Tipstaff

Ok, this one has me a bit pissed off at the moment. I've got this system all put together for a client, running a Lite-On DH-4B1S Blu-Ray burner, an Asus P6T WS Pro motherboard, and Vista x64. Motherboard bios is up to date as is the drivers, Blu-Ray burner is up to date, tried this with Vista SP1 and SP2, having the controller in IDE/AHCI/RAID, and with the eSATA and SAS controller enabled/disabled. Here's the poop:

- I cannot install Vista (original, SP1, or SP2) using the Blu-Ray burner, but I can using an LG GSA-H62N SATA DVD burner. I can, however, install Vista on any other motherboard that is not an X58 using that Blu-Ray burner.

As I said I've tried setting the controller up as IDE, AHCI, and RAID, and all setups have the same results. It could be a bios issue, or an incompatibility issue with ICH10, but I can't say for sure since while the install works with the other boards the below problem is still around.

- I cannot play anything from the Blu-Ray drive. CD music, MP3 off of optical media, DVDs, Blu-Ray movies, compressed movies off of optical media... they all crap out after a couple minutes, and it doesn't matter what software is running them (WMP, WMPC, foobar2000, PowerDVD 7/8/9, WinDVD Plus Blu-Ray, TotalMedia Theatre 3.. all legit, btw). The drive itself locks up, and this happens no matter what board I use. I can, however, install things that take a long time to install, such as a game, or Adobe Master Suite, but just not stream anything.

- On a couple occasions when the above happens, and I was forced to reboot the machine, the system will no longer support optical drives. I've went through everything I could think of to fix it, but the OS simply refuses to see any optical drives after that. I literally have to re-image the machine.

Now, the easiest thing would be to try a different Blu-Ray burner, obviously, and that's why I need help from you guys. Does anyone here own an X58 motherboard that is also running a Blu-Ray burner, and if so, which one do you have? I'd rather not just buy drive after drive to find one that works as 1) they are damn expensive to keep trying them one after another ($200+), and 2) my supplier wouldn't take them back (and I'm pretty much stuck with this one as it is, so for sure I'm not spending $200 again and again until I find one that works).

Any help you guys can give would be much appreciated.

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Lowfat

Have you tried using one of the SAS connectors on the board? That way you aren't using the ICH10R. My LG GGC-H20L bluray/hddvd drive has similar issues. Movies would restart after a few minutes. Drive would disappear from My Computer. Would take ages to install Windows. But switching to IDE mode solved the issues for it.

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Tipstaff

LOL! I've been so frustrated by this that I totally forgot that SAS ports were backwards compatible. I'll give that a try.

BTW, I forgot to mention that I was able to fix the issue with the drive disappearing, or the controller not seeing optical drives. It has to do with the Upper and Lower filters crap. So, by removing those listings for the optical drives in the registry the system would see them again... at least until it put them back. The fact that Windows keeps inputting those filters is what's of concern to me since it does it on both ICH10 and ICH7 (specifically, the Asus P5KPL-CM, a G31, or the P5GC-MX/1333, a 945GC) boards. And since I've tried a half dozen different cables that points to a fault in the drive.

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Judas

when i had the i7 965ee machine with a Gigabyte UD5 x58, i was using a Pionner BDR-203BKS ..... Never had an issue.... I haven't heard any complaints from the owner of the system, but then again last i checked he doesn't burn blu-rays..... I personally didn't have a install issues or anything....... i've also have had absalutely no issues with any of the Blu-Ray reader combo drives....

I was going to orginally get the LG blu-ray drive that lowfat mentioned.. but i declined and got the pioneer cause i'm quite faund of all there DVR-216's and below models, i've YET to have to replace one due to crapping out or anything. LG on the other hand i've had to replace a few... and ironically about 50% of the ones i've used, i've replaced with pioneer...

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Tipstaff

I continue to see complaints of BSODs with the LG BRD drive, which is the reason why I went with the Lite-On drive. I could have gone with Sony's, but then again it's made by Lite-On for them.

Lowfat, good call on trying the SAS port. So far so good. This was literally the only thing holding my releasing it to the client. I'll give it a day or 2 before I do just to make sure. +rep for you, my friend.

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Tipstaff

Well, it borked. So much for that. It worked for a bit, then the system started to slow down, sometimes not even boot up. Plus anything I tried to install would stop at 99%, or anything I would play would lock up just as before.

The drive is going back tomorrow, but I could still use some ideas on what to get as I'm a little reluctant to get the LG BRD drive (and I'm really reluctant to get the Sony one as it's made by Lite-On).

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mike2h

know its not much help, if any, but i am using a lg bd player(not burner) on x48 with vista 64 sp2. no issues at all.

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Judas

check out the pioneer blu-ray burner...

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CDsDontBurn

what about updating the firmware (if any is available) on the BR drive?

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Judas

i beleive he mentioned that in the first post

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CDsDontBurn

re-read the OP, and i didn't see anything about that.

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Tipstaff

"...Blu-Ray burner is up to date..."

Said it, but didn't explicitly say the f word... the other f word.

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Judas

the f word in style.....

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CDsDontBurn

gotcha. didn't quite catch the subtly there.

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Tipstaff

Update:

I went and picked up the new LG BH08LS20 BRD (which is faster than the H20L, but only has 2mb cache), and the first thing it did was pooch the system. Seems that it doesn't like the SAS controller one bit. So, re-imaged the system, put the LG BRD onto the Intel ICH10R controller, and viola! Works like a charm.

First impression: this thing is much faster and quieter overall than the Lite-On drive, plus it's more compatible with blank BRD media.. even the cheap stuff works.

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Judas

good to hear...

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mike2h

sounds like it was $50 well spent

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Tipstaff

Yes, it was worth the extra money. Only thing is that I can't get my money back for the Lite-On. I got the LG BH08LS20 from a different supplier, so when I take the Lite-On BRD back all I can do is get credit for it.. if that. Figure I'll swap it for an LG BH08LS20, bite the bullet, and keep it for myself.

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Mac Daddy

Glad you got it sorted Tipstaff I have been following along but since I don't own an X58 board or a Blue-Ray drive I couldn't offer much advise

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"My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Judas

i may grab the mentioned drive and see how it compares to the pioneer i had

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mike2h

y ty tip! really appreciate it!

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Tipstaff

I thought about getting the Pioneer BDR-203, but haven't heard a thing about it. I might still pick it up instead of getting the LG, though, just to see how it is. If it's crap I'll take it back, and get the LG.

LOL!

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