FAULTY QSI SBW-242U (US06) Drive...

[jammold]

Hi guys,

I think my QSI SBW-242U DVD/CD Combo Drive inside my VAIO Laptop (model: PCG-K115B) is faulty. Its got firmware revision US06 uploaded on the drive since Sony have replaced this drive once already...

The problem I've got is irritatingly it's conveniently decided not to spin-up correctly whilst reading CD 2 of the Sonic Heroes game I purchased from Maplin Electronics.

Now the thing is CD 1 worked fine, and got to 50% installed, dandy I thought lets pop CD2 in the drive and continue. No go. The drive just seems to stick with the disk light on for ever, then it seems to very erratically make the laser jump up and down for 10 minutes before the drive just gives up totally.

I thought initially that CD2 was faulty, but I've since tested CD2 in my mates PC using his desktop PC, and the disk was read and accessible in seconds.

So does the drive seem faulty? I mean the drive works with other CD's but its been erratic with certain CD's which work fine with other computers, even though I've cleaned the drive with a CD cleaner too...

Not to worry, I'll replace the shite QSI drive by using a Plextor PX-760A (IDE) drive, and USB 2.0 Interface Enclosure with the VAIO instead, that way I get a superb DVD writer with my VAIO (those new AKASA DVD Enclosures for £25 from PC World look ace so I'll try it with the Plex DVD Writer, its far better than this crap internal drive of mine anyway lol).

Oh and one more thing, does anyone know where I can get disassembly instructions for my PCG-K115B? Eventually I will replace this terrible QSI Drive abortion inside my computer with a better internal drive. The warranty hasn't expired but I don't give a rats arse about that anyway because the Sony Warranty is not worth the paper its written on for them to reinstall faulty hardware and say its fixed (GRRRRRR).

Cheers.

James.

[Blencogo]

Hi James,

Can't help with the basic drive problem but there are a couple of workarounds in THIS THREAD - unfortunately the permanent solution only seems to apply to blu-ray drives.

I have a K-Series and have never found a good dis-assembly guide. Rich is normally good at finding these things - lets hope he has some luck.

[rich912]

Hi James,

This link is about all I have on partial disassembly for the K series, no pics I’m afraid but it should get you started….

[jammold]

@Rich: Cheers for the starting point mate, I'll give disassembly of this machine a go, the other good thing is I can get the dust and fur balls out of the fan of this computer.

@Blencogo: Cheers for the information, I suspect the drive is beyond hope lol but with an external drive I can cope as I rarely move my computer around much these days, lol come to think of it there is little I have replaced (mouse, keyboard, optical drive, external hard disk, eventually a second display.... lol).

I also tried a safedisc driver update (eugh I hate DRM management on computer software CD's, its bad enough Microsoft think we are criminals!) but sadly that has not worked. I also tried installing new CD drivers but the result is the same.

Trouble is I think safedisc has so many garbage sectors that some drives cannot read the disks.

Anyway thanks a million guys, I'll strip my PC down and install a new internal drive in a couple of months time lol.

[kee-lo_]

Are you STILL under warranty James? I am suprised - you've been on the site 2 years now, and that was when you got the K series.

Good luck with the Plex, hope it works out as a decent alternative.

Seems the best drives these days are NEC.