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Pixels

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 15, 2005
14
0
UK
I see from other posts that several people have had the same problem :
Namely my G4 MDD will not recognise the DVDs I burn on my G4 laptop using the Superdrive.
The installed Combo drive on my desktop machine is a Phillips CDD5101 with revision A3.5. I believe it is possible / advisable (?) to update the firmware but can't find a download location.
The only locations I've found are support sites for PCs and I feel the firmware may then cause me more problems than I have already.
Thoughts anyone ??
 

simie

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2004
1,192
71
Sitting
Its well known that these drive's has read problems, Personally after reading various sites I would upgrade your drive to something more reliable.

Anyway here is the official Philips page for the drive - it does appear that the only way to flash this drive is to use a PC.

Click here

I can't see it making things any worse for you.
 

Pixels

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 15, 2005
14
0
UK
RE DVD , Thanks Simie but . . .

Well that's a bugger !
Can only upgrade the firmware from a PC ?!
What sort of system is that . . . and what's a PC ;)
Doesn't Apple accept any responsibility for this ?
I have spent the last two days backing up files to DVD, using my Superdrive laptop to find that my desktop machine can't read them !
So what's the best upgrade path for a G4 MDD - do I simply throw out the existing Combo drive and put in something better ie a DVD writer, (which ?) or should I leave the original in place and use the spare bay below ?
If I do that will the computer know what to do when I want to write a DVD or will I need something like - "Patchburn" - about which I know nowt.
More time more money more headache - whay can't life be simple.

I use computers to make my life easier not as an excuse to stop talking to my family for days.
 

simie

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2004
1,192
71
Sitting
After looking on other MAC forums, it appears the only way to upgrade these drives firmware is on a PC, I suspect Apple never got round to releasing a firmware update for this drive.
 

Norouzi

macrumors 6502
Aug 6, 2004
399
25
Philadelphia, PA
Pixels said:
Well that's a bugger !
Can only upgrade the firmware from a PC ?!
What sort of system is that . . . and what's a PC ;)
Doesn't Apple accept any responsibility for this ?
I have spent the last two days backing up files to DVD, using my Superdrive laptop to find that my desktop machine can't read them !
So what's the best upgrade path for a G4 MDD - do I simply throw out the existing Combo drive and put in something better ie a DVD writer, (which ?) or should I leave the original in place and use the spare bay below ?
If I do that will the computer know what to do when I want to write a DVD or will I need something like - "Patchburn" - about which I know nowt.
More time more money more headache - whay can't life be simple.

I use computers to make my life easier not as an excuse to stop talking to my family for days.

There are several options for upgrading. If you buy a drive that the OS see's as an Apple Superdrive then you don't need anything. If you buy a drive that is not Apple Supported then you can just use PatchBurn. I use it on my PowerMac and I just bought a DVD burner on sale at WalMart, installed it, installed PatchBurn and it works fine with the finder. I don't have iDVD yet, so I don't know if it works with that, but Toast and the Finder see it just fine. Try Other World Computing for a drive if you want an actual superdrive.
 
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