I have just discovered that if I click on a writable DVD drive in Explorer
that has no DVD in it then Vista opens the drive.

Fortunately the door on my PC case was open - but it is usually closed. Is
there a way to stop this behaviour? If the door is closed (and possible
locked) then the drive will be damaged.

--
Jeff Gaines
Damerham Hampshire UK

Jeff Gaines wrote:
>
> I have just discovered that if I click on a writable DVD drive in
> Explorer that has no DVD in it then Vista opens the drive.
>
> Fortunately the door on my PC case was open - but it is usually closed.
> Is there a way to stop this behaviour? If the door is closed (and
> possible locked) then the drive will be damaged.

Most drives should reverse if it hits an obstacle, in the same way that
when it's open, pressing on the front of the drive when open will close it.

Originally people said that you should only open/close CD drives by
pressing button on the front, but I can't think of the last time I
pressed the button to close one!

D

On 13/12/2006 in message <(E-Mail Removed)> David Hearn
wrote:

>Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>
>>I have just discovered that if I click on a writable DVD drive in
>>Explorer that has no DVD in it then Vista opens the drive.
>>
>>Fortunately the door on my PC case was open - but it is usually closed.
>>Is there a way to stop this behaviour? If the door is closed (and
>>possible locked) then the drive will be damaged.
>
>Most drives should reverse if it hits an obstacle, in the same way that
>when it's open, pressing on the front of the drive when open will close it.
>
>Originally people said that you should only open/close CD drives by
>pressing button on the front, but I can't think of the last time I pressed
>the button to close one!
>
>D

I agree that finding the button is a pain :-)

But surely this behaviour can be changed. I don't know what long term
damage may be caused to the drive if it bumps into the door, I am pretty
sure I won't be able to persuade MS to buy me a new one if it breaks,
although it might be worth a try.

--
Jeff Gaines
Damerham Hampshire UK

"Jeff Gaines" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>Originally people said that you should only open/close CD drives by
>>pressing button on the front, but I can't think of the last time I
>>pressed the button to close one!

How do you open one without pushing the button? Use a screwdriver?

:-)

> But surely this behaviour can be changed. I don't know what long
> term damage may be caused to the drive if it bumps into the door, I
> am pretty sure I won't be able to persuade MS to buy me a new one if
> it breaks, although it might be worth a try.

Doesn't XP do the same thing?

However, I'm not sure it's a Windows feature, but rather a hardware
feature. If the drive detects access and it doesn't have a disc, it
opens to let you insert one.

I too have a case with a drive bay door which helps to reduce noise,
and I did it once where the tray ejected and hit the door - duh. It
did not go back in either, it just kept pushing on the door until I
opened it. The trays are either driven by a belt motor or by a direct
coupled motor, and in either design, I can see someone hitting the
icon in Explorer by mistake and burning out the trays motor drive or
belt without knowing anything about it until hours later when they
open the door to put in a disc and find the drive is pooched.

Maybe it's a conspiracy to sell more drives?

:-D

--
Happy Holidays!

On 14/12/2006 in message <(E-Mail Removed)>
Bill wrote:

>"Jeff Gaines" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>>Originally people said that you should only open/close CD drives by
>>>pressing button on the front, but I can't think of the last time I pressed
>>>the button to close one!
>
>How do you open one without pushing the button? Use a screwdriver?

It seems as if it's automatic in Vista :-)

>>But surely this behaviour can be changed. I don't know what long term
>>damage may be caused to the drive if it bumps into the door, I am pretty
>>sure I won't be able to persuade MS to buy me a new one if it breaks,
>>although it might be worth a try.
>
>Doesn't XP do the same thing?

I ran XP on this box for a good few months before installing Vista and I
don' think so - it usually pops up a dialog saying 'ere there's no disk in
the drive' or similar.

>However, I'm not sure it's a Windows feature, but rather a hardware
>feature. If the drive detects access and it doesn't have a disc, it opens
>to let you insert one.

I don't *think* it did that in XP, I'd have to re-install it to find out.

>I too have a case with a drive bay door which helps to reduce noise, and I
>did it once where the tray ejected and hit the door - duh. It did not go
>back in either, it just kept pushing on the door until I opened it. The
>trays are either driven by a belt motor or by a direct coupled motor, and
>in either design, I can see someone hitting the icon in Explorer by
>mistake and burning out the trays motor drive or belt without knowing
>anything about it until hours later when they open the door to put in a
>disc and find the drive is pooched.

That's my concern, I've left the door open for now.

>Maybe it's a conspiracy to sell more drives?

You mean as well as helping software manufacturers, as we have to buy
upgrades to run on Vista, MS is helping hardware manufacturers. What a
genuinely charitable approach :-)

Hopefully in the fullness of time somebody will discover a registry tweak
for this.

--
Jeff Gaines
Damerham Hampshire UK

Bill wrote:
> "Jeff Gaines" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> Originally people said that you should only open/close CD drives by
>>> pressing button on the front, but I can't think of the last time I
>>> pressed the button to close one!
>
> How do you open one without pushing the button? Use a screwdriver?
>
> :-)
>
>> But surely this behaviour can be changed. I don't know what long term
>> damage may be caused to the drive if it bumps into the door, I am
>> pretty sure I won't be able to persuade MS to buy me a new one if it
>> breaks, although it might be worth a try.
>
> Doesn't XP do the same thing?
>
> However, I'm not sure it's a Windows feature, but rather a hardware
> feature. If the drive detects access and it doesn't have a disc, it
> opens to let you insert one.
>
> I too have a case with a drive bay door which helps to reduce noise, and
> I did it once where the tray ejected and hit the door - duh. It did not
> go back in either, it just kept pushing on the door until I opened it.
> The trays are either driven by a belt motor or by a direct coupled
> motor, and in either design, I can see someone hitting the icon in
> Explorer by mistake and burning out the trays motor drive or belt
> without knowing anything about it until hours later when they open the
> door to put in a disc and find the drive is pooched.
>
> Maybe it's a conspiracy to sell more drives?
>
> :-D
>

I tried it on 3 drives, and each of them, when you press the eject
button and hold your hand so it stops it opening about 1/2 way then
reverses and closes the tray.

I guess it's down to the manufacturer what they want to do.

D

"David Hearn" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> I tried it on 3 drives, and each of them, when you press the eject
> button and hold your hand so it stops it opening about 1/2 way then
> reverses and closes the tray.

I just did it with my HP burner (made by Benq) and you're right, it
does go back in. I didn't notice it before because I quickly opened
the door when it happened the first time.

But get this...it opens and closes and opens over and over until I let
it open fully or Windows detects a problem and pops up a window (about
8 access attempts), so maybe it is a Vista specific feature.

I did some more testing, and the drive re-opens if it doesn't open
fully - it has to be 100%. My older ASUS burner (made by Pioneer?)
doesn't seem to care how far open it gets, it just closes again and
stops. So it seems there is a sensor in the newer drive that detects
if it opens fully or not.

> I guess it's down to the manufacturer what they want to do.

Apparently.

I ain't gonna click that dang icon no mores. Me poor little drive is
sore.

:-)

--
Happy Holidays!