Is my DVD-ROM drive defective?

[Guest]

I just got a new Asus E616A DVD-ROM drive, and it can't read a
commercial CD-ROM disc that I have. When I put in the disc, the green
light flashes for around 10 seconds and then turns off, and Windows
says "please insert a disc" when I click on the drive. But I know the
disc is fine, because it works when I put it into my 5-year old TDK CD
burner. I tried some other CD-ROM discs in the Asus drive, and it was
able to read those... it just can't read that one disc for some
reason. Does it sound defective?

 

[Kimba W. Lion]

But I know the
disc is fine, because it works when I put it into my 5-year old TDK CD
burner. I tried some other CD-ROM discs in the Asus drive, and it was
able to read those

Sounds like that particular disc hasn't been finalized.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Daniel_B=F6hmer?=]

Hello,

In my opinion it's very unlikely that the drive is damaged in any way.
But I am no expert and you should follow this issue.

What comes to my mind when I am reading your description is copy
protection. You said this is a commercial CD. Is it a music CD you
bought anywhere in the shops? Then the author might have built in a copy
protection so that you cannot use the CD at all or just very limited
(for sure no copying).

When you inserted any discs in the past did there appear any message
saying you have to install a program to listen to it? Then this
"program" is just a copy protection which hooks itself into your system.
When it's working it enables you to listen to the CD but controls what
you are doing with the CD at the same time.

So, I wouldn't worry about the drive, just about the installed system.
Most times it's very difficult to remove such copy protection. Have
another search at Google for your CD and try to find out what kind of
copy protection might be installed. Maybe you can get a tool which
removes the protection.

And remember: When putting in a CD into your drive never answer the
question whether you wanna install such a "program" to listen to the CD!
Most times you can listen to CD without problems although you didn't
install it

Daniel Böhmer, Germany

 

[Guest]

It's a commercially pressed CD-ROM (BlackIce firewall), not a CD-R.

 

[~misfit~]

I just got a new Asus E616A DVD-ROM drive, and it can't read a
commercial CD-ROM disc that I have. When I put in the disc, the green
light flashes for around 10 seconds and then turns off, and Windows
says "please insert a disc" when I click on the drive. But I know the
disc is fine, because it works when I put it into my 5-year old TDK CD
burner. I tried some other CD-ROM discs in the Asus drive, and it was
able to read those... it just can't read that one disc for some
reason. Does it sound defective?

Copy protection. Some CDs aren't meant to be played on a PC.

Have you heard of Sony's Root Kit? Google it and be afraid, very afraid. Yet
it's not the only form of copy protection that's out there. I have taken an
oath to *never* buy a commercial CD again.

 

[Guest]

OK it's definitely defective. It can't even read the CD that came with
it (with the Asus DVD software). But my TDK CD-ROM drive reads it
fine.