CD/DVD Drive problem

[Tim Clark]

I'm hoping one of our resident computer gurus may be able to answer this one.

Both my CD & DVD (R/W) drives suddenly and inexplicably started refusing to open the trays when the open/close button is pushed.

The cd drive makes a humming like sound (gears?) but that's it.

The dvd just flashes the light on the button a couple times. I've double checked the ribbon wire and power cables to both so they're (apparently?) getting power.

My step son downloaded and copied a file (God only knows what) a few weeks ago and that's the last time they worked.

Thanks in advance,

[gsmittle]

Ooooooh, doesn't sound good....

I'm assuming you've tried rebooting in Safe mode. If that doesn't work, it might be time for the ever-popular Winderz reinstall. BUT, I'm a Mac bigot, so my knowledge of how to troubleshoot Windoze is thankfully very limited.

g.

[jAngiel]

Have you tried opening them manually? There is usually a small hole around the opening that you can insert the end of a paper clip in to trigger it to open.

I had a similar problem on our kids computer. With the help of a flashlight and a flat knife I was able to open up the drawers to find that the little ones put about 5 discs in each drive.

[scorrpio]

One idea: disconnect the data cables, leave only power cables plugged. Power on the PC, and see if you can open/close the trays. If no, then something is wrong with drives. Could be whoever messed it up tried something with one drive, and when it got messed up, tried same thing on the second - you never know.

If the trays do open fine with only power hooked up, reconnect the data cable, see if drives show up in BIOS. Also, booting windows without drives present might reset whatever is trying to access them.

If the problem persists after drive reconnect, might be a good idea to run a thorough visrus scan - oh, and find out what the heck your stepson did.

If trays do not open, try using a paperclip or something in that small hole to manually open the tray and see if there is something wedged in there.

[Tim Clark]

Thanks for your replies guys, I really apreciate it.

So,
Disconnected the data ribbons and rebooted; nope.
Paper clip got em open but still manual only. Nothing in there that would make them stick shut.

I''ve done a couple scans and that hasn't helped either. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I paid for when I bought the Norton anti-virus software. I had to download Ad-Aware Se to clean out the adware junk.

I'll try a safe mode reboot to see if that works but I fear I may need to reinstall Windows (again).

[KLF]

Before you re-install Windows, I would find another machine and swap the drive to it as a test. If it's still inoperable, then the drive is busted. Seems odd that they both would die at the same time.

A tip I learned a long time ago about CD/DVD drives: besides my full teaching duties, I manage two complete labs of computers at a University, they get a lot of use as the labs are available 24/7. A lot of students bring a stack of CDs to listen to while they sit and do their homework. Well, it turns out if you just push on the drive tray to close it (instead of using the open/close button), it eventually wears out the clutch and sometimes the belts in the drive. At some point, the drive stops opening (exactly as you describe). I tried to fix the first one when this happened, but the parts are unobtanium, so it was just easier to chuck it and get a new drive. Now I keep a couple of spare drives in the closet.

[LCHIEN]

Before you re-install Windows, I would find another machine and swap the drive to it as a test. If it's still inoperable, then the drive is busted. Seems odd that they both would die at the same time.
...

Agree on all points there. I don't think software or virus can make drives fail in that way. I have found that CD drives are the least reliable PC components - I have a stack of broken ones in my workroom, some wo't read, some the drawers won't open, etc.

Basically you can test the drawer mechanism just by applying power and using the panel button. Test reading in another machine. If still broken then you can't blame software or the computer.

[RHunter]

Tim, before you reinstall, are you running Win XP by chance?

If you are try a System Restore to a point before your "errant code" was loaded by your step son. If you "Restore" before that time, anything you changed or installed after that date has been lost... but that might be such a bad deal... and it may save you from having to "slick" the system and reload everything...

My $0.02

[Wood_workur]

go to my computer, right click on the drive, and select "eject". that should work, espically if you are usin windows ME. (happens all the time on one my comps.)

