It's ALIVE! ...a couple issues though

[Cyberlon]

Sorry for coming in so late in the troubleshooting stage, but have you thought of booting to a "live" linux CD like Knoppix and trying to read a Hollywood DVD in a different OS? Not saying this will fix anything, but it will definitively show you that it is either hardware or software related. (and knowing is half the battle)

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by Cyberlon

Sorry for coming in so late in the troubleshooting stage, but have you thought of booting to a "live" linux CD like Knoppix and trying to read a Hollywood DVD in a different OS? Not saying this will fix anything, but it will definitively show you that it is either hardware or software related. (and knowing is half the battle)

You are right, that knowing the cause of the problem is on the way to fixing it, but I have not thought of what you suggest. To be honest, I'm not sure I understand. By booting to a "live" linux CD, are you talking about an actual linux CD (which I don't have), or trying to access it online or something? I do understand about going into another OS, but getting there is what I'm not clear on.

Could you clarify this for me?

[Jafo]

Have you tried a different DVD software other than PowerDVD? Download a Trial version of something like WinDVD to test it to see if it works.

[Cyberlon]

Originally Posted by Gig-O-Ram

Could you clarify this for me?

A live CD is a way to run Linux without ever installing it. It does not leave behind any files on your hard drive, and is simply a boot CD (like you did when installing XP) but instead of installing, runs right from the disc. There are many distributions available, and opinions range wildly as to what is the "best" but instead of picking one over another, you may want to settle for one that people will say works. This is why I recommend Knoppix. You do not have to be a linux guru to make it work. I'm sure I will be flamed for making a recommendation like this over many other distros, but I'm willing to sacrifice my reputation that Knoppix "simply works" over many others that require setup.
If you have a CD burner, it is one disc, comes as an .iso file, so many applications will be able to burn this "image" and make it bootable (nero in particular knows what to do with disk images)

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by Cyberlon

A live CD is a way to run Linux without ever installing it. It does not leave behind any files on your hard drive, and is simply a boot CD (like you did when installing XP) but instead of installing, runs right from the disc. There are many distributions available, and opinions range wildly as to what is the "best" but instead of picking one over another, you may want to settle for one that people will say works. This is why I recommend Knoppix. You do not have to be a linux guru to make it work. I'm sure I will be flamed for making a recommendation like this over many other distros, but I'm willing to sacrifice my reputation that Knoppix "simply works" over many others that require setup.
If you have a CD burner, it is one disc, comes as an .iso file, so many applications will be able to burn this "image" and make it bootable (nero in particular knows what to do with disk images)

Thank you for the advice on the Linux, but I don't really need to worry about this anymore. I installed the new drive (LG GDR-8164B - 8/05) with Power DVD 5, and everything is as it should be. There was no issue installing it - in fact, it installed in about 20 seconds flat! No issues running the program, and no issues with DVD playback.

So, we got the hdd/OS issue resolved and got the DVD issue resolved, and had to redo a couple panel leads for the power LED (had 'em backward), and now the computer is up and running at her workstation, with the only thing left is for her to transfer all her stuff off the external and move back in, as it were.

But thanks anyway, you guys, for all your help and advice! :tee:

[Quakindude]

Glad you got it figured out. With how cheap DVD drives are now, there's really no reason not to just replace them as soon as they start giving troubles.

[Gig-O-Ram]

She has all her data and stuff back in her "new and improved" rig now, but she seems to be having a bit of attachment to my computer, LOL! She was using it, and her laptop, while her main rig was down. I guess it will take her a bit of time to get used to using hers again - it was down for about two months. Seriously, though, she had to use mine to transfer a few emails and other stuff, but I'm so proud of myself for being able to get her machine back up and running.

Now all I need to do is find a HSF that is a little quieter than the stock one. It's really loud! Can anyone recommend a cooling solution for LGA775 that's not so loud?