Hardware Replaced DVD drive. Now it won't accept Gamecube games

codezer0

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My original Wii was having a problem with its original disc drive making noises, and apparently not recognizing GC or Wii games.

Most recently, I was able to finally afford and get a replacement DVD drive for the Wii, after assurances from this site that there shouldn't be any differences to my ability to play any of the games it should support.

Well, After putting everyting back together to test, the new drive is definitely much quieter. It accepts and recognizes the Wii games just fine. But any gamecube game that I try to insert, it just spits right back out.

So what do I do here?
 

anon3536

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not an expert: could you have possibly gotten a drive from a newer wii that doesnt support gc cames?
 

codezer0

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not an expert: could you have possibly gotten a drive from a newer wii that doesnt support gc cames?
That leaves me with many questions:
  1. I thought the point was that they were all supposed to be interchangeable, as the logic to accept/reject a game disc would have been on the system board of the Wii system, not the DVD drive?
  2. How would I be able to tell what version DVD drive I did receive then?
  3. After figuring out which it is, Would it even be possible to swap the logic board(s) if it is dependent on the drive as you imply?
 

VashTS

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on point 3. I think its a hardware difference not a logic board difference for Gamecube discs.

I'm sure google could provide you with ways to identify different dvd revisions
 

The Real Jdbye

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on point 3. I think its a hardware difference not a logic board difference for Gamecube discs.

I'm sure google could provide you with ways to identify different dvd revisions
This. I saw a post a while back on how to mod the newer Wii models to read gc discs. Something about cutting out a piece of plastic. IIRC it was written by tueidj in relation to devolution on newer wiis.
 
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codezer0

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This. I saw a post a while back on how to mod the newer Wii models to read gc discs. Something about cutting out a piece of plastic. IIRC it was written by tueidj in relation to devolution on newer wiis.
If you can find it, I would hugely appreciate it. We still have a pretty good collection of GC games that we still like to play here.
 
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codezer0

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Much appreciated. My google-fu isn't the best.

That said, I am trying to figure out where the second part of the drive modding done there is. Snapped some pictures of the drives with my good camera. I could at least confirm the original drive is a D2B now. But I have no idea what model this new one is. I'd really like to still use it, as it actually can read discs. Imgur here http://imgur.com/LGqyITq,q7YlsUK,ILbNwoV,RIoUHGW,gs81Z9J#4

I at least found the first piece of miscreant metal that I need to adjust. But what about that plastic in the other? I wonder... might it be possible to simply transfer the plastic bit from my D2B and put it in on this new drive's place? that would at least solve that. Maybe even the metal top too, so that it can fully accept the gamecube games. :tpi:
 

codezer0

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Just asking but why don't you use Nintendont?
Would it even work with retail gamecube discs? we still have a fair few, and equal parts laziness and money have kept me from giving it a larger external drive to rip/load the games from so I wouldn't have needed the DVD drive anymore. Why else do you think I had to wait so long to even order a replacement drive?
 

Arecaidian Fox

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Would it even work with retail gamecube discs? we still have a fair few, and equal parts laziness and money have kept me from giving it a larger external drive to rip/load the games from so I wouldn't have needed the DVD drive anymore. Why else do you think I had to wait so long to even order a replacement drive?

Think of it this way...Even if Nintendont doesn't read retail discs, the amount of money you've probably spent getting new DVD drives and attempting other fixes could probably have paid for a small external HDD and a decently big SD card for storing backups. The only issue might be obtaining said backups, but if you get a PC DVD drive that can read them...I guess my point is that money sometimes has a funny way of evening out. Just a matter of which way you'd want to go with it I guess. Personally, if backup loaders are able to load Wii games just fine considering you have at least a working drive in that regard, then I'd go for the backups. It's much neater and less of a hassle once you get it off the ground. No discs to keep track of and stuff.
 
