs for 20 seconds. Then it spins down. At this point the data xfer is not finished. Then it spins up again and continues copying. Then after 20 seconds it spins down again. And it goes on and on.

When copying a directory with many SMALL files in it, the same behavior can be observed with the difference that it spins down every 5 seconds, then back on. Then after 5 seconds it's off again. Etc. This is annoying, not to mention makes xfer last a long time.

I've read somewhere that a few people have issues with the audio driver (different mobo), or it can be software related. I've included a screenshot of my task mgr to show that I've basically nothing running in the BG except for the minimal stuff. Note, that in this screenshot you can see the Wacom and Apple related services running. It has nothing to do with the DVD spins, because when they were not installed, the drive behaved the same way.



I have the original F3 version BIOS on the board. I've just read that now the BIOS is at release F9 and fixes some IO issues (but don't exactly know which kind). Should I flash the BIOS? Or anyone might have some tips?

The DVD drive is an IDE drive and running as master. Other then this I don't have DVD burning issues.

The DVD drive model is an LG "HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH20LP20". It behaved this way ever since I put the system together back in last November.

Thanks!

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Hello,

I have an EP45-UD3R rev. 1.0 board. It's been running stable for over 7 months at stock speed. No problems to report (knock on wood).

However, when I insert a DVD data disk to copy data from it to the HD, the DVD drive keeps spinning on and off and this makes data xfer really slow.

For example, when copying a directory with LARGE files in it (a few hundred megs in size - or just a single big file) it spins up, and runs for 20 seconds. Then it spins down. At this point the data xfer is not finished. Then it spins up again and continues copying. Then after 20 seconds it spins down again. And it goes on and on.

When copying a directory with many SMALL files in it, the same behavior can be observed with the difference that it spins down every 5 seconds, then back on. Then after 5 seconds it's off again. Etc. This is annoying, not to mention makes xfer last a long time.

I've read somewhere that a few people have issues with the audio driver (different mobo), or it can be software related. I've included a screenshot of my task mgr to show that I've basically nothing running in the BG except for the minimal stuff. Note, that in this screenshot you can see the Wacom and Apple related services running. It has nothing to do with the DVD spins, because when they were not installed, the drive behaved the same way.



I have the original F3 version BIOS on the board. I've just read that now the BIOS is at release F9 and fixes some IO issues (but don't exactly know which kind). Should I flash the BIOS? Or anyone might have some tips?

The DVD drive is an IDE drive and running as master. Other then this I don't have DVD burning issues.

The DVD drive model is an LG "HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH20LP20". It behaved this way ever since I put the system together back in last November.

Thanks!

Pentool,

First, try simply stating your problem.

For example:

"Cannot copy data from DVD."

But is it all data DVDs, or just one that you made?

I made some bad Dual Layer DVDs yesterday. And after inserting, a few of them acted some what the same way as what you described.

GL

[pentool]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Pentool, First, try simply stating your problem.

Bee_Dee_3_Dee, First try simply reading my post. For example, starting with the headline. What does the headline say? What is it refer to? Does it refer to media?

I've had many occasions, that I receive replies completely irrelevant to my question. When I ask the person to please try actually READ it before replying, all of a sudden it makes sense to them.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Bee_Dee_3_Dee, First try simply reading my post. For example, starting with the headline. What does the headline say? What is it refer to? Does it refer to media?

I've had many occasions, that I receive replies completely irrelevant to my question. When I ask the person to please try actually READ it before replying, all of a sudden it makes sense to them.

Sorry Pentool, I didn't mean to offend you whatsoever.

In order to improve your odds at getting help- I was only suggesting that you begin with a simple description and leave out the History of the World. JK (I do it too all the time myself.)

Another thing that can help enormously to improve your odds at getting help is the following:

Please add all your Specifications to your Tweak Town Signature. (And then we'll be able to easily see all your Specifications on every post you make.)

1. Click where it says "User CP" at the top of any page on this forum when your logged in. Or maybe this might work: TweakTown Forums .

2. Click, " Edit Signature " on the left of your Control Panel.

3. Update the following with your own info and copy/paste it all into your new signature:

<<< System Summary >>>
> Power Supply: ________________________
> Mainboard : ________________________
> Chipset : ________________________
> Processor : ________________________
> CPU HeatSink and Fan (HSF): ________________________
> Physical Memory : ________________________(Put a Link to your RAM's specifications here next to it.)
> Video Card : ________________________
> DVD-Rom Drive : ________________________
> Monitor Type : ________________________
> Operating System : ________________________

4. Preview and save it.

And include your mobo rev#, bios version in your signature too.

[VorLonUK]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

I must admit you've done extremely well just to have only 27 processes running, so it's not as though you have too many programs etc bogging down the system.

