Reg File for corrupt (empty) Registry Key

[Boggin]

If this method doesn't find an update for you http://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/lpg40607 then you could try the workaround in http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-CD-DVD-Read-Only/Hp-DVD-1270/td-p/188235/page/3 of using the XP 1270e HH22 200 firmware which you may want to "punch in" into the HP support site.

The only other Google link I've found for that firmware is http://burners.burn4free.com/hewlett-packard/hp-1270e-driver.htm which Norton said was unsafe and kicked it out.

If you can't get the firmware update through official means, I don't know what else to suggest for that.

[RaveRocks]

The first link I'd already seen and yelled (typed very hard on the keyboard) at HP for screen shots and menu choices that were not applicable to Windows Vista.  I had to find a third party tool to find out the burner's current firmware version.  The results showed only HH which is also the first two characters of the supposed available upgrade which I cannot find. (I did find a post that the firmware had to be updated so the burner would work properly with Windows 8.)  The burn4free link gets an instant red flag from my security software and when I over-rode the warnings and went further into the links at the site to try to start the offered firmware update, more intense red flags appeared so it does look like burn4free is another scam to be avoided.  Too bad.

And since the other link you provided has a long standing cuss word embedded (XP), I left that until last.  Vista is the newest addition to my cuss list and I've been using it often and loud.  I live a mile or two from the US-Canada border and I'm sure some of the more colorful shouts from my roof-top balcony have been heard in Redmond Washington.  It's no wonder so many Americans need stress and ED pills.  It's all the fault of Bill Gates.

[Boggin]

I used to use the free version of Slimdrivers but found it came with a built in PuP which I think the free version of MBAM or SuperAntiSpyware would remove, but dumped it when it said it had updated a Network driver just to find I still had the same dated driver afterwards.

http://www.driverupdate.net/

I suppose you could give it a try to see if it snags the disk drive as needing updating and then uninstall Slimdrivers after, using a 3rd party uninstaller as it's a persistent Bd.

While I've never used it, IObit's driver updater is another free program you could use, but look for any PuP boxes during its install - here are some others you could try - but it depends upon what they have in their Database of drivers whether any will find what you need.

 http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driversites/tp/free-driver-updater-tools.htm

[RaveRocks]

A sidenote to uninstalling a DVD burner within a gimped Windows Vista system (at least in MY gimped Windows Vista system).  Nero 9 (it came with the burner) stopped working after a recent reboot, coming up with an "Invalid Parameter" error when attempting to burn any DVD.  My burner is 'Lightscribe' compatible and when the background system automatically reinstalled the drivers for the burner after the aforementioned reboot, the subsystem missed linking in the appropriate Lightscribe plug-in for Nero.  The fix was to re-install Nero.  I did not have to uninstall Nero as Nero's install program recognized the re-install as a repair and quickly offered the plug-n and no more "Invalid Parameter" error message from Nero.  (This did not fix the 1012 error from the Recovery disks.)

[Boggin]

Any luck with either of the driver updater programs ?