DVD ROM not reading DVD disc

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kooldino

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Apr 16, 2001
Messages
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So I have a DVD reader / CDRW and I also have a DVD+/- RW in my desktop machine at work.

When I insert a DVD disc into either of the drives, it doesn't read the contents. However, CDs work just fine.

This is on a P4 based Dell.
 
Do you have any type of drive virtualization software, like Daemon Tools loaded? It seems highly unlikely that both drives would be dying at the same time. You could also try the DVD disc on another computer.
 
I don't have access to any machines around here that have a DVD ROM (sad, i know).

I'll see if I can find another.

Nope, not running Dameon on here.

I don't think the drives are dead. I DO think that there is something up software wise though.
 
Are these videos? Could it be a region code issue?

When you say it doesn't read the contents... does it give an error message, or sit there and do nothing? Does the drive spin up when you close the tray with the disc in it?
 
Demon10000 said:
Are these videos? Could it be a region code issue?
Click to expand...

Good thinking, but it's a data DVD (Aadobe Dreamweaver CS3 to be exact).

When you say it doesn't read the contents... does it give an error message, or sit there and do nothing?
Click to expand...

Nothing happens.

On the DVDRW, when I click on the drive to open it, I get a "please insert disc" error.

If I put it in the DVD reader and click on it, it will "open" it, but the disc will have no contents. This will happen regardless of whether or not a disc is inserted.

Does the drive spin up when you close the tray with the disc in it?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
If you can, swap the drives with another computer, or boot into a different OS (boot into Linux or WinPE/BartPE from a CD). That should help narrow down the scope.

Just recently we swapped out a couple of optical drives that wouldn't read CDs but saw DVDs just fine. Fortunately, they were still under warranty with Dell. Though as mentioned, 2 bad drives in the same computer sounds more unlikely.
 
I'll see if I can boot off a live linux CD in one drive and read the DVD in the other. I'll report back shortly.
 
In the past, I have have DVD drives that would read CD's just fine and would stop reading DVD's. Defective. Replaced. Godo to go again.
 
I just had a Plextor go bad on me. Opposite problem, CD's wouldn't read. Go to Newegg and buy a Liteon for like $40 with Litescribe and move on!
 
Rustynuts said:
I just had a Plextor go bad on me. Opposite problem, CD's wouldn't read. Go to Newegg and buy a Liteon for like $40 with Litescribe and move on!
Click to expand...

ditto: An HP is going out on me. Still reads DVD's, so for the moment I'm coasting, but I expect it to croak the rest of the way soon.
 
*sigh*

So i just tried booting off of ubuntu and a kubuntu 7.04 CDs (that I burned on that very machine yesterday) and get the following error:

-------------------
BusyBox v1.1.3 Built-in shell (ash)

/bin/sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
(initramfs) [ 97.054434] sdb: assuming drive cache: write through [97.057679] sdb: assuming drive cache: write through.
-------------------------------

And yes, the CDs work fine in other machines.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=279884
 
Rustynuts said:
I just had a Plextor go bad on me. Opposite problem, CD's wouldn't read. Go to Newegg and buy a Liteon for like $40 with Litescribe and move on!
Click to expand...

You really think BOTH of my DVD drives are dead, despite the fact that they read other DVDs?

BTW, I can't exactly go buy a new one. This is for work and we're in between fiscal years. So unless I'm buying it out of my own pocket...
 
What other optical disc-related software do you have loaded, such as burning apps, etc?

As I said above, the chances that both drives are dying at once is very very unlikely.
 
I would just like to state for the record that it IS possible for a drive to stop reading dvds but still be able to read cds (just in case you weren't aware)
Edit: I guess that seems obvious now, since its exactly what you said...
sorry...I'm on a two day treatment of prednisone...I go a little cooky when I do that...
 
So get this...I turned off the machine for a couple of days. Booted it back up, used it for a few hours as normal. I had left the DVD in the drive.

I eventually went to "My Computer", and noticed that the label and icon for the drive changed to reflect the contents of the DVD. I installed the program, and it all worked fine.

WTF?
 
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