dbminter

Now comes the long and laborious process of determining what no longer works on a new PC. For instance, there's a conflict between ZoneAlarm Free Firewall and Macrium Reflect on this Dell XPS 8930 and that has never been present on any PC I've had running ZoneAlarm and Reflect since Reflect 4.x. Nothing that can't be worked around, thankfully, but it's still a pain in the ass.

So far, it looks like the issue I was having isn't present on this new PC! I won't know for sure until I change the Power settings to not conserve power when the PC is not in use. So, it's actually up for an hour without powering down. But, I was relatively sure it was some kind of hardware error on the old XPS. All the tests I performed indicated that that was most likely the cause.

The DVI to HDMI adapter worked fine. I've gotten my e-mail and web clients installed, so now I can test the 45 minute to 60 minute window for the previous error on my old XPS. It MIGHT have been caused by AdAware AntiVirus Free. Discovered I can't have it running on this new XPS 8930. When it's installed, accessing partitions on my USB HDD goes all wonky. Reflect just locks up trying to write images to partitions there. Applications won't start when run. Doesn't explain why it WAS working before, though. Just explains I can't use something I used to be able to use. But, nothing new there. Discover every time I get a new PC there's something that won't damn well work anymore. So, I'll just use Windows Defender as my AV app. I'm sick and tired of configuring AV apps only to discover there's SOMETHING wrong with them!

Actually, I had heard of DisplayPort before. Just not a whole lot about it. I had forgotten about it. I read somethings about it on PCWorld.com. First thing I looked for on this monitor was an HDMI port to connect directly HDMI to HDMI. Didn't see one available. Just an old port that looks like a VGA one, but I can't quite be sure. I saw 3 ports: the DVI, the supposed VGA, and the power supply. My current monitor is an Acer and that's about all I know. There's no other identification on the front to make itself known. There may be some info on little stickers on the back, but they're not easily accessible. It's a relatively older model from like 2014. I had an HP VGA monitor before that one I used for years. Then, in 2011, my newest PC didn't have VGA on it, but DVI. But, the PC came with a VGA to DVI adapter. However, by my 2014 PC purchase, they had changed DVI ports again so my adapter didn't connect to the latest version. So, in 2014, I had to get this Acer current monitor. Got the DVI to HDMI adapter. So, I'll see how this goes once I do some preliminaries on the current computer, like deactivate my Macrium Reflect license so I can register it on the new PC.

Well, the new PC is here, but it's useless to me at this point! My monitor that worked on my last few PC's is a DVI, but there's no DVI port on this new PC because there's no dedicated graphics card. I checked the specs on Dell's site and there's an HDMI port and something called DisplayPort, which I've never heard of before. So, I'm guessing I need a new monitor that connects by HDMI or whatever this DisplayPort is. Or is there an adapter that converts DVI to HDMI or DisplayPort? I don't know. Just called the local repair shop I talk to whenever I have an issue I don't know the answer to. They said they do make DVI to HDMI adapters and that they had them.

I'm not familiar with any Professional blanks from Verbatim. I've just stuck with DataLife Plus because they've been the high quality blanks that worked. At least, before CMC got their sticky fingers involved...

Was that directed at me? If so, I don't understand why. The only changes I've made to DataLife Plus was switching from DVD+R back to DVD-R because the WH16NS60 stopped properly writing to DataLife Plus DVD+R. New PC should arrive tomorrow. Was initially scheduled for today, but probably got delayed a day because of New Year's Day, when shipping probably ceased for the holiday. The USPS doesn't ship on that day, so I doubt Federal Express did.

Dell has shipped my new PC. Should arrive Friday.

According to some posts on the VSO forums, it seems when the 64 bit versions of their applications come out next year, they will have brand new interfaces. I'm rarely a fan of new interfaces simply because you updated the software. The way I see it, if it works, don't mess with it. You're just forcing people to relearn what they already knew. And only because you want people to think your software is improved simply because you changed the coat of paint on it. The same problem plagues web sites. Web site designers think you have to completely overhaul the front page every once in a while simply because if it looks new it must be better. To Hell with if the site actually navigated just fine before. Brick and mortar stores do the same annoying thing. Every few years, they rearrange the location of everything in the store. It's the same old stuff, but they think if they put it in a new location, it will fool people into thinking it's new merchandise.

I knew once I typed 5600 it wasn't right, but it was all I could remember. The drive also has a terrible habit of making a loud fan based noise when it first spun up from any kind of video processing activity. As for the different specs, that's about all I know of the differences between the two. I think the processor might be updated, but I couldn't tell you what the one in my current 8930 is. As for the graphics card, I don't know why it says UHD now when, before, my 8930 came with nVIDIA. But, the nVIDIA options were additional cost add ons. I don't game and I find the constant slew of updates to nVIDIA to cause more problems than they solve. For instance, never use GeForce Experience. It will always "crash" when you try to restart Windows. As long as it supports my DVI monitor, I don't care about what graphics card is included. As long as I get picture on my monitor so I don't have to buy a new one, that's all I care about. Here's the page for it, if that helps you: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-desktop-computers/xps-desktop/spd/xps-8930-desktop/xdvmstcs004s?ref=p13n_rv_hp I opted for the same upgrades as before: a BD-RE drive, an M.2 SSD, and a different 2nd mechanical HDD. It's the same size, but rotates at a more modern rate of speed.

