dvd drive won't read CDs

[Comandante]

the dvd drive in my laptop doesn't want to read CDs anymore, it only reads DVDs. does anyone know what could be the problem here?

[Callipygous]

since you said "anymore" im guessing it used to be doing it just fine. did you install anything recently? itunes? realplayer? my mother had a problem where she installed some program like that (a program that deals with playing or burning cds or dvds) and it conflicted with the stuff that was already installed for your cd player.

 

you might be able to just update the drivers or something but what she had to do is have tech support walk her through deleting and replacing registry keys : P

[Dak]

speaking of updating drivers: have you done that lately, or accepted any of the hardware updates from the microsoft update service (i believe that they are drivers).

 

played any new CDs bought from sony? anything else atall that might seem relevant?

 

just clutching at straws here.

 

You could try going to start > settings > control pannel, double-clicking on system, and going to hardware > device manager.

 

do any of the devices have a little ! in a yellow circle by them?

[Comandante]

Yes, everything has worked fine a month ago and I don't remember installing any new hardware or software. I tried original DVDs and they work. I tried original CDs and they don't. I also tried playing CDs which I burned some time ago and they don't work either. I don't know what the heck is the problem.

 

In the system settings and device manager everything looks clean and good. No errors reported by win (xp pro).

 

I was having a similar problem before on my desktop pc, but the problem was that the dvd rom couldn't read dvd's but only cd's, where the problem was the laser or something with it rather, so I thought this would be something similar of a problem but it looks like it's not.

 

I have not had much time to check it out but I will tomorrow. If you have any 'list' of suggestions I'd be thankful.

 

Registry keys sound like a reasonable solution so I will first look into that, after I give google a few shots of course. I really need to get this dvd rom working again.

[5614]

What kind of DVD drive is this? Like what does it do? e.g. mine reads/writes CDs and reads/writes DVDs... what is yours meant to do, what does it do?

 

And this is a reading problem only... not a writing problem?

 

If it is a hardware error then it's going to be kinda hard finding the fault... because everything will be setup right on the computer and it just wont work.

[Comandante]

this is Toshiba (manufactured for Dell), black, DVD-ROM that reads (used to!) both DVDs and CDs. It can't burn.

 

I tried couple of things, including fine cleaning the laser, but nothing helped. It only reads DVD movies that I have got here in arsenal. Perhaps I should try some data DVDs and see what happens? Might be a good idea, I just need to find a data DVD!

[Dak]

Hmm.. as far as I can tell, toshiba CD/DVD ROMs (might) rely on the program TCDPlay.drv being set to start on system boot in order to function correctly.¹

 

go to start > run, and type in msconfig

 

click on the 'startup' tab, and check wether or not the TCDPlay entry is there with a tick next to it.

[Comandante]

TCDPlay isn't there at all. You think I should try it, won't cause any harm?

 

ps. by the way, that site says "Found on a Toshiba laptop" but my laptop isn't toshiba, it's dell, will this make a difference even though the dvd rom is toshiba?

[Dak]

hmm... if its not there atall, then i assume its never been set to automatically start when your computer logs on; and as your dvd drive used to work, i suppose TCDPlay isn't actually required.

 

i suppose you could try going to start > search > for files and folders, and having a search for TCDPlay.drv, and mannually starting it if its there, and seeing if that will make your computer play cds... but i doubt thats the problem tbh (cant see it hurting to try tho).

 

do you get this problem with both data CDs and audio CDs?

 

What exactly happens when you try to read CDs? do you hear the wirr of the drive spinning? what does the drive icon in 'my computer' say (ie, does it look empty, or does it come up with the name of the CD)? and, if you double-click the drive icon, does it come up with an error message, or just display an empty window?

 

ps. by the way, that site says "Found on a Toshiba laptop" but my laptop isn't toshiba, it's dell, will this make a difference even though the dvd rom is toshiba?

Im assuming that file has only been submitted to that database once, and the one time it was submitted it had been 'found on a toshiba laptop' -- tbh im not sure wether it's to do with toshiba laptops or toshiba CD/DVD drives, or even if its nessesary for proper functioning.

