Re: CD/DVD stopped working on laptop. Samsung cdrw/dvd sn-324f. Linux or Windows XP
- From: Ed Cregger <ecregger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 06:37:49 -0400
default@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:23:22 -0700,
in alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Clive <clive_long@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
:Hello,
:
: I have a "generic" laptop (no brand name except "laptop") that I
:have used to run Windows XP or Fedora (3,4 or 5) Linux for about 4
:years. About a month ago the DVD/CD (samsung cdrw/dvd sn-324f) just
:stopped working. Prior to that I never had problems with the device
:either reading CDs or DVD or burning CDs under Windows XP or Fedora
:Linux.
:
:The drive is visible under both Linux and Windows file managers. I can
:load and eject CDs and DVDs. However, when I click on the icon for the
:device, the light flashes on the unit and the laptop disk light
:flashes - indicating the machine is trying to read the disk.
:
:Eventually Linux indicates error message "Unable to mount Media. There
:is probably no media in the drive".
:Opening the icon for the CD/DVD under Win XP File Manager no error
:message is given but the window that should show the files is empty -
:for any format of disk, DVD, CD containing Windows XP, CD containing
:data files in FAT32 format etc.
:
:Under Windows XP, Hardware Manager says the device is "working
:properly".
:
:If I try to boot the machine from CD with a "memtest" boot program,
:the LED on the CD drive and the disk activity light on the laptop just
:flashes but the machine does not boot - when CDROM is set higher than
:Hard Disk in the BIOS boot sequence..
:
:So, do you think it is worthwhile trying to buy a replacement CD/DVD
:(if I can find one) or may the problem be elsewhere on the motherboard
:and I should think about an external / USB CD/DVD ?
:
:Thanks
:
:Clive
You might try taking it apart and seeing if the laser carriage is
stuck in place or is blocked by crud and can't make it's full travel.
You can use a small blade screwdriver or a toothpick to turn the
carriage's worm drive gears and move the carriage back and forth. I'd
leave the carriage at the halfway point when you put it back together.
This would be a wonderful time to blow the dust out and take a Q-Tip
and re-lube the laser carriage rails and the worm screw. Most of the
time there's a blob or two of grease that's been wiped to the ends of
the rails by the carriage movement. A Q-Tip makes a great grease
brush.
--------------
You beat me to it.
I was going to suggest buying a can of compressed air, opening the drive door and spraying liberally inside of the drive. I have had this move dust balls sufficiently to restore my CDROM/DVDROM drives for a year or two, when I do the same thing again if the drive begins acting quirky or non responsive. This also works with audio CD players and TiVo boxes.
Unfortunately, a non responsive CDROM/DVDROM is also a symptom saying that your operating system is due for a reload. Out of all my years of computing and messing with various optical drives, I've only had one that truly malfunctioned and needed replacement. The rest were cured with the can of compressed air, or, if that failed, reloading the operating system. XP is particularly prone to this type of failure, but try the compressed air first and repeat it if the first one or two applications do not yield satisfactory results.
Oops, I said it anyway. <G>
Ed Cregger
.
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