Well I did try the "udfread_v5.1.1.213-inst.exe" file. Didn't fix the
problem completely, but did repair the problem of reading the CD's burned
with my wife's 4 year old HP. But I also discovered a new way of getting the
proper "imai" files. I downloaded a trail version of NTI CD & DVD Maker
(nti_cdm6_trial_eng.exe) found on CNet. I then uninstalled the trail
software leaving on the files it installed relating to "imapi". I used the
uninstall feature of my SystemSuite 5. This allowed for a semi- manual
removal of the files I didn't need, and the saving of everything else. I am
still working just fine. There are no conflicts with XP, and the data CD-RW
burned can be viewed from other computers.
This method is still not an easy method and not for the normal every day
computer user. Like the coping and replacing files I did before, every day
computer users are not going to want to attempt these repairs to their OS.
Microsoft needs to come clean and admit there is a problem. With some
research I have discovered that Samsung, LG, Sony, Plextor, Fujisto,
Panasonic, Toshiba, and 10 other manufacturing companies are all having
problems with their CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW drives working with XP SP2. Samsung
suggested to me that I should install Nero to "...overcome the numerous
problems Microsoft caused by unnecessarily changing the functioning of the
CD coping software included with the XP OS." Direct quote from the e-mail I
recieved from customer support at Samsung.
I believe if others want to repair the problem, then a "freeware",
"shareware" or trail version of commercial "burning" software may solve the
problem. I for one have decided to purchase Nero and install it after I get
moved to the "North Lands" (500 miles to the north from here). This will
solve the problem once and for all, and the poorly functioning "built in"
CD "burner software from Microsoft will not be needed. I used Nero before
and enjoyed the easy to use interface.
"old" devildog
Simper Fi
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Harry Ohrn" wrote in message
...
| Thanks for the update. I appreciate your effort.
|
| --
|
| Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
|
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
|
|
| ""old" devildog" teyoungATcableNOSPAMone.net wrote in message
| ...
|| This thread is getting long but bear with me. Please feel free to
snip
|| anything below this responce if you find it is necessary to reply.
||
|| 1. Find the files by using something besides the built in Windows
Explorer
|| search, it misses the sys files and the ex_, sy_ files. I use PowerDesk,
| it
|| is a much better search engine. Your files maybe in different locations
| due
|| to the OEM "Branding" of your pre-installed of XP.
||
|| 2. Search using the following text: imapi*.*
||
|| 3. Then copy the following files from the hard drive of the non-SP2
|| computer:
|| (file locations are from both the eMachine and HP computers)
||
|| imapi.sys @ C:\ windows\system32\dllcache\
|| imapi.sys @ C:\ windows\system32\drivers\
|| imapi.exe @ C:\windows\system32\
|| imapi.exe @ C:\windows\system32\dllcache\
|| imapi.exe @ C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386\
|| Imapi.ex_ @ C:\ windows\I386
|| Imapi.sy_ @ C:\windows\I386
||
|| Note the last two files are are with "I" not "i" and are "ex_" and
| "sy_".
|| It is important to copy them also.
||
|| 4. Search your SP2 updated hard drive and locate the same files and check
| to
|| see if they are in the same locations.
||
|| 5. Then remove the same files from the same locations from your "SP2
|| updated" hard drive.
||
|| 6. Copy the files to your hard drive into the same locations, then boot
| your
|| computer.
||
|| It worked with my computer and a new "out of the box" pre-SP2 HP
computer.
||
|| All this does it to revert the exe and sys files back to the XP SP1a
|| version, which worked without any problems on my machine before the SP2
|| upgrade. The ex_ and sy_ files are necessary in case you run System File
|| Checker. These are the protected files. If you do not replace these files
|| you will just have the SP2 versions placed back on the hard drive the
next
|| time you use SFC.
||
|| If you have not upgrade to SP2 and are getting ready to upgrade to SP2,
| copy
|| the files above and then replace them after your SP2 upgrade.
