My 16 month old computer developed a problem not long after I bought it and was told that it was a software problem. In the end I went with my instinct and bought a replacement for the Sony Optiarc CD burner, a Pioneer DVR-S19LBK. Once the old Sony was removed and the Pioneer installed, I switched the computer on, Windows 7 recognised the Pioneer immediately and everything loaded perfectly. I tried out the drive and found it to be exceptional. It is fairly quiet, extremely reliable and it works easily and effortlessly all the time. This may sound odd, but from day one my computer has had problems, crashing, freezing up, CD burner refused to work, Windows not even recognising the fact that the Sony was even there. Not so with the Pioneer. As if by magic, all my computer problems seem to have disappeared as soon as the pioneer was installed.
Looking on line I discovered that other people have had problems with the Sony Optiarc CD drive which meant a lot of fiddling to get Windows 7 to recognise it. I feel the problem is in the Sony drive as now I have a marvellous computer that works exactly as it should and a CD burner that does all I ask of it.
I thoroughly recommend the Pioneer and cannot praise it enough.
Problem Solved !!!