Trouble with DVD drive.

[jake_]

So I'm trying to reinstall Windows and I just discovered that my dvd drive, which I haven't used in ages, does not read discs. I still shows up in the BIOS and in Windows, but it doesn't recognize any disc and I've tried a few.

I had a problem just like this ages ago, tried replacing the drive, still had the problem and ended up fixing it somehow by changing one of the settings in the BIOS, but I've gone through everything I can possibly think of and searched a lot on google for answers and haven't found anything to help.


It's an IDE drive and I have an Asus P5K-deluxue mobo.

Any suggestions?

[Vreki]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Check cabling and use a DVD cleaner?
Swich between master/slave and cable select?

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

I had an issue with an Asus P5E motherboard where I had to install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software before it would work in Windows. If your motherboard is an intel chipset you can get that software from Intel.

In my case though, the drive would not read in Windows but did during bootup. I was able to install the OS at the time and even install software, but when the software needed the disc, it would not work.

If a boot disc doesnt work, I would follow Vreki's ideas first.

Crunch

[jake_]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Yeah. I can't boot from the disc, so I'll try switching things around.

If not I think I'll just go get a sata drive anyway (a friend has one he'll sell me for $10)

Edit: Yeah.. no dice. Still not working. I think I'll just have to get a new drive. Hopefully it will work then. :/

[[Expletive Deleted]]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

You may have to check to see if it's in PIO or DMA mode. You should be able to see that in your BIOS, as well as Device Manager.
From what I remember, PIO is more compatible (and useful for troubleshooting), while DMA modes are faster.

You could also try this:

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/cd_dvd_drive_problems/en-us

[DunkinSPE]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

You wouldn't happen to have a USB to IDE/Sata Cable kit for checking disk drives? If you have one and it isn't working properly on the test kit w/ proper drivers installed the drive just may be dead.

I actually remember working on a mobo i had where an IDE connector on the mainboard went bad and i luckily had a IDE controller card i could set up and was able to run the device on a RAID setup.

If your mobo has on-board SATA connections but you aren't using them you may want to disable or move them to last in boot order. My most recent ASUS mobo really hated the fact that i had both IDE (old CD-Rs) and SATA devices connected when i was doing a clean install. I literally had to disconnect almost all the IDE devices with the exception of the floppy drive and install with just SATA devices connected. Then had to go back and add the IDE devices. For some reason I remember the bios on the board had additional setting for SATA buried under another menu that wasn't really explained. Possibly additional chipset features.

That's all i got for now.

[jake_]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Well it isn't a broken drive, since I just tried using another drive that my dad brought from his work and the same problem. It shows up in windows and the BIOS but still doesn't read discs.

I'll go about trying other things now, then.

[LunaTiK TunaLiK]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Is this a laptop? Desktop? never mind I see the mobo..

[jake_]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Just updated the BIOS.... and an audio disc works... but my Windows disc doesn't! ugh

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

How is it setup with the IDE devices? Is it slave? CS? Master and only thing on IDE? Does it have a HDD with it on the IDE cable?

This was years ago, but a Western Digital hard drive set at Cable Select would mess up a drive set as Slave on the same cable. Actually removing the jumper would fix that issue.

Crunch

[jake_]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

I do have another HDD on the same cable, but I've tried master, slave, and cable select. I finally got the disc to work, but the install failed... and the drive made a lot of funny noises while trying to read the disc/was very slow to load. So I think it was a BIOS config problem, but also my drive is bad. I'll give that other drive I have a whirl today, but it's not a DVD drive (yes, it's that old) so I'll just have to get a new drive regardless.

I wash my hands of IDE. :p

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

IDE is so late 90s .

[jake_]

Re: Trouble with DVD drive.

Plugged in my SATA drive yesterday and not a single problem. :awes