I assume you are using XP and that you have no slave device on your IDE connection?

As you probably are aware, DVD drives do speed up and slow down and this maybe noticeable as a new file is being read - this is often apparent on game installs as the files are often being accessed from different parts of the disc.

If you board is similiar to mine and your IDE interface is part of the Gigabyte aka JMicron controller you could try installing the Jmicron driver rather than using Microsofts generic OS driver.

Other ideas worth trying could be downloading the CD/DVD tools from Opti Drive Control website which used to be the tools that came with Nero. The site looks different now, but the tools still look good.

Other suggestions would be to try and track down whether windows is accessing the bus, or if you have some form of scanner in the background.
You could also try a Linux distro "LiveCD" to see if the same affect happens, but without windows in sight.

Also and and not always an obvious thing, are your discs in perfect condition, or are they read as well by other drives. And a bit of a personal question and i have seen it destroy a number of drives over the years (well the laser assemblies), is the drive in a room where people smoke? After awhile the laser lens get coated in tar, which makes the laser have trouble focusing, which in turn reduces the rotational (and of course data extraction) speed. Then you get this speed up and slow down effect.

Lastly and i almost forgot, do check in Device manager that your IDE properties which are supporting your DVD drive have the "Enable DMA" checkbox checked.

[pentool]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback, guys.

Yes, I do use Windows XP Pro SP3 (forgot to mention that), and the DVD drive is the only device on the IDE connector. My HDs are on SATA conenctors. The only connections I have is 4 HD drives (no RAID) and this 1 DVD drive.

I also do have the Nero drive tools. However, adjusting the spin up/down time has no effect on this issue.

Other suggestions would be to try and track down whether windows is accessing the bus, or if you have some form of scanner in the background.

I'm not sure whould I go about doing that. I am not aware of any scanner running in the background. That's one reason I posted the taks mgr screenshot. I do 3d work and not into gaming. So I usually make sure that I clean my bg processes as thouroughly as I can so no needless processes will bog down or clutter my system. Which also means, I don't overclock, so I have no need for the various manufacturer tools to run (eg measuring processor heat, speed, voltages, etc). Got rid of them all (eg, disabled).

The drive is a new drive (bought it back in November) and, it worked like this ever since. Just didn't bothered with it so far. No, nobody smoking approximately a mile around the area and the room is a clean room.

I use TDK and SONY DVDs. All of them works the same way (eg, the drive spins off and on when I copy data). And I do know that drvies spin on and off in general and they spin off if no data to be read. But if I have, say 500 items to copy, and the files are small, it keeps spinning down every 4 seconds (I actually timed it), then back on. So copying 500 files takes a long time because of the constant spin off/on.

Also, the DMA dropdown is set to DMA.

[VorLonUK]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Drives do tend to "stammer" when reading lots of small files compared to building up and sustaining speed on one contiguous file.

However, in relation to the older tools that used to be on cdspeed2000.com that used to accompany many of the Nero suites, I should have been clearer. I wasn't thinking about their DriveSpeed tool, but rather their DiscSpeed tool. Yep, I know the names seem to be describing the same thing, but you should hopefully have the tool.

I've just checked in my library and it's called Nero DiscSpeed 4 version 4.11.2.0
It's the utility where you can burn a disk to check overall quality of the burn and the reading elements.
Also you can see CPU usage at various speeds and also the Interface Burst rate.

Other ideas as I mentioned above could include using a Linux "LiveCD" (their are various distro's that have this facility so they don't alter your existing setup in anyway) and see how the drive performs in another enviroment ie not windows.

Just another thought:-
Did you check in Device Manager IDE/Atapi section where you checked the DMA box was checked for the interface your drive is on, what Ultra DMA mode the drive is in?
Also are you using an 80 conductor 40 pin ide cable, rather than the older (upto ata 33/Ultra dma 2) 40 conductor 40pin ide cable?

[Psycho101]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

I know the tool well. It was called "CD-DVD Speed" until recently and has now been changed to "Opti Drive Control". It's an extremely useful tool for assessing quality of the burned media. If however the drive stutters and spins inconsistantly with pressed media as well as burned media, this probably isn't the sorce of the problem.

With your LG drive I'd suggest just using the DVD read test in Opti Drive Control. PI/PIE/PIF scanning is not very accurate on any LG drive I've seen, although I've been out of the loop in regards to DVD burners for a year or so.

If you do want to conduct PI/PIE scans then I'd recommend you try to locate either a Lite-On, BenQ or Plextor drive. Most drives from these manufacturers have been verified to treat all media fairly and conduct accurate scans. Other drives may be biased towards discs burned in that particular drive, and report others as unfit, even when they're not.

