What's the story on Liteon retail warranties?

[Pilsnerpete]

Bought a burner @ Newegg almost 2 years ago. Then one day, I accidently tried to write to an unformatted cdrw. I don't know what happened, but it hung the system and when I rebooted, it couldn't read cd's anymore, let alone burn anything.

After changing firmware back and forth (thanks to the author of Mtkflash), I am still unable to see any discs in it. Windows says the drive is there, it just doesn't spin up.:brokenheart:

I know my 1 yr. warranty is up with Newegg, so does anyone know how to get an RMA from Liteon directly? It's probly not even worth it.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Pilsnerpete
Bought a burner @ Newegg almost 2 years ago. Then one day, I accidently tried to write to an unformatted cdrw. I don't know what happened, but it hung the system and when I rebooted, it couldn't read cd's anymore, let alone burn anything.

After changing firmware back and forth (thanks to the author of Mtkflash), I am still unable to see any discs in it. Windows says the drive is there, it just doesn't spin up.:brokenheart:

I know my 1 yr. warranty is up with Newegg, so does anyone know how to get an RMA from Liteon directly? It's probly not even worth it.

I talked to their rma department and they say all their warranties are for 1 year as well...so SOL!!! I had a 16x dvd-rom go bonkers on me....They wouldn't do anything and it was just at 2 years as well.....Just bought one on the forums real cheap to replace it.....

 

[Pilsnerpete]

I'm going to try one more fw update, then I'll throw it at a tree. So much for Liteon's!!!!! This is the 3rd out of 4 that have gone bad for me. So lame.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Pilsnerpete
I'm going to try one more fw update, then I'll throw it at a tree. So much for Liteon's!!!!! This is the 3rd out of 4 that have gone bad for me. So lame.

Thanks for the reply.

I have had pretty good luck with them...I have built about 3 computers with them around same time and all the others are still working....I know I used the heck out of mine though doing cd and dvd rips and most the others I built just play a dvd here or there....

I am up in the air if they really have a QA problem and we get what the cheap price we pay for them, or mine was just an isolated case....

I went with a pioneer fro my DVD burner and knock on wood I have the heck out of this thing and still strong now for a year and a half....

 

[orion7144]

I just had a LiteOn DVD-Rom drive bite the dust. It was just over 2 years old but saw alot of action. This is the longest I have had a drive so I am not sure if it is normal or not. the thing with mine was I had just got done doing a DVD backup and went to put in another DVD and it would not read. It still reads regular CD's sometimes. All of my other LiteOn's 5 of them (1 DVD burner, 3 DVD-rom, and 1 CDRW) I have had no problems with but they get changed out reguarly with speed increases.

 

[Pilsnerpete]

My DVD-rom--a Creative Labs 5x--is about 5 yrs old. It halts a bit between chapters for some reason, but it still works! I bought a 16x last year and it was crazy loud, so I gave it away. These slower ones are excellent for movies with quiet dialogue.

 

[MichaelD]

How interesting. I've got a LiteOn LTD-163 DVD-Rom. It's about 2.5 years old. I have used and abused the crap out of it. Ripped 350+ CDs over a six month period, for starters. Along with all the usual tasks.

It started hanging during reads about 6 months ago...it would just hang...like during a game install or ripping a CD. I thought it was dust, so I blew air into the drawer. Nothing. It still works intermittently (I just bought a LiteOn DVD-RW today, ironically enough!!!) but I just it for reading CDs when I play games. I won't install anything with it.

*shrug*
I guess two years is not bad, considering the amount of use it got. I really like LiteOn products; it's all I buy AFA Optical drives go.

 

[Jeff7]

I've got a Liteon DVD-ROM, LTD-166S, and a Liteon CD-RW, rebadged as a Memorex 40MAXX 1248AJ. I don't know quite how old they are...though I just figured out a way. I ditched my Pioneer DVD drive back in late August of 2002, due to a blown up CD. And I think I already had the CD-RW back then. So not quite 2 years old, but getting there. I haven't had a problem with either of them...and the warranty's dead on both anyway, thanks to LED mods I did, and I painted the faceplates green. Hopefully mine won't die just yet.

 

[imported_Phil]

FYI, I've found at work that blowing compressed air into a drive without taking it to bits doesn't really yield the same results as stripping the thing down and properly cleaning it. Hell, it takes about ten minutes if you know what you're doing and it's pretty satisfying to resurrect a dying drive.
I've done it countless times, and 75% of the time it works fine after an overhaul

You have to remember that blowing air into it merely rearranges the dust, the likelihood is that it will settle on the lens & mechanism again. Cleaning the drive thoroughly is the best way to do it.
Hope this helps!