Computers & Tablets

[Ender]

I bought a Samsung Writemaster SE-S184 quite a while ago from Best Buy and it worked great for about 6 months and then all of a suddenly it stopped working, it refuses to read any optical discs that I inset into it. I was attempting to watch a DVD when I got a strange message from Windows, it stated that my DVD drive's region was not set and that I had to set it to continue. So I selected region 1 (USA), hit continue and now my drive won't operate. It will still power up and it is still recognized by any computer that I connect it to, however the eject button will not open the tray and even when I manually open the tray with a paper clip and insert a disc nothing happens. The only other bizarre thing is that the green "activity" light is constantly on, it won't even flash. I've been to Samsung's website and it's a dead end, according to the site they don't even make the product that is sitting on the desk next to me as I write this. Since I got it from Best Buy I thought that maybe someone here might be able to help me.

Message Edited by Ender on 10-04-2008 02:36 PM

[Phil]

I'm not familiar with the product but since it sounds like you connect it to the computer, you can try running a system restore to before the problem started. Also, you can uninstall/reinstall the device. That may help you with this issue.

[Ender]

I already tried uninstalling/reinstalling the drive, with no luck. The DVD drive is an external, USB connecting drive. I've tried connecting it to every working computer in the house (3) and I have the same issue, so I don't believe that the problem is with the Windows operating systems (XP Pro and Vista Home Premium, btw.)

I think that the problem might be in the drives mechanics but since I can't find any FAQs or tutorials on Samsung's site I can't be sure.

[Phil]

Well, in that case, it sounds like the actual device has gone bad. Usually every device comes with a manufacturer's warranty for one year. I would try to get in contact with them if possible. The laser for reading the disks may be damaged as well.

[Matthew-GS Retired: Community Advocate]

Greetings, Ender!

Sorry to hear about your problem. I have had numerous USB drives fail over the years; I'd also get frustrated if I hadn't been able to use it for long. Phil is correct: your external DVD-R drive may be defective. In addition to his suggestion of bad optics, I would propose another problem - USB enclosure failure.  Specifically, this is a problem related to power and possibly caused by a surge through a USB port; it acts like it powers, but the circuitry may have shorted out.  

I found this model on Samsung's website www.samsung.com through the "Support" link by doing a search for model.  According to my research your manufacturer's warranty may only be 90 days parts and 90 days labor. Please check your documentation and warranty information that came with the DVD-R drive.  You can submit a request for service at http://www.samsung.com/us/support/repaironline/supportOnlineServiceRequest.do

If after contacting Samsung you discover repair may be more expensive than buying a new unit, you may be interested to know that the speed and other features of external DVD-R drives have improved since your purchase.  I hope this helps in your decision to repair or replace this external DVD-R drive.  Please continue using and recommending our forums!