If you need help interpreting the data from any disc scans feel free to post them here. Note that if given the option, scan a disc at PO sum 1 ECC in a LiteOn drive at 4x speed or a PO sum 8 ECC on a BenQ at I believe 8x.

It may although the drive is new, be a drive issue. I highly recommend posting on cdfreaks.com: Club CDFreaks - Knowledge is Power - Powered by vBulletin . The guys there really know their stuff. I posted on there for a while under the name Kim Jong. I had a BenQ that after a month of use would eject the tray while the disc was still spinning, resulting in scratched discs as they spin in the open tray and also fly across the room. Faults can occur regardless of drive age.

Also look into whether there has been any updated firmware released. Manufacturers release firmware as a matter of course to add support for new media codes (containing instructions on how a drive should burn new media; speed, laser power etc). Maybe a recent release has fixed any similar issues to yours.

[pentool]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Thanks for the info guys!

I've run the disk read test using OptiDriveControl:



I'm no expert here, but I think it looks decent.

As far as the DMA mode goes, I have 3 primary, and 3 secondary IDE channels listed. Not sure why, but I've read recently during my searches, that it has to do something with SATA.

The first one (top on the list) the mode is: Not Applicable (for both Device 0, 1).
The second in the list: mode 5 (for both Device 1, 0)
The third, Device 0: mode 4; Device 1: Not Applicable

Not sure which one is the DVD drive out of the 3.

[Psycho101]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

DMA mode 5 devices would be your har drive(s) and the mose 4 device is the LG. This is the maximum DMA setting it supports and is more than enough for max speed operation.

Your read curve looks perfect to me. Any problems or stutters would be shown here as dips in the graph. Did the burner make the same spin up and down when it was conducting this test? If so It may be that the noises are normal for the drive, or it could be a fault which doesn't effect performance. Without testing a drive myself, I can't be sure.

To eliminate a variable, is it possible for you to test the drive in another PC? Also using another drive using the same IDE/SATA socket and power connector would eliminate PSU and mobo issues.

Edit: Also look into a firmware update. They are relatively safe to do from within Windows. I've flashed drives many times without issue, and recently flashed my Sony/Optiarc to custom bitsetting FW.

[VorLonUK]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

Did you consider (as per one of my previous posts) installing the GB SATA II Driver (ie aka Jmicron controller, possibly a JMicron/Products) or the the Jmicron driver (essentially the same as the GB package but probably newer)
Driver

You need to double check though that your IDE interface is in connecton with a Jmicron Controller.

You'll find then that the DVD drive gets listed differently in device manager. If however it cures the specific problem you have is another matter. It may be worth a try though.

Oh and are you using an 80 conductor ide cable???? (throughput looks good so I'm assuming you probably are), but because of the type of "fault" you are experiencing, a 40 conductor cable is a factor that could influence things (negatively).

[Psycho101]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

I'm 100% sure the drive is on either an 80 wire IDE or a SATA connector, otherwise he'd be limited to DMA Mode 2. Although an 80 wire won't increase bandwidth, the extra 40 wires are insulation to prevent cross-talk. The drive will auto detect the cable type and be limited to DMA 2 and 12x burning on 40 wire cables.

[VorLonUK]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

I'm 100% sure the drive is on either an 80 wire IDE or a SATA connector, otherwise he'd be limited to DMA Mode 2. Although an 80 wire won't increase bandwidth, the extra 40 wires are insulation to prevent cross-talk. The drive will auto detect the cable type and be limited to DMA 2 and 12x burning on 40 wire cables.

Actually the 40 extra wires aren't insulation, they are all at Ground potential to effectively "Screen" the data cables. Yes, they are there to stop crosstalk which effectively increases bandwidth - hence why they were introduced.
Udma 4 aka UltraDma 66 was the first new protocol that required an 80 conductor cable, the result was a theoretical doubling of bandwidth to 66.7MB/s over the previous UltraDma 33 which was the max speed for a 40 conductor cable.


So Yes, I was aware that Ultra 33/dma 2 was the considered max with a 40 conductor cable as I stated here:- http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/dvd-...33/#post304967 :)
I did however miss that the poster stated that the drive was running in DMA 4 mode in his recent post.

[pentool]

Re: DVD drive keeps spinning on and off

I think that's the 80 pin cable I'm using. (The standard connector at the back of most drives, since it's not a SATA drive.)

When I do a burn, the spinning is normal, and so was when I made this test. It never spun down except when it was finished. It's only when I copy data from the drive. I usually don't play DVDs on my computer, but on a very few occasions when I did, they do play fine.

I forgot about the JMicron driver! But I will try to get another drive - maybe tomorrow - and swap it out for testing.

Thanks for the input!