I posted a question a while ago about my mates dvd-rom freezing windows to a black screen every time he put in a disc.

Well I have since had an update. What he neglected to tell me was that original cds and dvds work fine, but burnt stuff eg. I backed up some CS maps and some of my music files for him causes the system to crap itself.

Is this the media I am using, of could it be because his dvd drive isn't compatible with newer blank dvds? The dvds I burnt were Imation 8X DVD-R...
They work fine on my system and other dvd players I have tried.

Anyone had a similar problem..
He said he went to some computer shop and the guy told him that the discs might be too thick ?!?! Never heard of that.

I suggested maybe he buys a DVD Burner (he needs one anyway) and try that to see if the discs were simply incompatible. Maybe there is software that you can run to test this type of thing. I'd really like to sort this out for him.

Thanks.

get him to update firmware

or buy a new DVD burner, they are available for <$70

Yeh I think getting a dvd burner is his best best. I will try to encourage him to look at the firmware thing, but seriously, he isn't exactly big on "tech" stuff.
For instance he has had his PC for about 3 years. Never formatted. And he refuses to, because he could f*** it up he reckons...
I only recently got him to do a scandisk.
God knows how the thing still runs.

Thanks Rodolphe.

One handy thing is that most of the new firmware stuff that I've updated has come in a neat little executable and it does it all by itself.

I've had various problems not being able to copy friends' burnt discs and them not being able to copy mine, whereas other friends can copy mine no probs.

Never got to the bottom of it - just gave up.

Step, are there any firmware update packages or sites that you would recommend in particular for the pioneer 109?
there seems to be a lot to choose from these days.

Long shot,
What games has he installed?
Is his DVD in DMA mode or has it somehow *mysteriously* degraded ?

*cough*"starforce"*cough

as I said, long shot yet not impossible
Check for starforce drivers unde control panel / system / device manager / view / show hidden devices

Then look for anything that says *starforce*

Without sitting in front of the system, I can only guess at what this is

He said he went to some computer shop and the guy told him that the discs might be too thick ?!?!

Sounds like something the noobs at The Disc Shop might say.

if it's an older dvd rom, it may only read + or - discs, but not both. try using a different format of disc, or getting a utility to read the capabilities for the drive