Problem reading CDs/DVDs on G5 & G4

B

bernie123

Registered
I toasted a batch of data DVDs using these no-name disks (retrospectively, a big mistake) that came with a white "inkjet compatible" painted surface. Burns were done with built-in Pioneer Superdrive on my G4 Quicksilver running OSX 10.3.9. Everything was more or less OK until I recently bought a new G5 Quad 2.5MHZ.

Now it's hit and miss to read data from these disks on either a new external Pioneer DVR-110D (in a Vantec FW enclosure) or the built-in Pioneer DVD-110D on my G5 Quad. When I do manage to mount a disk, the reads are extremely slow, and they most often lock up/freeze the finder to the point that I need a complete restart.

I can "usually" manage to mount and read these disks using either the G4 built-in reader but it is soooo VERY slow, ditto for the DVD reader on an even older Pismo G3 laptop 500MHZ. Same freezing and locking up problem.

I understand that firmware updates can resolve some of these reader/burner issues, but although I see that the firmware version is up to 13.9 on the Pioneer website, I can only find Windows ".exe" files to download. See the 2 screen captures of my System Profiler, shows the ATA and Disc Burning info windows for my built-in Pioneer DVD-110D. It shows a firmware version of AA06? How does that reconcile with firmware update 1.39?

Could you point me in the right direction to obtain MAC compatible firmware updates if they indeed exist, or can you offer me any insight into these reader issues?

Regards,
Bernie
 

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Al, thanks for that.
I expanded the .exe that I found at this location on the Pioneer site:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/service/support/article/0,,2076_4249_277206650,00.html

and am now looking at 3 files:

– UPGR110D.exe (272kb)
– RB100111.139 (1.7mb)
– RB100011.139 (128kb)
none of which will launch in any application (that I can tell — I admit I'm not very familiar with firmware updates).

I don't recall a MAC application coming with the Pioneer burner software...

Sorry man, I'm back at square one. Please let me know what the next step is.

Bernie
 
All you have are the data files. You need an app (DVRFlashX) and a few
instructions.

First, look at this "pretty good" how-to:

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263749

Then go to the MacFixit CD/DVD forum and look for a thread started Jan 31
between me and OS9Fan.

If you can't find those two threads, I'll be happy to mail you the PDFs, which
I saved because I can never remember anything.
 
Al,
I have since found and followed the MACOSX version of flashing you provided (thank you) MacFixit's OS9FAN's version (including the DRAG THE FOLDER IN TERMINAL method) and got errors both times: "...can't find...or... could not open....".

I will try the method you described making sure I have 2 SPACES as you indicate with fingers crossed, HOWEVER, before I undertake this again, I DO HAVE A CONCERN:

My G5 has the same DVR 110D as my external FW enclosure DVR 110D.

Although I don't mind trying to flash my FW burner, I really don't want to jeopordize the warranty on the new G5 Superdrive burner. One Apple reseller already warned me to bring the box in to them for testing before doing anything that might nullify the warranty should anything go wrong.

So...
1) Please tell me — do I really need to flash the firmware on either of these DVR 110Ds when Apple doesn't acknowledge any firmware requirement (yet....)

2) How do I go about making sure it's the FireWire burner that I'm flashing and NOT the Superdrive? I'd rather flash the Superdrive with an Apple provided app.

Sorry for the hand holding concept. Call me inexperienced with techy stuff and CAUTIOUS...

Bernie
 
Can anyone supply me feedback on the above questions? ie: how to to do a firmware upgrade on my external FW DVR burner while leaving the internal Superdrive alone?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Sorry, Bernie. I've been inattentive.

It never hurts to update the firmware. DVRFlashX will hold your
hand and really not let you make a mistake. It might not say what
you did wrong (like the two-blank thing).

Remember OS9Fan's way of flashing the 110? Drive letter-colon
preceding the manufacturer's name. Launch DVRFlashX without
parameters and see what uniquely identifies each optical drive.

I have two internal drives, and DVRFX shows them as A:pIONEER and
B:pIONEER. Dunno about an external, but the system tells the drives
apart somehow, yes?
 
Thanks Al,
I'm going to review all this flashing business with a buddy who's a bit more savvy on this Terminal business. DVR FlashX gave me headaches originally but I'm confident that I'll find a way to work this out. I'll get back and let you know one way or the other, thanks.

Bernie
 
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