Lap top (DVD) Disc Drive problem

[Graham63]

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

[Bealman]

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?

[Graham63]

Good Evening, I've tried a BRM freebie dvd and an N gauge society magazine disc. Thanks Graham

[Bealman]

I didn't know the NGS had ever put out a disc. 

Hopefully one of our true computer gurus will be along soon!

[Graham63]

It's one of the annual compilations of the journal so not a dvd as such. Graham

[themadhippy]

The drive  hasnt been locked to a certain region?

[Railwaygun]

Does it play an audio cd ( should play even if the drive has been locked for DVD a region)

[Lawrence]

What version of Windows are you running @Graham63
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

[N_GaugeModeller]

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

[Graham63]

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

[N_GaugeModeller]

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.

[Malc]

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.

[Graham63]

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

[Railwaygun]

A USB external drive would be the easiest solution

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

[N_GaugeModeller]

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 

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

NGM