Troubleshooting Optical Drives: George J Adhikari

Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Optical
OpticalDrives
Drives
George J Adhikari
Dell Confidential - Internal Use 1
Optical Drives
Introduction:
Optical drives are the devices that read or write
data to & from the optical disks with the use of Laser. An
optical disk is a storage medium from which data is read &
to which data is written using Lasers. There are three types
of Optical disks.

Types Of Optical Disks
Types Of Optical Disks:
 ROM : CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs come with data already encoded
onto them. The data is permanent and can be read any number of
times, but ROMs cannot be modified.
 WORM : Stands for write-once, read-many. With a WORM disk

drive, you can write data onto a WORM disk, but only once. After
that, the WORM disk behaves just like a ROM.
 Erasable : Optical disks that can be erased and loaded with new
data, just like magnetic disks. These are often referred to as EO
(erasable optical) disks.
Types Of Optical Drives
Types Of Optical Drives:
 CD-ROM :- Compact Disk (Read Only)

 CD+/-R :- Compact Disk-Recordable
 CD+/-RW :- Compact Disk-Rewritable
 DVD-ROM :- Digital Versatile Disc (Read Only)
 DVD+/-R :- Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable
 DVD+/-RW :- Digital Versatile Disk-Rewritable

CD & DVD ROM Drives
CD & DVD ROM Drives :
CD or DVD-ROM drives are a type of disk drive
that can only read data from a CD or a DVD. CDs are
more often used for audio purposes while the DVDs for
videos because of their storage capacity.
These drives however don’t have the capability
to append, erase or write any form of data on to a disk.
They can only serve as a media reading device

CD+/-R & DVD+/-R Drives
CD+/-R & DVD +/-R Drives :
CD+/-R or DVD+/-R drive is a type of disk
drive that can create CD-ROMs & DVD-ROMs Respectively.
This allows users to "master" a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM for
publishing. A feature of many of these drives, called
multisession recording, enables you to keep adding data to a
CD/DVD-ROM over time. To create CD-ROMs or DVD
ROMs, you'll need not only a CD+/-R (or DVD+/-R) drive, but
also a software package. Often, it is the software package, not
the drive itself, that determines how easy or difficult it is to
create CD or DVD-ROMs.

CD+/-RW & DVD +/-RW Drives
CD+/-RW & DVD +/-RW Drives :
This a type of drive that enables you to
write onto it in multiple sessions. One of the problems with
CD+/-R or DVD+/-R drive is that you can only write to
them once. With CD+/-RW or a DVD+/-RW drives and
disks, you can treat the optical disk just like a floppy or
hard disk, writing data onto it multiple times & erasing it
as well. For the drive to erase & write data, it also needs a
supported software & a compatible media as well.

Troubleshooting Optical Drive Issues
Common Issues With Optical Drives :
 Excessive Noise from the Optical Drive
 Drive Not Detected
 Unable To Eject Drive
 Unable To Write To Media

Optical Drive Makes Excessive Noise
1) Optical Drive Makes Excess Noise :
Optical drives may generate various types of
noises when the drive is accessed. This noise should be a
soft whirling noise when the Optical drive is accessed. This
noise should only be generated when the media is accessed.
It is abnormal for an Optical drive to experience any of the
below symptoms.
 No noise
 Clicking during accessing the Media.
 Noises when the Optical Drive is not being accessed.
 If you are exhibiting any of the above issues it is likely that
the Optical drive is defective and it is recommended that it
be replaced.
Optical Drive Not Detected
2) Optical Drive Not Detected :
In case the Optical drive is not detected in the

device manager, then we will follow the following steps…

Step 1: Check if the drive is detected in BIOS :-
Make sure the drive appears in Setup. The drive has to be
detected in the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) before Windows
can see the drive. The hardware-identifying name should appear
next to Secondary Master, Secondary Slave, or Primary Slave.
If the name of the drive exists, skip to step 3. Else continue with
the next step.

