HD-DVD drive isn't working

[nvalhalla]

Ok, here's my problem. I have built a new computer and am trying to install the XBox 360 HD-DVD drive internally. I got my hands on one for dirt cheap that's only the drive itself, not the enclosure, and have been messing with it for a few days. I had to saw off the lettle leg like protrusions on the side and cut the back of the drive case off because there are little nipples that prevent me from attaching a mini ATAPI to IDE adapter. So, after the obvious warranty destroying mods have been made I get the adapter on and plug it into the MB (Gigabyte 965P-DS3) BIOS recognizes it as a Toshiba HD-DVD drive and it shows up in Vista 32bit Premium as an HD-DVD drive in the device manager. Now, when I tell Vista to eject (there's no eject button) the drive opens and I can close it again, but that's all that happens. The disk doesn't move, and nothing is read. Vista says the is working properly and there is only 1 error in device manager, for 6TO4 adapter, which has something to do with my network card. I know having the jumpers set wrong can keep a drive from working, but this drive (and adapter) don't have jumpers. It is the only drive on the cable and is plugged into the master plug on the cable. Any ideas? I'm at work so I can't test anything out until I get home.

 

[nvalhalla]

I'm afraid that the drive is dead and the company is going to have a fit about taking it back, what with the mods that have been done. I'm sure that nothing I did had any effect on the drive, but I'm sure they won't see it that way...

 

[nvalhalla]

Well, I hooked the drive up to the slave port on the cable and it still shows up as IDE0 (master) so that didn't change anything. I can't explore the disk, it doesn't even spin up in the drive. Vista recognizes the drive as

TOSHIBA DVD/HD X807616 SCSI CdRom Device

I tried the UDF 2.5 driver that was released for XP and Vista won't install it. It says "The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation."

Anyone have any ideas? Is there some pin-out problem that anyone is aware of? I remember reading about some pins that had to be switched in a 44 pin mini IDE to 40 pin IDE adapter in order to get it to work with some drives. Any chance that I'm having the same problem?

 

[nvalhalla]

I've tried looking around online, but no one seems to be doing this kind of mod. As far as I can tell I'm just about the first, which is sad really, as if I can get this working it would bring HD-DVD down to budget prices. I'm in for about $90 with the drive and ATAPI adapter, only $45 more than my DVD-RW and cheaper than some "premium" DVD burners by Plextor and the like. Any theories as to why the disk won't spin up? What are the usual causes of that?

 

[nvalhalla]

The googling I've done has resulted in the general consensus being that I've got a dead drive. The disk won't even move. Is there any way the adapter could be at fault? Maybe a setting in the MB BIOS? Wacky drivers? I want to exhaust ALL other options before I try and return the drive. I know they are going to give me grief about the modding I've done, so I don't think an exchange will be an option. Any one have an idea?

 

[nvalhalla]

Well, I tested the drive in the XBox 360 USB enclosure and it worked perfectly, so the drive is good. This means that the problem is either in the adapter or the Vista drivers. Any suggestions?

 

[nvalhalla]

Well, after much searching I have found the problem. Geremia (of apparent AACS hacking fame) at xboxhacker.net got one of these drives to work. The problem is that the drive doesn't use the standard pinout, so adapters don't work without modification. So, with a pleading PM sent to Geremia for more information as to how and to what the mod was done, I'll hopefully have my drive working soon. [sarcasm] Thanks for all your help guys! You sure have given me a lot of good pointers! [/sarcasm] oh well, I got it sorted out.