CD-ROM unable to read any CDs

[Steve Jackson]

I have a Samsung SC-152L 52x CD-ROM drive. I have recently installed WinXP
and there were errors but it eventually installed the OS. When I eventually
got into Windows the CD-ROm drive was not working and was not available in
Device Manager though it was showing in the BIOS.

I decided to run another fresh install, which went through with no errors.
This team the BIOS recognises the CD-ROM drive and it is showing as the
correct drive in Device Manager but this time when ever I put a CD in, it
whirls round, the light flashes showing the drive recognises there is a
drisk but when I click on the drive in Windows Explorer it eventually comes
up with the "Insert Disk" - Please insert a disc into drive (D" error
message. The drive is recognising a disc because the light flashes but it
unable to hold this for seeing the contents in WIndows. The drive always
shows CD-Drive as the device in Windows Explorer and never picks up the name
of the CD.

- I have checked jumper settings and the device is set as master on the
secondary IDE cable.
- It is only the only CD drive on the PC.
- The PC has 1 HDD on a seperate IDE cable. I've tried reseating the cable
and ensured the jumper is correctly in place.
- I have installed the latest Firmware from Samsung by flashing the drive
using mtkflash.
- I have tried removing the driver, restarting the PC and letting Windows
"Find New Hardware" and recognise the drive again.
- I have tried to swap the CD-ROM with another CD-ROM I have and it works
first time.
- I have tried to put the CD-ROM in another Win XP PC with the same IDE
setup but TNA.

Is there anything else that I can try, before I accept this is a malfunction
with the drive itself. Are there any utlilities that I can use to see
whether it is the drive that is now faulty and whether it needs replacing?

Many Thanks for anyone who can help me with this issue.
Steve

 

[Shaun]

Boot off a 98 boot floppy disk and see if the drive works there.

 

[Steve Jackson]

I put in a Win98 boot disc and selected drive D: in DOS but it just cannot
read it. I just typed in D: <ENT>, which it recognised and then typed dir to
list the contents of the CD I put in but the drive - TNA. It knows there is
a drive D: for the CD-ROM but no discs are readable.

Is there a utility that will test out whereabouts the malfunction is on the
drive as it seems to be more hardware rather than software or is it a case
to scrap the drive and get a new one or go to the manufacturer for support?

 

[Shaun]

If it don't work at that level, it's time for a new drive.
I don't get much over a year out of a burner, have a box full.