Step 2: Reseating the Cables :-
If a drive name does not appear for each drive
and None is listed in the BIOS, open the PC case and reseat
the drive cables.
1-Audio Connector 3-IDE Connector

2-Jumper Settings 4-Power Connector
 Remove both the IDE ribbon cable and the power cable
from the back of the Optical drive.
 Reinsert both cables into the back of the drive making
sure that the cables fit snugly into their connectors and
there are no bent pins in the connectors. Use a different
power cable that is not in use, if possible.
 Remove and reinsert the Optical drive's ribbon cable from
the connector on the motherboard. Be careful to not
dislodge other ribbon cables.
 Replace the cover and plug in the power cord.
 Turn on the PC and re-check to see if the drive is listed in
the BIOS
If the drive is still not recognized in BIOS, then
try a different power cable, & a known good IDE cable. If
a different power cable responds positively, issue might
have been with the power chord. If the IDE cable works,
then it might have been the IDE cable & will have to be
replaced. If drive not recognized despite that, then the
drive has to be replaced.
If the drive name appears in the BIOS, then exit
BIOS & boot to windows normally. If windows recognizes
the drive, you are done. If windows doesn't recognize the
drive, continue to the next step…

Step 3: Checking for the Optical Drive in the
Command Prompt :-
Restart the computer & boot to safe mode with
command prompt. Insert a software disc (or a DVD movie
if the drive is a DVD player) that was purchased from a
store.
 Type the following at the command prompt: diskpart.
 Press Enter, and type the following at the command
prompt: list volume
 Press Enter and look at the list that displays. Note the
drive letter (Ltr) next to the drive that contains the disc.
Contd...

…Contd
 Type Exit and press the Enter key to return to the
command prompt.
 Type the drive letter for the drive that contains the disc
followed by a colon (:).
 Press Enter and type the following at the new command
prompt: dir
 A listing of filenames and folders should appear.
 If the directory on the disk lists, the drive is being
recognized by the PC & is reading normally. Continue to
the next step
 If the directory on the disk does not list, then the issue is
hardware related & the drive has to be replaced.
Step 4: Uninstall any recently added software :-
 Uninstall any recently added soft wares, from the

Add/Remove Programs utility.
 Follow any instructions that appear, & restart the PC if
prompted to. After a software title has been removed,
open “My Computer” & see if the drive is recognized.
 If the drive is not listed, continue removing recently added
software programs and checking My Computer until
Windows recognizes the drive. If the CD or DVD drive
does not appear, go to the next step.

Step 5: Use the system restore :-
Use system restore to go back to a time
when the drive worked. When done, double-click My
Computer to see if the CD or DVD drive appears with the
other drives. Continue to the next Step if the drive does
not appear.
Step 6: Refreshing and/or Installing drivers :-

Delete the drive listed under the device
manager & restart the computer, to refresh the drivers.
Then you may also try deleting the drive listed under the
device manager & then downloading & installing latest
drivers from the Support website.
Step 6: Clearing the Registry filters :-
Clear the registry filters (for Windows XP
and 2000 only). If you do not have Windows XP or 2000,
then try installing drivers from the driver cd & if it still
doesn’t work; replace the drive.
Follow the steps given below to clear the
registry filters…
 Click Start, Run, and type the following into the Open
field: regedit
 Click OK. The registry editor appears.
 In Windows XP, click File, Export, type a filename that is
easy for you to remember, and click Save.
Contd…
…Contd
In Windows 2000, click Registry, Export Registry File,
type a filename that's easy for you to remember, and click
Save. A copy of the registry has saved for back-up
purposes.

 Click the plus sign (+) next to the following items in the
list:
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
 SYSTEM
 CurrentControlSet (or the current control set with lowest
number if that is all that is listed)
 Control
 Class
 Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318.
 Select UpperFilter in the right window and press the
Delete key.

 Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
 Select LowerFilters in the right window and press the
Delete key.
 Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
 Delete all other UpperFilter and LowerFilter values
within the 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318
key.
 Close the registry editor and restart the PC…
Check Device manager & the retort to a

PC Restore as the last option left. If issue still continues,
consult L2 & replace the drive.
Unable To Eject Drive
3) Optical Drive Will Not Eject Normally :
The CD or DVD tray may have to be
manually ejected when the drive loses power, a disc is
inserted wrong, a damaged or scratched disc is used, the
drive fails, or the PC stops responding.
Before you begin …

 Get a paperclip and restart the computer.
Use the following steps, in order, until the door is opened:-

Step 1: Using the keyboard :-
If the keyboard has a CD/DVD Eject
key, press it. The Eject key is usually marked by a triangle
pointing up with a line underneath.
Step 2: Using Windows :-

Double-click My Computer. Right-
click the icon for the CD, CDRW, or DVD drive that is
stuck, and then click Eject. Look At the screen shot…

Step 3: Try Eject In BIOS :-

Restart the PC & boot to the BIOS
screen, and press the eject button in front on the drive
panel. If the drive door opens this way but does not open
in Windows, another software program is taking control
of the CD driver. Try shutting down or configuring any
software programs that create discs or monitor the CD or
DVD drive.

