all_around_rocker
asked on
the Driver (DVD +/- RW) will not recognize any DVD's or blank DVD's but it will read CD's
I just got my computer as a gift. It's a dell B110 series. At first I was able to watch DVD's (original or burned), but recently, my driver has stopped recognizing all DVDs. I have tried old dvds as well as new ones but i get the same result. I have even tried to make a data DVD. I can listen to a music CD and open data too. I can also burn CDs. What can I do to fix this problem?
Thanx in advance
Thanx in advance
The DVD section of the drive has malfunctioned. I actually have one where the CD section has malfunctioned but I can read and burn DVD with no problem. Claim your warranty on this one.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
You can usually tell if a drive is having trouble reading discs by the amount of activity it does after inserting the disc. If it seems to retry for un unusually long time, then chances are your dvd laser is shot and a replacement drive will be required.
First the DVD and CD functions use different lasers and different circuits inside the drive so, in regards to the hardware, the fact that it works with CD's only really tells you that the discs are spinning and the interface between the drive and the system are okay.
You may simply have a bad drive such that the failure only affects the DVD functions.
This is not an uncommon failure.
The fact that it was working and quit suggests to me that that's the case here.
This sounds like a brand new system and I would have Dell replace the drive under Warranty.
If you don't want to deal with all that then new DVD writers can be had for like $45 these days.
.
There are a bunch of XP issues with optical drives.
It was working and then suddenly not, so I don't think that's 'it' but it -might- be.
I'll let someone else address those because I gotta go.......
.