[Comandante]

tcdplay wasn't found.

 

when i insert data cd, the dvdrom sounds , initially, as though it's going to read it and then suddenly stops and starts again, and so on for 3-4 times and stops for good. then when i go to my computer and click on dvd rom drive i get the error message:

 

"Windows cannot read from the disk. The disk might be corrupted, or it could be using a format that is not compatible with Windows." (Exclamation mark icon - Disk not formatted title)

 

:S

 

ps. can't find an audio cd , ill try tomorrow

[Dak]

OK, just to eliminate an obviouse cause, can you confirm that you've tried quite a few different cds, ie enough to be sure that the cd's that your trying to play arent actually corrupted.

 

Otherwize, i personally dont know what the problem is, but i believe the error message will be enough info for someone else to figure it out (codec, anyone?)

[Comandante]

yes, i have tried 10 different CDs which I double checked on another CDrom and they worked, while on my damned dvdrom they didnt.

 

i did notice one thing tho, at one point, with one particular cd, the dvd rom sounded like it almost got it, but then miserably failed again.

 

could you at least tell me if i should seek further assistance in fixing this or should i spend some money and get another one? (if i could at least try it on another laptop ...)

[Dak]

most computer problems are to do with software... hardware faults are actually quite rare, so chanses are good that you wont need to splash out to fix this problem.

 

My advise would be to wait untill someone else comes along with another suggestion... even tho I dont know what the error message meant, im pretty sure that its enough for someone more knowledgable in this area to start diagnosing/fixing properly.

 

hmm... do you have a bootable CD, like the windows install disk? If im understanding this correctly, booting from a disk and loading a disk from within windows use completely different drivers, so trying to boot from a CD might indicate wether or not its a software or hardware fault.

 

I tried couple of things, including fine cleaning the laser,

 

How did you clean the optic? I believe that some DVD/CD drives have two optics... if you used an optic-cleaning-disk, you might have to do something to make sure that its trying to read it with the CD lense, so that the CD lense actually gets cleaned... not sure how youd do that tho... maybe check that its an optic-cleaning CD as opposed to an optic-cleaning DVD.

[Comandante]

very interesting, i didn't know there was another crystal in there, actually i dont think there is because when i open it, the cds and dvds are placed so that the reading surface is positioned down (as usual), exactly above the laser, and there apppears to be only one (it's easily accessible because when the disk tray is open the laser is at the bottom of it, if you know what i mean). I don't think there is another one inside but I will have a look.

 

I'll do as you say, I'll wait some time, maybe I figure it out somehow too. That's a good point with bootable disk, I will try that tomorrow, now I got to go somewhere. Thanks so far

[5614]

That booting off a CD is a good idea, nice one Dak.

 

Otherwise; Sysco, you asked whether you should buy a new one... well if your laptop is still under guarantee then you could always try to see if you can get it fixed/replaced free of charge!

 

A few tests you can try:

 

1) Can you burn data to a CD?

2) Can you read a music CD if you open it through Windows Media Player?

3) Does it work in safe mode?

 

If you answer 'yes' 'yes' 'no' then you seem to have the same problem that I found on the net, apparently it's caused by anti-virus! See here:

http://forum.grisoft.cz/freeforum/read.php?2,42011,backpage=7,sv=

[Comandante]

wow! that last thing you said 5614 triggered me. i do actually have free antivirus , the same one they're talking about it, so i think there may have been a problem... i hope!.

 

as for the trials i still didnt have proper time but will do tomorrow, or later today. i did try 1 thing tho, i tried data dvd and it worked just fine. (previously i only tried movies), so... ill try the boot thing tomorrow and then check that forum thing, which looks like the best hit so far. thx.

[5614]

Lets hope it works!

 

The trick is to search for the error message word for word. So I quite literally copied and pasted the whole of your error message into the google search box, ran a search and looked for related/useful results.

[Comandante]

ok, i did some tests, and i have good and bad news.