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RCJayce

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Think of it this way...Even if Nintendont doesn't read retail discs, the amount of money you've probably spent getting new DVD drives and attempting other fixes could probably have paid for a small external HDD and a decently big SD card for storing backups. The only issue might be obtaining said backups, but if you get a PC DVD drive that can read them...
Annnnnd, Nintendont supports Retail Disc
 
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codezer0

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I'd still rather h ave this thing work fully, if at all possible.

I already lost many older systems due to not ever having had the tools before. And I've no desire to pick up a WiiU either.
 

Arecaidian Fox

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I'd still rather h ave this thing work fully, if at all possible.

I already lost many older systems due to not ever having had the tools before. And I've no desire to pick up a WiiU either.

If the new DVD drive is at least accepting Wii games, you can use a backup loader like USB Loader GX for Wii titles, and Nintendont for GC. You wouldn't have to get rid of the console or buy a new one. The worst you'd be looking at is a small investment for some storage media and a bit of time downloading stuff.

*EDIT*: Apologies, didn't mean to double post.
 

The Real Jdbye

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Much appreciated. My google-fu isn't the best.

That said, I am trying to figure out where the second part of the drive modding done there is. Snapped some pictures of the drives with my good camera. I could at least confirm the original drive is a D2B now. But I have no idea what model this new one is. I'd really like to still use it, as it actually can read discs. Imgur here http://imgur.com/LGqyITq,q7YlsUK,ILbNwoV,RIoUHGW,gs81Z9J#4

I at least found the first piece of miscreant metal that I need to adjust. But what about that plastic in the other? I wonder... might it be possible to simply transfer the plastic bit from my D2B and put it in on this new drive's place? that would at least solve that. Maybe even the metal top too, so that it can fully accept the gamecube games. :tpi:
It looks like the metal tops are similar enough that that would work, and the same for the plastic piece, but maybe it would be easier to take your new motherboard and put it in the old DVD drive shell rather than disassemble and move all the little DVD drive parts? :P
 
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dilav

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But I have no idea what model this new one is.
The smaller board of the D3 board, D4. Does not run backups.

...but maybe it would be easier to take your new motherboard and put it in the old DVD drive shell rather than disassemble and move all the little DVD drive parts? :P
Are you confident the problem lies in the drive board? The problem was drive noise and not recognizing games. I would say clean or swap laser as those things seem to go bad easily, and we were made aware of that in SSBB release. But that's my guess.

Edit: Laser ribbon are different shape, not swappable.
 

codezer0

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Just an update. I explained the situation to the seller. At their request, showed them pictures of both drives, and linked to the information about how the new drives were built in a way to reject gamecube games. During that back-and-forth I even left the Wii deliberately out of its shell and plugged both drives in (between power cycles, mind) to see what the problem was.

With the D4 drive I received in order, it naturally accepts and recognizes a Wii disc fine.
When inserting a Gamecube disc into the D4 drive, the mechanics of it basically jam up, then promptly spit the disc back out. And I don't just mean leaving it partway for me to retrieve it. It fully spits it out of the console.

With the original D2B, it is damn noisy and clicky when starting up.
Original Wii games will insert and load fine, still. I also noticed at this point that the drive(s) tend to keep the disc spinning constantly, which likely explains why there is a delay when hitting the eject button.
Insert a retail gamecube game, and it does recognize on the Disc Channel. However, as soon as I hit start to load the game, the disc just... stops. And there is a black screen, so I am forced to power cycle the console.

At the least, the seller is willing to accept a return of the drive for a refund, and I've asked if they could keep an eye out for an older series drive that would be compatible for me, since I'd honestly rather just exchange for a working unit.
 

Arecaidian Fox

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Well, I JUST picked up a unit to sell...It's one of the newer models, so it won't take GC games, but with a working drive you could at least get backup loaders (Wii and GC) to run properly. Plus if you felt like it, you could cannibalize your GC-compatible Wii for the gamepad and memory card hardware, and solder it to this unit's board. Just a thought.
 

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