Step 4: Using the manual release hole :-
Close all programs and shut down the PC.
Unplug the power cord from the power outlet. Look for
the small hole on the faceplate of the CD or DVD drive.
This is the manual release. The location of the manual
release hole will vary…

Straighten the paperclip and insert it into
the manual release hole until resistance is felt. Once the
resistance is felt, keep pushing the paper clip until the
drawer opens a little. Remove the paper clip and gently
pull out the drawer until the disc is accessible. Remove
the CD and turn on the PC.
Step 5: Check the Power Connector :-

Turn off the PC. Unplug all power cords
from the back of the PC. Press and release the Power
button on the front of the computer. Remove the side
panel.
Locate the power cord that connects to the back
of the CD or DVD tray that is having the problem. Unplug
the power cable and wait five seconds. Find a different
power cable that is not being used, plug the different
power cable into the back of the drive, making sure that it
fits firmly into the socket. If a different power cable is not
available, re-plug the original power cable into the back
of the drive, making sure that it fits firmly into the socket.

Replace the side panel and plug in the
power cord. Turn on the PC and press the eject button on
the front of the drive. If the optical drive does not have the
manual eject feature or if a disc has shattered inside the
drive, the Optical drive may need to be replaced.
4) Optical Drive Will Not Eject Normally :

Use the steps in this document to
troubleshoot problems that occur while trying to create
music or data discs with your CDRW or DVD+RW drive.
Before continuing make sure that the disc you are trying
to burn with is high quality and matches the drive
capabilities. If you are unsure, use CD-R type.
Unable To Write To Media
If the disc already contains data, set it
aside and use a new CD-R or CD-RW disc. Use the
following steps if the writable drive is still unable to write
data to a writable disc. Try writing to a CD after
completing each step to see if the problem is resolved.
Step 1: Check the Device Manager :-

 In Windows XP, click Start, and right-click My Computer.
Select Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click
the Device Manager button.
 In Windows 98 and Me, right-click My Computer. Select
Properties, and click the Device Manager tab.
Click the plus sign ( +) next to
DVD/CD-ROM Drives (or similar) category.

If the CD or DVD drive is not
showing up in Device Manager, close Device Manager
& follow the troubleshooting steps listed in earlier
slides for the issue “Drive Not Detected”. If the CD or
DVD drive is listed, continue using the following steps
to troubleshoot.
Step 2: Reduce the Burning Speed :-

Decrease the CD writer's burn speed
by half. decrease the write speed from within the
software that you are using to write discs (Ex-Sonic
RecordNow, Roxio Easy CD Creator etc…).
If Using Windows XP; then use the

following steps…
 Click Start, and then My
Computer.
 Right-click the drive icon, and
select Properties.
 Select the Recording tab and
reduce the Current Write Speed
by half (for example, from 16x
to 8x).
 Click OK and close the My
Computer window.

Try writing to a CD. If the drive fails to
create the CD, go to the next step.
Step 3: Enable Recording In XP :-

If you are using Windows XP and you are
trying to use the drag-and-drop burning capabilities of
Windows XP (not other burning software like
RecordNow or Easy CD Creator), use the following
steps to ensure that native burning is enabled:

If you had to enable

recording, try writing to a CD by dragging and
dropping files into the writable disc's open Window. If
the drive fails to create the CD, go to the next step.
Step 4: Enable DLA if DLA is available :-
If you are using DLA to create discs
(not other burning software like RecordNow or Easy
CD Creator), use the following steps to ensure that
DLA is enabled:
 Place a blank disc into the drive.Click Start, and
then My Computer.
 Right-click the writable drive icon, and select
Properties.
 Click the DLA tab and select Enable DLA on your
drives.
Note : DLA and Windows XP drag-and-drop burning
cannot both be enabled at the same time, and only one
writeable optical drive can be enabled to use DLA.
 Double-click My Computer and right-click the drive
icon containing the disc that is enabled for DLA.
 Select Format and fill out the drive label name.
 Click Start on the Window that is open.
Once finished, the disc can be used to write
files to it. Try writing files to the disc by dragging and
dropping files into the open window for the disc. If the
drive fails to create the CD, go to the next step.
Note : If you want a CD-R or DVD+RW that you created to
play in another computer, use the make compatible
feature of DLA. With the disc in the drive, right-click
the drive icon in My Computer, select Make
Compatible and follow the information on the windows
that appear.
Ensure that the disc you created can
work in other drives. Remove any disc that you created
and place them into a different CD or DVD drive and
try to open the files on the disc. What happens?
 If the files can be read from a different drive, then
the disc is not bad. You are done.
 If the files cannot be read in another drive, ensure
that the type of disc that is being used matches the
work you are performing (for example, a CD-R is
not being rewritten to, or being formatted as if it was
a CD-RW).
 If the files cannot be read in another drive, ensure
that you are using the CD writing software that
came with the computer.
 If the files cannot be read in another drive, use a
new disc that it is not scratched or dirty and try
creating the disc again.
 If the files cannot be read in another drive, use a
new disc that is from a different brand or
manufacturer and try creating the disc again.
If you still cannot create a disc that can be
read in another drive, go to the next step.
Step 5: Reseating the Drive Cables :-

Reseat the drive cables as mentioned in
Step 2 for the issue Optical drive not detected. Then, try
creating a disc again. If you still cannot create a disc
that can be read in another drive, go to the next step.
Step 5: Refreshing Drivers :-
 Open Device Manager and select the CD Drive
name.
 Click the Uninstall or Remove button (in Windows
XP this is the square button with a red X).
 Click Yes or OK to remove the CD listing. Do not
restart the computer.
 Close Device Manager.
 If your computer has Windows XP or 2000, go to the
next step without restarting the computer.
If your computer has Windows 98 or
Me, restart the computer and skip the next step (clear
the registry files).
Step 6: Clearing Registry Filters :-
 Click Start, Run, and type the following into the
Open field: regedit
 Click OK. The registry editor appears.
 In Windows XP, click File, Export, type a filename
that is easy for you to remember, and click Save.
A copy of the registry has been saved for back-up purposes.
Now browse to the following address in the registry…
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlS
et/Control/Class
Select 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-
08002BE10318.Select Upper Filter in the right window and
press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes. Select
Lower Filters in the right window and press the Delete key.
Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes. Close the registry editor,
restart the computer, and wait until Windows configures the
necessary drivers for new hardware.
Try creating a disc again. If you still
cannot create a disc that can be read in another
drive, go to the next step.
Step 7: Use System Restore :-

Use system restore to go back to a
time when the drive was recognized by Windows. This
step is applicable only for Windows Me and XP.
When done, use the CD or DVD
drive again to see if it works. If it works, you are done.
If it does not, go to the next step.
If, after you have tried all these
steps, the drive still cannot read commercial disc, the
drive is probably bad and should be replaced.
Thank
You
Author: “ George J Adhikari”


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Troubleshooting

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 2

 WORM : Stands for write-once, read-many. With a WORM disk

Types Of Optical Drives:

 CD-ROM :- Compact Disk (Read Only)

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 4

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 5

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 6

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 7

Common Issues With Optical Drives :

 Excessive Noise from the Optical Drive

 Drive Not Detected

 Unable To Eject Drive

 Unable To Write To Media

In case the Optical drive is not detected in the

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 10

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 11

1-Audio Connector 3-IDE Connector

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 14

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 15

 Uninstall any recently added soft wares, from the

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 17

Step 6: Refreshing and/or Installing drivers :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 20

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 21

Check Device manager & the retort to a

Before you begin …

Use the following steps, in order, until the door is opened:-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 23

Step 2: Using Windows :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 25

Step 3: Try Eject In BIOS :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 26

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 27

Step 5: Check the Power Connector :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 29

4) Optical Drive Will Not Eject Normally :

Step 1: Check the Device Manager :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 32

Step 2: Reduce the Burning Speed :-

If Using Windows XP; then use the

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 34

Step 3: Enable Recording In XP :-

Dell Confidential - Internal Use 35

If you had to enable

Step 5: Reseating the Drive Cables :-

Step 7: Use System Restore :-

Author: “ George J Adhikari”

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