CD and DVD playback on my PC has gone weird.

Sput2001

Hi folks,

Can anyone help?

A couple of weeks ago, my PC has started having problems when playing back DVDs and audio CDs. I'm running Windows XP pro. Basically they seem to play back at around 2/3rds normal speed.

I have a DVD-Rom Drive and a DVD-RW on the same IDE cable, and the problem is the same on both drives. I've checked all my internal and external connections and they all appear to be sound.

I've tried different software media players (WMP, iTunes etc.), and the problem stays the same.

My dvd-rom drive has a headphone socket & volume control on the front. I've tried listening to a CD through this socket and it worked fine. I've also ripped CD's to Mp3 without any obvious problems, although it may have taken a little longer (although I may have been imagining that). I've also sucessfully (legitimately) made disc to disc copies of CDs and DVDs

Mp3 music files and mpeg files on my hard drive play back fine. It's just stuff coming from the DVD drives that messes around.

I'm not aware of installing any hardware or software that could have interfered with anything...

I'm stuck. Any ideas?

p.s. My sound card is a Creative SB Live! SB0100

Blacksheep1979

Use a decent player not wmp or itunes such as media player classic or vlc or winamp.

Also try going to start>control panel>administrative tools>computer management>device manager>IDE controller

and look on your ide controllers right click properties and under advanced settings tell me what it says for current transfer mode.

Sput2001

OK, the Primary IDE Channel is set to:

Device 0: DMA if available. Current transfer mode: Ultra DMA Mode 5
Device 1: (exactly as above)

Secondary IDE Channel:

Device 0: DMA if available. Current transfer mode: PIO Mode.
Device 1: (Exactly as above)

I hope this helps!!!

BexTech

Are your drives on the secondary IDE?

You'll need to switch DMA mode on for those drives too.

Sput2001

Yup, they're on the secondary IDE.

They're set to "DMA if available" but currently operating on PIO.


:huh:

Alfie_E

Windows contains code that will disable the use of DMA, if it suspects there is a problem. Unfortunately, this can be easily triggered, even when there isn’t a systematic problem that warrants disabling DMA. See DMA reverts to PIO. If you have a Dell computer, Dell have produced their own utility, to reset devices back to DMA. As this is an issue caused by Windows XP, and not any manufacturers’ hardware, the program may well work on other manufacturers’ PCs.

Sput2001

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! That sorted it!!!!

:beer: :beer: