6625WD and NWN2(securom).. problem!

Hi,
So I just bought a 6625WD and seem to be having some trouble with Neverwinter Nights 2. The computer refuses to read the dvd. When I put the disc in, it whirs a little, makes some clicks and noises, starts to spin up but stops a second later, repeat in infinity.
If I try to browse to the DVD during this process, Explorer.exe (the whole win GUI, not just the file browser), locks up and crashes.
I considered if the DVD was scratched, but no, it still works flawlessly on my older computer. I also wondered if my DVD-burner was defective somehow, but it seems to read all other DVDs just fine.

After some research, it seems like the problem is securom and it blacklisting the 6625WD's DVD-burner (the regular Samsung DVD-RW DL). Has anyone had any success in getting this game to run on a similar machine, and what can I do? Some have reported success with buying a different DVD-reader, but I'm not keen on that idea. Atari has also suggested updating the firmware of the DVD-burner, but I have not found any firmware for this burner on the Zepto ftp.

The laptop is a stock 6625WD but with the C2D 2.0GHz CPU, and 2x1024 GB PC5300 RAM, running Windows XP SP2.

 

First, make sure that he IDE interface has not dropped into PIO mode. Read here and here.

Second, you can look for newer firmware here. You shoud be able to use Samsungs Live Update software. My burner is the SN-S082H (what model is yours) and there is no firmware update (the burner was only made in July 2007).

However, I suspect the blame falls with Securom. It looks like another of these DRM infections.

John

 

Thanks for the reply. I checked the Device Manager and all IDE channels were set on "DMA if available", so it doesn't look like they had dropped into PIO.

I also have the SN-S082H burner. I'm not surprised that there's no firmware update yet, but figured it was worth a shot anyway.

Very unfortunate if there's no fix for this, considering that two of the main reasons I bought this new laptop was to play the upcoming NWN2 expansion and The Witcher (another Atari game, probably also has this securom junk).

 

The info to check is the current transfer mode. The ODD is normally Ultra DMA mode 2.

If Securom doesn't like the SN-S082H then I would suggest you raise this same issue in the gaming forum, indicating your general hardware configuration + ODD type. I don't think there is likely to be anything specific to Zepto although there are many configuration options in the BIOS which you could change to see if there is any effect (F9 resets the defaults).

John

 

I think that this issue really doesnt have that much with zepto to do, as I or John doesnt have any problems (i have the same model). Its more Securiom-Samsung co-op problem

 

The current transfer mode was indeed Ultra DMA mode 2 for the DVD, (and mode 5 for the harddrive, if I recall correctly). I'll tweak the BIOS a bit and see what happens, in a few.
I have already raised the issue on the official forum, as well as contacted the Atari support.
If all else fails, I guess I'll just have to wait and see if the next Samsung firmware does anything.

 

I've just tested NWN2 on a 6625WD with the TssT SN-S082H drive under Vista Business 32bit and it worked like a charm. No problems what so ever. I tried with NWN2 with no patched and with it fully patched and it started without problems.

 

Aah, thanks a bunch! I was planning to switch to Vista when the first service pack comes either way.

 

Rene have now tried NWN2 with XP, and still no problems at all. So it shouldn't be a problem that all 6625WDs have.

 

i have a tsstcorp sn-s028h and can't read my nwn2 disk

Nox

 

Actually, I have this with a couple of DVD movies as well. I wanted to watch a movie a couple of days ago (an original movie, no copies involved), so I insert the DVD and the player starts to spin. After a couple of seconds, nothing starts, it stops spinning for a while and then starts spinning again, it stops spinning and then it starts spinning again for all eternity. So this is defenitly not a NWN2 problem, no Securom problem, and not a DVD problem.

 

Also get the same results under linux, and have heard someone else getting the same problem with DVD's too. (on Novatech forums)

Nox

 

I haven't managed to solve this problem yet either. I believe that you're right that it's not a Securom issue, since I've successfully installed other Securom games now.
A firmware update for the SN-S028H was released a few weeks ago, but it did not help.
By the way, this might be an important detail, that I didn't mention in my older posts: my copy of NWN2 is not the standard version, but the Collectors Edition (Chatotic Evil) version.

 

With SP1 for Vista being postponed to next year, I couldn't wait any longer to buy it. And guess what, it helped! It took a few attempts, but at last I managed to install Neverwinter Nights 2. First time it refused to read the disc (exactly like on XP), second time it made it half way through the installation before it froze up and started "chewing", and third time it worked.
That's no problem anymore, since I can play from the new expansion disc instead.

So anyway, problem solved. But be aware of that there are some issues with this particular burner.

 

I also have the Chaotic Evil edition.

Installing Mask sorted it? Was chatting to a mate the other night about it and he said the Mask disk didn't 'crunch' like his NWN2 disk did.

I'll attach my external dvd drive later to install it then, i've tried twice under vista and neither time did it work.

Nox