DVD-RW drive does not recognize DVD's

[Michael Marshall]

The drive in particular is a Sony DRU-800A, with latest firmware installed.

I realise that this is far longer than I intended it to be, so here the jist of it for those who dont like to read yet may know how to help me:
DVD-RW does not play DVD's, will run most CD's and still burns them. Using latest update of Nero 6 that came with DVD drive. Makes unhealthy noises and refuses to return dvd's that are inserted if they have any media on them. Ignores blank DVD's. Set to Slave. Master is the drive that came with the computer, it eats CD's. Need help, if nessicary to replace DVD drive, willing to take suggestions. Suggestions for destroying current dvd drive also helpfull. Mike smash.

I've no idea when the driver ceased to read DVD's, as most programs (All right, thier mainly games) I use are on CD media. As such, when I tried to play a game i purchased on a DvD, A pecular thing happend. Firstly, the drive seemed to be doing nothing, then began to spin up slightly... then stopped... then spin up again... then stopped... then it began to spin up, and for the briefest moment, sounded as though it was going to run the program. Then an unhealthy sudden stop, followed by a grinding sound emeniated from the drive. This was followed by the drive quickly spinning up and slowing down. This went on for about 30 minutes, which also had the effect of making my computer run at an ungodly slow rate. Having had enough, I shut down the PC and manual ejected to disk.

Since this point, I have installed the copy of nero that came with the DvD drive, have consulted the various manuals and trouble shooting tips that came with the Drive, gazed in anger at the expired warranty that came with it, and even more anger at the expired Futurshop warrenty. I am using Windows XP service pack two. I know the problem is not with the DVD as I have tested it on my laptop. The drive has no problems running or burning cd's, which it does quite happily, except for a Diablo 2 play disk, which it violently spins and stops for about 30 seconds before running, and the 2 install disk of WoW BC which it refuses to run.

Drive is currently set as Slave, setting it to master and the drive that came with the pc as slave changed nothing. The CD-RW that came with the computer is unusable, since it has a nasty habit of somehow causeing emense damage to any cd that enters it. For some reason, the drivers will not update, and are using default windows drivers (Which display the cryptic "Last updated "03/07/2001" Despite the fact I purshased this computer in 2003, and the dvd-rw in 2005 when the CD-RW desided to kill my copy of Dues EX). Any DVD i place in the drive with media stored on them causes the drive to go into a spinup spin down cycle, and has to be retrieved my manualy ejecting the drive, blank DVD's do a spinup, then violent stop cycle for about 30 seconds before the it is deamed there is nothing in the drive (Brand new Sony Dual Layers too). Again to make sure there was no problem with the DVD's, I used my laptop to check them, where it happily used them to create backup disks.

Having spent 3 hours locating the manuals and software disks, Going both to the Nero sight for updates to the software and the sony customer support page for firmware downloads and other such things has gleaned me nothing. Checking the microsoft site basicaly told me to upgrade to vista, but I have no urge to buy another copy of vista for a computer who's DVD drive may be broken, which doesnt explain why it still plays CD's.

Also I installed the drive myself, and it worked, happily copying DVD's for... backup purposes. As well as storing Family videos and other such things. I am greatly in need of help. I really am sorry for how long this has gotten, mostly the built up frustration of 2 days spilling out (Have tried most of the suggestions on Microsofts trouble shooting, all of which failed, one of which cause both my Cd and DVD rom drives to eject and retract thier trays repeatedly until the fix was reversed.)

[Platypus]

Welcome to WinDrivers, Michael.

To save a lot of hassle, the quickest way to find out what is going on is to try to boot the computer up from a bootable DVD. This eliminates all the Windows side of things, and finds out if the drive can actually read a DVD at all. The symptoms you're getting are very characteristic of the drive being physically unable to read the disks. Usually this is due to the DVD section of the dual laser failing, although a somewhat dirty laser lens could perhaps have the same effect but still allow CDs to be read.

If you don't have any bootable DVDs, you could probably borrow or otherwise find a Linux Live DVD - many computer magazine's cover DVDs are a bootable Live disk. It doesn't really matter what it is, you're not going to use it, just see if the drive can read & boot from it. You'd need to make sure the drive is set to boot from as the first boot device in the CMOS setup. If the drive can't boot from DVD, but can boot from a CD like the Windows setup CD, and the laser lens is clean, then the DVD portion of the drive is a dud.

[Michael Marshall]

Ok, I used a lens cleaner CD, no change, still doesnt read DVD media. I have tried having it boot from my Vista DVD boot disk (Since im not actually installing it, I dont have to get another lisence for it), again no change. Im assuming that my DVD drive is broken and that a new one is needed?

[Zerotech]

Michael,

Have you tried this one?
Run regedit,

find this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

Delete the upper and lower filter entries,

Close regedit,

Go to Device Manager and uninstall the CD & DVD drives,

Reboot the PC and let Windows re-find the drives.

Also make sure the latest motherboard chipset drivers are installed.
Hope this helps.

[slgrieb]

Sorry, won't help because a Registry issue isn't going to prevent the machine booting from a bootable DVD. Platypus got it right and the drive is bad.

[Michael Marshall]

Awh phewy. Any suggestions for a new one?

[slgrieb]

I'm mostly buying and selling Asus right now. The drives use Pioneer innards, and Pioneer's own brand is good too. My recent experiences with LiteOn, Sony/NEC, and Phillips haven't been good.