[drumpriest]

gsmittle, how do you feel now that macs and pcs are the same sans OS? I'd love some feedback from the mac snobs. I have no real problem with either OS now that OS X is a unix flavor. OS 9 was a crazy nightmare, only about 30 years behind in underlying technology.

The door not opening isn't OS related. The drives should be openable far before the OS starts to load. Unfortunately if you can't open the drive door with just power attached, there's probably a hardware problem with the door.

Not, to pick on windows (and make gsmittle happy) , I do hate that one of the very few things left in windows that is OS lockable is a CD/DVD drive. Nothing can happen with it if it's being accessed and something goes wrong.

[Tim Clark]

Well,

Again no luck. With any suggestion.

Did a reinstall late last night and no luck. I'm working on getting another cd drive at least so I can reload most of my files. Thankfully most of it was backed up before the drives crumped on me.

I'm also trying to find the mfgr's website for the dvd drive to see if I can download the drivers from there. I just bought the dvd this Winter. The PC is just a little over a year old and I never used either of the drives that much so I'm pretty peaved that something with so little use could die so soon after the warrantee expires.

I Do apreciate the help you offered. It's too bad it didn't work.

Thanks to all,

[Hitter]

New computers are crap. Quality has sunk with prices.. At work we were having a 30% DOA rate on IBM pc's..We switched to HP and arnt doing any better. Somewhere around 60% of the monitors we got with IBMs were replaced before the warranties were up. We have made up for the cheaper computer prices with lost productivity of employees.

[Wood_workur]

New computers are crap. Quality has sunk with prices.. At work we were having a 30% DOA rate on IBM pc's..We switched to HP and arnt doing any better. Somewhere around 60% of the monitors we got with IBMs were replaced before the warranties were up. We have made up for the cheaper computer prices with lost productivity of employees.

that is why custom building rules. cheaper than dell, and more reliable.

[scorrpio]

So,
Disconnected the data ribbons and rebooted; nope.
Paper clip got em open but still manual only. Nothing in there that would make them stick shut.

I''ve done a couple scans and that hasn't helped either. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I paid for when I bought the Norton anti-virus software. I had to download Ad-Aware Se to clean out the adware junk.

I'll try a safe mode reboot to see if that works but I fear I may need to reinstall Windows (again).

Too bad I did not see this before - but if drives would not open with data cables disconnected, it has nothing to do with Windows. Sometimes system keeps sending read signals, which keeps the tray closed, but with data cable out, drive should obey the eject button.

If the drives seem to have nothing wedged in them, and both seem to have failed at the same time, the prime suspect becomes your power supply.

Here's a test if you have a multimeter: with data cables disconnected, and power cables in, power on the PC. On any unused power connector, check 12V line (between yellow and black), and check 5V (red and black). 5V is the most suspect, cause I believe that is what powers drive eject motors. If 12V was whacked, you'd likely won't be able to boot at all. With meter connected to red and black, see if there is an undervoltage, and if it fluctuates when you press either drive eject button.

Best test is to take these drives to another PC, connect power cable only, power the PC on, and try eject button. If it works there, it definitely is your power supply. Check its wattage. These ready-made systems are often woefully underpowered, and as soon as you push them a little, they go haywire. A friend of mine had 2 unexplicable hard drive failures on his Dell PC. Second drive was a quality Western Digital I installed myself, so it was a shock to see it fail. However, the fact that failure corresponded with connecting a USB-powered scanner immediately caused me to check the PSU - it was a crappy 200W unit which somehow missed my attention before! An average CPU eats around 160-170 Watts all by itself, so it is not recommended to use anything under 300W. Apparently, the scanner drawing power from the USB caused HDD motor abrupt voltage drop and head crash.

All my home-built PCs have high-end 400W+ PSUs by Enermax or Antec. I am yet to see an 'inexplicable component failure' on any of them - even the old Pentium III system I built back in 1999.