Actually, there are a few updates to the 8930 now it seems. It seems Dell is offering a higher processor than what I originally got. The mechanical HDD I'd add on is upgraded to 7200 RPM, whereas I believe mine is 5600 now. And it seems the graphics card is Intel UHD versus the nVIDIA that I got.

I'd second these recommendations. CMC media just causes all kinds of problems. And LTH (Low To High) media was more trouble than the price saved in cost. Even if you got a successful LTH burn, you'd probably be hard pressed to find a Blu-Ray player that would play the disc. You want the HTL (High To Low) BD.

I can't explain it because I don't know what the issue is. It's not Windows because I restored down 3 different versions that worked before and it did the same thing. It did not do the same thing on my old Dell. So, it's not the USB HDD because it does it on any USB HDD connected and it's not a Windows error. It's a hardware error. Again, Dell is not replacing it. Eventually, I'm going to stop saying the same things over and over again.

In that particular case, you probably have a DVD-9 that's nearly fully. Most likely nothing to do with being unable to detect media.

The good news is Dell hasn't released a newer version of the XPS apparently since the 8930 I got a year and a half ago. So, I'd be getting a known quantity. The bad news is this known quantity needed replacing after a year and a half.

Amazon.com has it listed as being in stock the day after Christmas. https://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Blu-ray-Writer-Optical/dp/B079LR2Q67/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PFS3W8D5E2GS&keywords=wh16ns60+external&qid=1576715910&sprefix=wh16ns60%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1

As I said before, it's NOT a security issue because it does something similar (Different but related.) on my factory default image.

You don't have the same problem I have. My drives show up fine in Windows Explorer with no problem. But, after 45 to 60 minutes of being up, File Explorer locks up and prevents Windows from any subsequent restarts without File Explorer locking up. Even when the drive is disconnected.

I didn't realize there were 3 different versions of the NS40. Maybe that's why you had better luck with that drive. Maybe later models fixed the issues encountered in the past.

Everything's garbage now. No one gives a damn except about dimes. Pioneer used to be a good choice, but they're now. I'm already in the process of getting a refund for a drive they already sent me a replacement for. One thing you can do is take one of these NS40 failure BD's and check the bottom of them. If they're scratched with easily definable scratches, that could explain it. LG WH models have a terrible habit, even after less than 2 months, of physically scratching BD media they write to. You just have to get a refurbished replacement from LG. LG is, at least, good at issuing replacement drives. The LG WH16NS60 is the only drive I use anymore. Verbatim the only media because it may simply be the best of the worst out there.

Well, you can believe what you like, but I had 4 of those NS40's and they all behaved the same way on quality Verbatim BD DL media. And it wasn't just my experience. However, your situation is slightly different. You're, at least, getting failures on burns. We got failures on Verifies after successful burns. After that many burns, your drive may have just given up the ghost. Another possible explanation is Verbatim media may not longer be quality media, particularly if this is the first disc you're trying in a new stack. Verbatim was bought out by CMC, the makers of the worst media out there. They will probably end up changing the manufacturing process to squeeze out every last possible dime. I know they changed the formula for DataLife Plus DVD+R, which worked fine on my NS60 and then no longer did, conveniently after the sale to CMC.

Here's your most likely culprit: the WH16NS40. That LG model is absolutely terrible at writing dual layer BD media, which you're attempting to use. You're using the quality stuff, so it's not a media issue. The NS40 will, 8 times out of 10, fail to Verify dual layer BD media if it does succeed. That's why I recommend the NS60. It costs more and you may not need its Ultra HD features, but it, at least, properly writes to BD DL media.

Look, I don't want to get cross, but I've already explained what's going on and why it can't be anything else too many times in this thread. I feel awful and I'm not going to recycle the entire story all over again.

A fresh install won't do any good! I restored down the factory default partition and it still does this, so reinstalling everything won't fix this! My problems aren't as easy fixes as others. I'm constantly on the assault. There are no unique symptoms like mine! My situation is so custom no one else is going to encounter it! And I swapped in an old PC, recreated the same situation, and it didn't do it! So, the problem is this latest PC.

I don't really care if they're prebuilt or custom rigs. I just want shit that works. I've already got somebody else out there who might customize a rig for me. Or I may go with the guy I took my PC in for diagnostics. He did the entire diagnostics for free, so I kind of feel bad that he didn't find anything, putting him through all that time and trouble. He also sells rigs.