||
|| Uninstalling SP2 doesn't work, the file size's of these files do not
| change!
|| They are not reverted back to SP1a on my computer. If you do not have
|| access to a pre-SP2 XP OS then you will have to do a clean install of XP
| to
|| get back to original files. Then copy them to a CD-R. Next upgrade to SP2
|| then replace the files listed above. I don't know if the files from a
|| previous version of XP (before SP1a) works the same way (they should by
|| logic as the CDRW's worked then). I didn't have these files at my
disposal
|| to use while troubleshooting this problem.
||
|| --------Update---------
||
|| I was also told last night by a friend from Iowa, he fixed the problem by
|| installing this exe file from Roxio --- udfread_v5.1.1.213-inst.exe. It
| has
|| been available since 11/25/04. It worked for him. He found the file while
|| using Google to research the CDRW problem he was also having and find a
| fix
|| to the problem. I have not used this fix. But he sent me the exe file to
|| try out and see if it is a valid fix to the problem I was having. Today I
|| plan to uninstall SP2 and then reinstall SP2 (this will overwrite the
| imapi
|| files I replaced) and check to see if the "burning" problem present
again.
|| If it is, then I will install the udfread file from Roxio to check out
his
|| fix. Since this file is only about 540k it is easy to e-mail as an
|| attachment. I will let you know the out come.
||
|| "old" devildog
|| Simper Fi
|| -----------------------------------------------
||
|| "Harry Ohrn" wrote in message
|| ...
|| | Are you saying you only replaced the imapi.exe file located in
|| | C:\WINDOWS\system32 and imapi.sys located in
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers
| ?
|| |
|| | It would be helpful if you posted the names and locations of the files
|| | replaced.
|| |
|| | --
|| |
|| | Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
|| |
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
|| |
|| |
|| | ""old" devildog" teyoungATcableNOSPAMone.net wrote in message
|| | ...
|| | I have found a "fix" to this problem brought on by the SP2 upgrade.
|| | Understand I got many e-mails from Microsoft Support, and one e-mail
|| from
|| | support even stated the only "fix" at this time, to the problem of
|| | "burning"
|| | to CD was to uninstall SP2 from the computer, that the fault was in
| the
|| | SP2
|| | upgrade. Another e-mail goes as far as stating that Microsoft is
| aware
|| of
|| | many problems generated by the SP2 upgrade, and they will be
| addressing
|| | these problems "in the future in the form of upgrades or "hotfixes"".
|| I
|| | followed Microsoft's advice to do a firmware flash of my CDRW drive.
|| Bad
|| | news. A new CDRW was damaged beyond repair by this firmware flash.
I
|| was
|| | also told this new CDRW did not meet SP2 specs. Samsung and
Microsoft
|| (on
|| | their own web pages) show it as being compatible with all Microsoft
| OS's
|| | from 98se on. After growing tired of Microsoft's inability to
address
|| | this
|| | problem, I used my 30+ years of computer experience to trouble shoot
| the
|| | problem myself. As follows is the way I fixed the problem. The
|| following
|| | is
|| | a copy of the final e-mail I sent to Microsoft Windows Support this
|| | morning.
|| | The "fix" works as stated on an 6 month old eMachine computer and new
|| "out
|| | of the box" HP computer. This does not include the same problem some
| of
|| | you
|| | are having with DVDRW drives, as I do not have this type of drive and
|| have
|| | not been able to test it on them. Use it at your own risk with a
DVDRW
|| | drive! But waiting on Microsoft to to admit to the problem may take
|| | years,
|| | if at all.
|| |
|| | "old" devildog
|| | Simper Fi
|| |
|| |
||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ----
|| |
|| | To: Jeffrey Tan
|| | Microsoft Windows Support Professional
|| |
|| | I was able to find a fix for the problem of "burning" to a CD-R/RW
|| | drive
|| | after the upgrade to SP2, you and other support staff had been
helping
|| me
|| | with.