 

the bad news is that i got negatives for all 3 of your questions/tests:

as for 1), its only a dvd rom, it can't burn

for 2) no, it can't read audio cd's

and 3) no, it does not work in safe mode

 

also, i did not have valid bootable disk as my winxp pro is a copy (apparently copied xppro can't boot up, im not so sure but it didnt work on friends' desktop pc soo.. i guess it won't work on my laptop, i did try it of course but it didnt work so i can't really give any diagnosis on that, it'd be unreliable) and i dont think anyone of my friends around here, at the moment, dont have it. but when i put it in (the copied one), i noticed that it did wait a couple of minutes, the boot screen, but then just proceeded on with normal startup.

 

ok, the good news

i went to that forum where the guy installed AVG but i didnt find the registry entry they suggested. i then uninstalled AVG and when rebooted i found out that a couple of old problems had gone, including the fact that my touch pad now works! didn't realise it was AVG causing the problem, thought it was hardware fault, but looking at it right now it looks almost certainly that the problem was in AVG. the touchpad keys now work so i'm portable again!

 

so... what do we do now? im happy that at least i've got one problem down, i actually asked about this problem with the touchpad on one of the forums, can't quite remember which, but nobody was able to help me and i decided to take my laptop to technicians, but didnt do it since then, didnt have time, and now i dont have to so, its good.

 

ps. yeah, the trick was nice! im just wondering why didnt i do that! very good. having said that i will keep on looking through google, in the meantime ill also jump back here to see whats the next proposal

[Dak]

nice find on the AVG/cd rom issue 5614.

 

RE: the antivirus & touchpad: thats odd... never heard of AVG doing that before

 

i dont mind trying to help you get AVG and your touch pad to work at the same time if youd prefer, but an easyer solution might be to leave AVG uninstalled and replace it with Avast!.

 

RE: the drive. if one of your friends has a cd burner, you could try downloading and burning the ultimate boot cd and seeing if that will boot on your computer.

 

if not... id start to suspect that its a hardware fault.

[Comandante]

thanks Dak, I do not want to hear about AVG anymore, it has caused me enough problems, my computer came back to life today and I have abandoned my plans of formatting! I will get whatever you have to offer for antivirus, if that be Avast I'll have it.

 

Very nice ultimate boot cd thing, never heard of it but whoever made it was a hell of a good idea. We'll burn it on as soon as possible and I'll report back.

[5614]

I had AVG once but I didn't like the user interface so dumped it in about 10 mins (I think I went through about 10 AVs in that one day seeing which one I most preferred).

 

I'd definately recommend Avast.

 

And Sysco, I don't blame people for not knowing why your touch pad wasn't working... I never would have suggested it was your AV, although I might have said 'what programs did you last instal?' who would blame an AV for that?!?

 

By the way, what firewall are you using Sysco?

 

Dak: Thanks for the website about the ultimate boot CD, I've never heard of it and it looks useful.

 

If you click on all of the individual links or just go to the main download part seemingly the CD works for Windows, why then does it give that link at the top of the page for the "Windows version of the Ultimate Boot CD"???

[Dak]

Yes, very nice tool... recently managed to distroy my MBR and all of my bootsectors, and managed to fix my hdd and windows install with the UBCD.

 

Note, though, that some of the tools are 'free trial' versions, and have limited functionality.

 

UBCD isnt actually for windows, its has its own operating-system (FreeDOS, iirc), and does complicated low-level stuff like tinkering with your BIOS and hdd... nothing thats directly to do with your operating system.

 

i believe that the 'windows' UBCD has some tools on it that are specific to the windows operating system, like the root-kit tool. Root-kits can be undetectable from within windows, but could be spotted by a correctly desighned tool running indipendantly from the infected OS (from FreeDOS, for example)... i doubt that a rootkit detector desighned for windows would work on a linux distro, and the other tools are presumably desighned specifically for tinkering with windows OSs without actually loading the windows OS.

[NeonBlack]

It's definately possible that you have a hardware problem. My playstation would read CD's but not DVD's. I tried diagnostic and cleaning the laser, everything. As a last resort, I had to adjust the position of the laser and now it works just fine.

Something I think you should consider, since it looks like you've tried just about everything else.

[torgudan]

How did you adjust that?