CDRW/DVD in PC quits..now has a screwy name?

I have a Samsung CDRW/DVD SM-348B in my HP Tower. It has quit working, however after re-booting today the system recognized new hardware.... A Samsoug CDRW/DVD SM-348B! Is the reason it quit is that the name has changed to SAMSOUG and is not recognized? If so, not only do I ask what happened... but how do I get it back to a Samsung identification? Maybe it will work then? Right now..I would appreciate the input!

 

I doubt fixing the name will fix the problem,my best guess since I haven't come across this problem before is that the small flash chips that store the firmware data have become corrupt causing the failure and the name is just one symptom,have you tried updating the firmware of the drive recently?

But you could try flashing the firmware of the device anyway since you have nothing to lose,I've found two different versions of the firmware for your drive this could fix the name and the problem but its a long shot because it won't tackle the underlying problem of why it became corrupt in the first place.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?cc=uk&lc=en&dlc=en&softwareitem=pv-21308-1

http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/FIRMWARE/Samsung/Samsung-SM348B-firmware-141.shtml

Could you post your operating system and model of your HP tower,also go to device manager and look for any exclamation marks/red crosses,click properties of the drive and post what it says in status and driver tab.

 

Windows XP Home / HP a404x, properties tab: Samsoug CDRW/DVD SM-348B, Driver provider: Microsoft, Date: 7/1/01, Driver Version: 5.1.2535.0, Status: Device is working properly, Troubleshoot, Device is working properly, Tried both links you provided and got: no optical drive attached, update not necessary on the first one and no disk recognized on the second link download. That's about it. Maybe uninstall it and re-install? Maybe just a new drive.

 

I have com a cross this issue on a old Compact computer Sounds too me you might need too replace the drive.Some times when the CD ROM life span is over with some times crazy stuff happens like that.And i have seen some thing close too what your talking about.There are no ways of fixing it.I have tried.If you used it alot for game playing or burning cds then they don't last long.

 

Goldenskull.... you are probably right. We had a Compaq Laptop several years ago and drive was doing some weird things... didn't think of that until you mentioned it. Yesterday it came on as a Samsung... today a Samsuog. We basically use it for software CD's and burning pics onto backup CD's. Well.... time to go shopping ... thank you!