|| |
|| | The damaged (from the firmware flash suggested by Microsoft) CDRW
| was
|| | replaced with a 3 year old very well used Samsung CDRW drive (
drivers
|| | were
|| | also installed). The inability to write to CD-R or CD-RW media was
|| still
|| | present. The properties of a new CD-R or CD-RW was still showing no
|| free
|| | space.
|| |
|| | I removed all of the files related to imapi (exe, dll & sys) from
| my
|| | computer (noting the locations of all files removed). I then copied
| the
|| | same files to CD-R media from a brand new (out of the box) HP
computer
|| | with
|| | XP Home Edition with SP1a service pack preinstalled.
|| |
|| | I then installed the "old" imapi files (SP1a versions) into the
| same
|| | locations the SP2 version files were in. Rebooted my computer, and
|| checked
|| | it. The 3 year old CDRW drive now can burn to CD-R or CD-RW media
|| without
|| | any problems. Properties shows the new media as having free space,
or
|| in
|| | the case of the CDR with the imapi files, the space left on the
drive.
|| | The
|| | damaged CDRW drive was reinstalled (along with it's drivers) in the
|| | computer
|| | and is unable to even play a music CD. The "used" CDRW drive was
|| | reinstalled. It still works normally, but as it is 3 years old, much
|| | slower.
|| |
|| | The HP computer was then upgraded to SP2, using the upgrade CD
|| provided
|| | by Microsoft. When the HP computer was checked for ability to "burn
a
|| CDR
|| | or CDRW after the upgrade to SP2, it failed. Properties showed no
| free
|| | space even on new media. The same data CD-R was used to restore the
|| imapi
|| | files from SP1a to it. It now is able to "burn" to CD-R and CD-RW
|| media,
|| | without removing the entire SP2 upgrade as suggested by you.
|| |
|| | The problem has been found and the problem lies with the SP2
| upgrade.
|| | My
|| | opinion is either "bad code" in the CD "burning" software of SP2 or
|| | intentional disabling (by Microsoft) of the CD "burning" software to
|| | appease
|| | the music industry, are the only logical answers.
|| |
|| | I do not copy music CD's, in I fact never listen to them on my
|| | computer,
|| | as I have a very nice home system that sounds many times better. All
| I
|| | ever
|| | "burn" to CD is the photo's taken on my digital camera and data files
| I
|| | back-up to protect my computer in case of OS or hardware failure. I
am
|| not
|| | "burning" copyrighted music or software.
|| |
|| | My computer came with the eMachine OEM version of XP Home Edition
|| SP1a
|| | preinstalled, and new HP computer came with the HP OEM version of XP
|| Home
|| | Edition SP1a preinstalled. Since reverting back to the SP1a versions
| of
|| | all
|| | imapi files solved the problem on both the eMachine and HP computers,
| I
|| | would suggest a "hotfix" from Microsoft with the same fix I have
|| | discovered.
|| | I will be opening up this "fix" to others who have had the same
| problem.
|| | But as the "fix" I have discovered requires a pre-SP2 computer, and
| most
|| | users of XP do not have this advantage. Also a great deal of the XP
|| users
|| | do not have the technical skills to perform this "fix" on their own.
|| |
|| | Microsoft should make this "fix" available ASAP. Waiting until
the
|| | next
|| | "hotfix" cycle leaves many people in the cold. As Windows Xp was
|| | advertised
|| | as having the ability to "drag and drop" CD "burning", loss of this
|| | ability
|| | by the SP2 upgrade, and the continuing adverting as being able to is
a
|| | case
|| | the FTC needs to be made aware of. I believe it is called false
|| | advertising. I am still going to pursue the Small Claims case
against
|| | Microsoft for the replacement of the CDRW drive damaged by following
| the
|| | advice of Microsoft Windows Support Staff.
|| |
|| | snip
|| | (Deleted my name and e-mail address to stop the spam)
|| | "old" devildog
|| | Simper Fi
|| |
|| |
|| |
|| |
||
||
|
|