DVD drive not working

Hello,

I have a Sony DDU1612 (not 1621) dvd drive that has quit working. It got progressively worse. At first it would not read dvd games and movies, but would still read cd games, data cds and audio cds. Then it quit reading all but audio cds. Now it won't read anything. When you put the disk in, it spins and the light flashes on and off for a few minutes, but that is it. If you click on the drive in My Computer it says "Please insert a disk into drive F..." even though there is already a disk in there.

I have tried updating the driver (it has the newest one), setting the media types to default, doing the Windows CD/DVD Troubleshooter, uninstalling the drive, unplugging it and letting Windows redetect. It does not show any problems in Device Manager. The drive is only 4 months old, so hopefully it isn't just dead. It was only $25, but still. My other dvd drive (a TDK burner) works fine.

Any ideas? Someone suggested updating the firmware for the drive, but I am nervous about ding that. If the formware did mess thigns up, would it just mess up the (already not working) drive or could it potentially mess up the whole computer? I have never flashed anything before, so I am a bit nervous about doing so. I have download MTKflash as well as the firmware file, but would like some advice before trying it.

Thank you!

Jen

Intel D865PERL mobo
2.8 ghz Pentium 4
1024 ram
Nvidia GeForce X5900XT 256mb
SoundBlaster Audigy 2
320GB hard drive (2x 160GB)
Windows XP Pro SP1
also have a TDK 880N dvd burner

 

Um I think it is dead.

I think that the drive is dead. Flashing the drive normally only gives you some new media format reading and writing capability. Since the drive started out fine and progressively (spelling?) got worse I think the drive is dead. It sounds like a lazer is dirty or damaged. You might want to get one of the lens cleaning disks to see if that helps.

 

Hi, welcome to the BBS if noone has stated it yet.

It does sound like the drive is "gone ". Lens cleaner may be worth a try.

I would try a firmware update, couldn't hurt if there are no other possibilities. A firmware flash is pretty simple, main problem is if the program is stopped for some reason (eg power failure) and double-check it is for your model. Flashing may sound ominous, but it just needs caution and adhering to the instructions. We all have to start somewhere. Sounds like you are a cautious type, just follow the instructions. (It will also give you a lead-in to flashing a BIOS, which has been survived by many )

To completely rule out drivers and a problem with the computer itself, try running it on another machine.

Matt