Hi, So I've got a pioneer DVR109 DVDRW drive that I've had for many years and recently it has been giving me problems (at least i think its the dvd drive).

What happens is, When i have my drive attached it will boot up normally etc and after i log into windows it will lock up. Then when i reboot it gets to the windows xp loading screen and locks up there. Now when i disconnect the drive everything starts normally. Anyone had any similar problems? Also when i look in bios with the dvd drive connected, the name is all distorted. For example it will be DVR 1*.9 PioJEEr etc. Sometimes it will boot fine with no lockups until i say pop a movie in the drive, about 15-20 mins into the movie it will lockup.

I was also maybe thinking it was PSU related because i was having over heating issues with it not long ago that i solved by sticking another fan into it. Any help is appreciated.

Ta.

check your cables.

other than that replace

My dvd drive did that. I threw it away and bought a new one, problem solved. I believe it might have even been the same model, though it was a long time ago now so I'm not 100% sure. DVD burners are cheap as chips these days anyway.

Yes I did check all the cables before I replaced it.
Pioneer DVR-215 20x Dual Beige OEM with software - SATA $45

Yeah so i grabbed a new drive off my sister tried it out and it's still not working properly, im not getting the scrambled name in bios, instead i get nothing. Sometimes when i log into windows the drive will be there and sometimes it won't.

Sounds like the controller is on the fritz...

I've seen that before, many different causes. Once was fkt drive, once was fkt cable, once was the particular drive didnt like 80pin cables only 40 (or was it the other way round) another time it was something else on the cable screwing it up, another time was motherboard. So yeah.

So basically try different cables and if that doesnt do it, new mobo?

i'd say so. maybe try a bios update. maybe try unplugging all drives except it. maybe run 1xhdd 1xdvd off the primary channel. i dunno. i wouldn't say new mobo until i'd tried EVERYTHING.

Yeah i've tried running it just as the dvd + primary drive and it still doesn't seem to make a difference. Haven't tried updating bios though, i'll give that a shot.