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Notices, Help With Problems and Your Forum Ideas... => Computer Help => Topic started by: Graham63 on December 25, 2020, 08:24:51 PM

Title: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Graham63 on December 25, 2020, 08:24:51 PM
I have recently tried to play a disc on my laptop, and I get nothing. The troubleshooting thing says a driver problem but it doesn't fix it , could  the learned gentlemen please advise one of those computer simpletons of some way of fixing it. Thank you Graham
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Bealman on December 25, 2020, 08:31:30 PM
May I ask what the disc is, please?

I have some old computer games and some video discs that won't play.

Is it just the one disc that won't work, or every disc?
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Graham63 on December 25, 2020, 08:35:19 PM
Good Evening, I've tried a BRM freebie dvd and an N gauge society magazine disc. Thanks Graham
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Bealman on December 25, 2020, 09:19:00 PM
I didn't know the NGS had ever put out a disc.  :hmmm:

Hopefully one of our true computer gurus will be along soon!
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Graham63 on December 25, 2020, 09:22:43 PM
It's one of the annual compilations of the journal so not a dvd as such. Graham
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: themadhippy on December 25, 2020, 10:20:34 PM
The drive  hasnt been locked to a certain region?
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Railwaygun on December 26, 2020, 12:40:22 AM
Does it play an audio cd ( should play even if the drive has been locked for DVD a region)
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: Lawrence on December 26, 2020, 07:59:42 AM
What version of Windows are you running @Graham63 (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=1323)
If you open file explorer does it show the contents of the disk? There may be no auto run and you will have to manually open files or run the program
If you open device manager and select the DVD drive, remove the driver then reinstall a new one from t'internet, should automatically pick up the right one for your drive
Title: Re: Lap top Disc Drive
Post by: N_GaugeModeller on December 26, 2020, 08:19:28 AM
Can it play ordinary dvd videos if you have any, some magazine DVD's are not proper DVD's so don't always play in all drives. BRM discs are like that and often don't even play in a proper dvd player.

NGM
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Graham63 on December 27, 2020, 07:36:56 PM
Good Evening, Thank you for the advice I have just tried Eric Clapton life in 12 bars and got absolutely nothing , it seems the computer doesn't realise it has a disc drive . Graham
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: N_GaugeModeller on December 27, 2020, 08:19:03 PM
Sounds like the drive has failed, normally an easy fix, one screw and a replacement of eBay.

Silly question, are you sure its a DVD drive and not just a CD drive, does it play music CDs if you have any.
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Malc on December 31, 2020, 04:01:00 PM
Do you hear the drive spin up when you insert a disk? If you are using Windows, go to the control panel and look at the branch that says drives. Check to see if windows has it listed.
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Graham63 on December 31, 2020, 07:57:31 PM
Thank you Gentlemen, It is a dvd player, and it doesn't show up on the control panel bit. Also it does sound as if it starts up when a disc is put in. My Brilliant Granddaughter says she has a separate dvd player I can try. A Happy New Year to everybody. Graham
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Railwaygun on January 01, 2021, 12:37:46 AM
A USB external drive would be the easiest solution

https://www.amazon.co.uk/usb-dvd-player/s?k=usb+dvd+player (https://www.amazon.co.uk/usb-dvd-player/s?k=usb+dvd+player)





Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: N_GaugeModeller on January 01, 2021, 09:09:49 AM
Or just get a replacement drive of eBay, most laptop drives are only held in with one screw and the drive just pops out, no disassembly needed, assuming it's not an Apple, but then again Apple IIRC have not fitted DVD drives for years now, so it unlikely to be one of those heaps of Sh** designed from the ground up to be unreparable even by Apple. Unless you enjoy being ripped off by their oxymoron genius bar staff who will charge you a grand to replace a water damaged logic board when all that was wrong is that a connector has failed due to poor soldering in the factory, or the best one charge a grand for a new logic board because the replaceable fuse had blown, when again it was just dodgy factory soldering on a connector.

Anyone ever taken their apple device in for repair and been told it water damage and been show all the little red dots, heads up they turn red when exposed to atmospheric moisture as well, most devices over a year old have red dots regardless of what the device has been exposed to.

Tin hat on for the Apple fan boy rants to start  8)

There are loads of laptop DVD drives on eBay for under a fiver

NGM

Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Izzy on January 01, 2021, 10:21:47 AM

Over the years I've had lots of dvd drives in laptops and desktops do this from time to time. Work one minute and not the next. Often it's because of temperature changes. The most usual issue is the centre part that the discs clip into doesn't allow them to seat down properly. So the disc will spin, but because they are not in the exact correct position the laser can't read them, and the drive thinks there is no disc in it. I'd check this first. Hold the underneath of the exposed drive as you press the disc down into position. They are quite flimsy - half the problem.

If this doesn't work then your comment that windows says it's a driver fault might be the root cause. A previous post advised how to re-install this but, if you find this a bit beyond you then might I suggest you download and install/run AVG driver updater.

Although I would advise against using any other driver updater app - mostly adware/malware - it isn't, is free, and works well. It has just recently saved a little laptop I have that went completely sideways.

Bob
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Alcazar on January 01, 2021, 11:56:10 AM
Maybe your media player has not been set up properly - I think you need one to recognize that the DVD has music on it.
Peter
Title: Re: Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem
Post by: Railwaygun on January 01, 2021, 09:48:05 PM
It would help if we knew the make/ model no. Of the laptop, and the Windows version.

Then we can give explicit instructions as to how to remove the DVD player, if you wish to do so.

In the meantime, try installing VLC media player - it is free, runs on all windows versions , is more reliable than Windows Player and may sort your problem