|
Visually inspect the drive if the drive is external and if the drive is
internal, check the computer. Check to see if the computer has good ventilation
to help keep it cool. Here are the common dvd problems with their solutions.
DVD DRIVE HAS NO POWER
First..For external drives that have no power, first check to see if anything
or anyone has caused the power cord to become unplugged. Rule out the wall
outlet by plugging in another device such as a radio and see if it plays.
Second...If you've proven the wall outlet to be good, but you still don't
have power, check the surge protector for any signs of damage. If the surge
protector is good, check the cord.
Third..If you're certain the surge protector or wall outlet is providing
power, double check the cord by plugging it in a few times. If no power is
present, you will have to replace the cord or the drive itself.
Internal dvd drives receive their power from the connector from the power
supply. Try another connector to the drive. if the internal dvd drive still does
not receive power after using another connector, the drive is faulty.
DRIVE HAS POWER BUT TRAY WON'T OPEN
You may experience the tray failing to open. Should this happen, press the
button a couple times to see if it will open.If the tray fail to open, reboot
your computer and try to open the tray.
When rebooting the system, notice the monitor to see if the drive is
recognized by the computer. Some systems will not display installed hardware
during boot up. If this is the case, you will have to access your BIOS to check
if the dvd drive is being registered.
You can also try the manual eject button on the drive to get it to open. Use
something very small but firm to press in the pinhole in front of the drive to
open the tray.
Shut the computer off and unplug it. Use something like a long paperclip to
insert in the pinhole to open the tray. The tray may open a couple inches and
you can grab it with your fingers to open it completely.
DRIVE IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS
Be sure the operating system is recognizing the drive by clicking on My
Computer. Windows XP will show "drives with removable storage". If your drive is
present, highlight the drive, right click and select properties. Click on
properties and you should see "this drive is working properly".
If you see another message such as "this drive is not working properly", you
may be able to update the device driver.If the drive is not present in My
computer, reboot the computer and access the cmos setup.
In the cmos setup, the dvd drive should be present. The drive may not be
properly installed or one of the cables have become disconnected if the drive is
missing
If you check the drive cables and are certain they are connected correctly,
it may be that the data cable is faulty and the drive controller may be at
fault. And we can't overlook the fact that the drive itself may be bad.
DRIVE HAS POWER BUT WILL NOT READ DVD
First, try another dvd since a dirty or scratched dvd may not play. If the
new dvd fail to play as well, check to see if the operating system is
recognizing the drive
Click on My Computer and highlight the dvd drive. Right click and select
properties. The statement "This device is working properly" should be present.
If not or you see another message, try to update the device driver.
In the My Computer screen, highlight the dvd drive and select the Properties
screen, select Drivers and then select update device driver.
Another cause may be the Windows Registry is corrupt. You can use software
utilities such as Windows TuneUp to repair
your registry.
To make a backup of your registry with Windows 98, just go to Start, select
Run, enter scanregw and click OK. This will run Scanregw.exe.
Restore your registry in Windows 98 by typing scanreg / restore at the Dos
Prompt.
The dvd drive or writer is an awesome storage and data backup drive. Use it
to the fullest to enjoy music, video, audio and more. Understand everything
about this drive before something goes wrong.
Should your audio die on you, check the dvd to be sure it is not dirty or
damaged. Look at the audio cable for signs of looseness. Inspect this cable to
be sure it is inserted in the connector completely and that is indeed inserted
in the correct connector.
If you have a dvd drive, take the time to visit the support web site and
download the latest device drivers or patches to keep your drive running at peak
performance.
|
