Need help with TSST TS-H552L

I just got my computer back working-ish from a really bad meltdown from some virus problems. Now my dvd-rw won't show up on My Computer. No drivers, no nothing. Nothing listed in the device manager either. The device is a TSST corp. TS-H552L with Lightscribe. If anyone knows how I can get my computer to recognize the drive again or where to get a driver please let me know!

 

I am having a simliar problem with my HP Pavilion a1473w Media Center Edition. It has a TSST CD/DVDW TS-H552L with LightScribe. HP has NOTHING listed for this drive in their firmware section. I called and this pc has been owned ONLY by me, and they claim they can't help because it's out of warranty. Did this poster or anyone else ever solve this problem?

 

I just had to suck it up and reinstall windows.

 

I JUST got done a Technical Chat with HP Support and after checking a few things was told the same. They claim that the OS must have been corrupted during install and uninstall of my DVD burning software. They also claim that there is no firmware or driver available for this drive. Siting that "Windows should detect and install the correct drivers after uninstalling the drive. If it doesn't then the OS driver files have been corrupted. You would then need to reinstall these IDE harddrive files during a partitioned destructive restore. If the Restore Disc was created after the corruption, then you will need to Restore using Windows."

Great to hear, I think??!!?? That means I need to remove 145 GB of data, files and folders (without a DVD drive) before I can repair this problem, and THEN if it's NOT the software but a hardware problem, I've done it all for nothing.

 

Both of you guys could try and do a:

Langa Letter: XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option

You may need a "firmware" upgrade but you do that at your own risk. Do a "google" on TSST TS-H552L, lot's of comments.

 

Well, I finally broke down and finished a destructive restore using the partition. It appears that the system OS files as well as a few others were corrupted during a virus scan and temp file removal. I wireless transferred the bulk of the harddrive to a second computer, then completed a full destructive restore back to original factory state. The drive appears to be working fine now and can see both DVD types. I haven't burned anything yet as I still have to replace all my browsers, and files. I check back with the results. BTW, I did Google this DVD drive and got an interesting side note. It appears that quite a few people suffer the same problem and even more won't even know, because the original "out-of-box" state doesn't install the drivers correctly. It has the full DVDRW-DL drivers in the restore partition. If you've deleted that, your out of luck. Windows will state that it can not find better drivers than a basic CD-ROM generic drivers for this units optical drive. Sucks, but thats what I got. As for warranty, well, I did wait 2 years to even open the box, and 6 months more before I started really using this PC on a regular basis. HP will tell you that I am completely out of warranty as well as extended service plan upgrades. It would cost more to go through them than the computer is worth. It's easier to just buy another tower at around $500 than replace and repair at $600 after all costs are totaled.

Last note here... since my recovery discs were created AFTER the corruptions, they also do not contain the correct drivers. HP Recovery Disc Creator only allows 1 set of disc to be created using the Recovery Disc Creator, yet IF someone has 1 disc or set, they may use the preinstalled Sonic MyDVD Plus to create a iso copy and reburn their own.

Anyone have a HP Pavilion a1473w Media Center Edition Desktop PC with a TSST CD/DVDW DL TS-H552L Lightscribe Drive? Might be worth making a few copies of your original Recovery Tools Discs! ~ Jim

 

After following all HP tech support guidelines and actually doing a destructive restore including a follow up with the recovery discs created in the opening month of install, I have got NOTHING! I was told that the drivers on the OS must have been corrupt so a destructive restore would allow the partitioned harddrive to reinstall all the original drivers. They refused to even acknowledge that I asked for a link on their site for drivers for this drive. I was told that if this option didn't solve the problem, they had no idea what to try next except a new DVD drive. So I finally ended up buying a HP dvd1040i Multiformat DVD writer from Walmart for about $50. It has every feature of the old DVD+-RW burner with Lightscribe as well as 1 the other doesn't... "Drivers Found For Device" instantly! I have no idea what caused the problem to begin or the drivers to disappear, but at least I can burn DVDs again.

The first symptom was that the drive didn't burn DVD files but RAW format only for DVD-R. So I only used DVD+R and either Sonic or Roxio to burn DVDs. In the end, after all HP's (WORTHLESS) tech support, I had nothing showing in the My Computer icons except "E: CD-ROM" and a set of generic drivers running that. The killer part is that the support rep ended up TELLING me to delete the drivers, uninstall the hardware, and KNEW that if these were faulty, that I would either have to buy recovery discs or restore the PC destructively (with 145GB of data left with no drive to burn it off with!) I did hook-up to my wireless network and after 4 days finish the transfer of data off to another PC. That didn't make it alright by me to tell me step by step instructions and then just toss hands in the air and say, "Oh well, I guess you will have to do a destructive restore."

If you have this drive, don't try looking for the drivers, as most will claim to either flash the unit with the wrong firmware or to try forcing drivers that don't work with it. DO look up how many people all claimed the same problems which (even on the HP site forums) is ignored and never addressed. DO have a second burner on hand in the event this happens to you. Lastly, remember to NEVER buy HP/Compaq computer again, especially one from Walmart!

My final option is all I can suggest. Buy a new DVD Burner and install it. You'll save a LOT of time wasted looking for drivers that not even TSST or HP has!

(As a strange side note, did you notice when you look up these drivers for this model on the HP website it brings up a 15' Monitor? It's because SOME of the letters in the model are the same and in different order, take off the "L" and look at all the drivers for this model but NOT including the "L" with a firmware of 640. The company doesn't want to admit they never compiled working drivers for this faulty unit!)

 

Well that surprises me. With all the lack of support from HP, the last thing I would buy is another HP product!

 

The thinking was that IF there were any other issues, at least THIS piece of hardware would be the same as the PC, and they couldn't say it was because it was from an inferior after market maker. In other words, no excuses that it was just an incompatible DVD burner causing the problem, if there was one. :-D I read in the HP forums where after installing a Lite-On DVD burner they refused all support and claimed it was because the person bought an secondary manufacturers product. I just didn't want to give them more excuses for the lack of service help.