Do I need to install ASPI for CD/DVD recording to work in Windows XP with 3rd party apps? My DVD Burner Pioneer DVR-104 is recognized in Windows XP, but when I put any kind of disc in it (blank or with files on it), applications load very slowly at crawling speed including other apps that don't relate to CD/DVD recording. When I try to open the drive in My Computer, it hangs with the mouse being an hour glass until I force quit My Computer in Windows Task Manager. As soon as I eject the disc when I tried to open an application that was loading extremely slow at crawling speed (more than 10 seconds for the application to even come up), the application came up immediately after I ejected the disc from the drive? I have tried a few different things, but still have not solved the problem? I tried reading CD/DVDs in this drive from a Windows Me startup disk DOS prompt and it was able to read them.

Any help greatly appreciated.

I never installed an ASPI layer after my most recent format, but everything works just fine, CD and DVD, and I don't have your problem. I did disable the CD burning service in XP, because I have heard of issues with Nero, but never actually encountered them myself.

I also never installed the ASPI layer from my drives, didnt see the point, can burn dvds and cds fine now, why change if they is nothing wrong.

First thing to try is disable native xp burning. If that makes no difference then try disabling auto play.

As said you shouldn't need an aspi layer but it also wouldn't hurt to add it in.

What are the disks that you are putting in, that are causing the system freeze-ups ? .... i.e. DVD-R's DVD's CD-R's, CD's and what brand(s)

The symptoms you describe sound very much to me as thought he 104 is just having trouble reading.

Also have you tried cleaning the lense ?

another option could be to look at reinstalling or updating your mobo ide controllers/drivers. I have had similar problems in the past and although updating the aspi was a help i still suffered with slow drive speed. updating my mobo ide and chipset drivers worked for me..