CD-Rom

I am working on someones computer and they have a cd-rom problem. It is a Gateway 233 computer. It has it's 2nd or 3rd cd-rom in it.

When I put a cd in, it cd does spin for a second or two and that is it. I took the cd-rom apart and insterted the disk again. It does spin and the laser seems to go across the cd but then stops.

What could cause this? Any ideas? Does this person just have bad luck with bad cd-rom drives?

I did clean the laser head, but still nothing.

-or

do i need to get a new one?

Thanks.

Nick

 

Sorry but...

That's a classic symptom of hardware failure. When the laser isn't able to detect any data traveling past its point of focus, the logic board shuts down the drive motor. Either the laser has failed or the support circuitry has failed. Either way you're off to the store. I think you should check out the modus operandi of the responsible party and make sure they aren't putting peanut butter sandwiches in there. Don't laugh, I had a friend that put a diskette in his cd tray. No, it didn't work, neither did his drive afterwards.

Good luck

btw, I'm assuming the drive shows up in My Computer, correct?

 

Yup...it shows up in 'My Computer'.

NP...cd-roms are cheap.

Thanks for your help!

Nick