Technical stuff

[Petay]

Evening all,

 

I'm not 100% sure if teh forum guidelines say I can post this in here but I see nowhere else apart from the Tech forum to post it anyway, but el moderators can feel free to move it if needed.

 

Basically, I need a little help/advice on a problem I have with my DVD drive on my computer at the moment. It's totally annoying, a little while ago it just decided to stop detecting and playing any DVD's I put in there at all. So now, whenever I put one in, it makes a funny whirring noise and then just doesn't do anything.

 

I looked at the troubleshooting guide for my computer and from a game and deducted that it may have something to do with the Firmware or copywrite protection things in the drive, but I really know little about computers so I wouldn't be able to tell.

 

If anyone has any knowledge about these kind of things and would be able to give me a little advice, or know a site which may help, 'twould be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Deraldin]

It doesn't do anything at all even when for example using Windows Explorer to manually look at the cd?

 

EDIT: Also, is it just DVD media that doesn't work or will CD's not work as well?

Edited August 2, 2006 by Deraldin

[Petay]

Nope, it doesn't pick up anythign when I do that, simply says "Please insert a disk in drive F" when I do click on it in explorer.

 

Well I've only been trying DVD games and videos in there at the moment, I didn't actually know that CD's would work in DVD players anyway...I'll check it out.

Edited August 2, 2006 by Petay

[Petay]

Well I just tested it, regular CD's don't work in the DVD drive either.

[astr0creep]

Sounds like another victim of Starforce to me.

[LadyCrimson]

Starforce?

 

It sounds broken. Or at least damaged. Could be the firmware I guess but if it just suddenly started to happen...did you just update it (or anything else) recently?

[Petay]

It's not suddenly started happening, as in today. It's been wrong for a couple months now but I haven't actually tried playing any DVD games in that time, but I already knew DVD movies wouldn't work. I guess that may rule out firmware unless they suddenly updated it all somehow.

[Pidesco]

If the warranty isn't void yet, try to get a new one from the DVD drive maker.

 

It sounds like it simply went kaput.

[tarna]

Nope, it doesn't pick up anythign when I do that, simply says "Please insert a disk in drive F" when I do click on it in explorer.

 

Well I've only been trying DVD games and videos in there at the moment, I didn't actually know that CD's would work in DVD players anyway...I'll check it out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My internet computer is doing the exact same thing. It is a 6-7 year old P3 550 Mhz Compaq Presario. I bought another drive and stuck it in and the computer still doesn't recognize the drive. I replaced the IDE cable and well as put a USB adapter onto the drive and tried it as an external drive. No go. The motherboard no longer recognises that type of drive. As soon as I figure out a way to transfer all my e-mail, I'll be replacing the motherboard, processor, et cet.

[Fionavar]

It sounds like the optical drive has had it. I've had opticals wane or die suddently. If it is not reading any media, then I suspect it is pooched. Can you test it on a friend's/another rig to troubleshoot?

[Bokishi]

I've had optical drives that crush my disc to bits. And then die.

[Fionavar]

I've had optical drives that crush my disc to bits. And then die.

 

REALLY? I've heard that vibration on high speed drives can do that - is that what you are talking about?

[LostStraw]

Some time ago I bought a used PS2 -- its optical drive failed on me a couple months after purchase. It turned out the motor that moves the laser head foward and back had frozen up. I nudged it a bit and it works fine now. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping it lasts me a while longer still.

 

It had the same symptoms that you describe, but there are so many little things that can go wrong in optical drives that I doubt it would be related.

[jaguars4ever]

Some time ago I bought a used PS2 -- its optical drive failed on me a couple months after purchase.  It turned out the motor that moves the laser head foward and back had frozen up.  I nudged it a bit and it works fine now.  I'm crossing my fingers, hoping it lasts me a while longer still.

 

It had the same symptoms that you describe, but there are so many little things that can go wrong in optical drives that I doubt it would be related.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rule # 23: Never purchase used aka "Pre-Owned" consoles.

[Bokishi]

I've had optical drives that crush my disc to bits. And then die.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

REALLY? I've heard that vibration on high speed drives can do that - is that what you are talking about?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was like 5 years ago, I bought this new CD-Rom drive and then I popped in a disc. A few minutes later a heard a loud *bang* and then I opened the drive and the disc was in 50 little peices. I'm guessing it was a faulty drive that was too fast for its own good. The drive ceased to function as well; maybe too much little peices inside it.

[jaguars4ever]

I've had optical drives that crush my disc to bits. And then die.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

REALLY? I've heard that vibration on high speed drives can do that - is that what you are talking about?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was like 5 years ago, I bought this new CD-Rom drive and then I popped in a disc. A few minutes later a heard a loud *bang* and then I opened the drive and the disc was in 50 little peices. I'm guessing it was a faulty drive that was too fast for its own good. The drive ceased to function as well; maybe too much little peices inside it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At least you found a good use for those AOL discs.

[Bokishi]

Well the disc I was using was sorta worthless so lucky me haha.

[LadyCrimson]

Heh, I remember when the news came out about the disc-shattering drives. And I think it was indeed speed-related...something about speed vs. tiny invisible cracks in the disc or something... ? ...

[Petay]

I've just been trying out different things over the past few days trying to fix this problem, such as downloading firmware and running through all the things that could possibly fix teh problem that Microsoft help suggests, etc. I'm starting to consider what you guys have said might be right about it being past its time, but i'm also thinking that maybe the drive might need a little clean? Surely a bit of dust on the lens may stop it from detecting discs at all in there.

 

Oh and btw, no I don't really have any way of testing the drive on another computer, I'm not really in the know of how to remove it from my computer and don't particularly want to risk doing it wrong and messing something else up.

[angshuman]

You could also try cleaning the lens using a lens-cleaner CD.

[Petay]

As a matter of fact I've jsut gone out and bought one of the CD's that does that. I'm not sure if it's actually doing anything though, since nothing is coming up on screen when it is in the drive, I can just hope it does it without some kind of program showing up.

[metadigital]

DVD/CD optical drives are one of those consumables that are produced so cheaply that there is little guarantee of a long Mean Time Between Failures ...

 

If you can't test the drive on another set-up, then that limits your options.

 

Good new is that there are some cracking DVD drives out there, including some with laser-drawing imagery instead of those ghastly ink pens and horrific stickers, and for a tiny price.

 

:D