DVD+RW Drive

[laura]

My DVD drive does not read cd's. It used work occasionally but now not at
all. The light goes on when the cd is inserted but then it cannot be read.
I am trying to load music to my Ipod.

 

[sgopus]

replace the drive, it's probably died.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

My DVD drive does not read cd's. It used work occasionally but now not at
all. The light goes on when the cd is inserted but then it cannot be
read.
I am trying to load music to my Ipod.

Drives do fail in time (just like car parts!) but fortunately, unless this
is a laptop, DVD drives are cheap and easy to replace. Where I am, such
drives are around $30. Open the case and see if the cable leading to the
drive (the one that isn't the power cable) is wide (almost 2") or narrow
(about 1/4").

If the cable is wide, you need an IDE drive. If it's narrow, you need a
SATA drive.

The only other thing you need to know is, if it's an IDE drive, how the
jumpers are set (does not apply to SATA drives). On the back of the drive
near where the cable is, there are three pairs of pins marked MA, SL, and
CS. These stand for Master, Slave, and Cable Select. One of those pairs
has a jumper on it. Set the new drive to the same setting - the new drive
will have the jumper, probably on the MA pair.

Aside from that, plug it in exactly the same way, and just move whatever
screws. Put the system back together; you're done. Windows will detect
the drive and install it.

If it's a laptop - the parts aren't standard and are expensive and you have
to contact the manufacturer.

HTH
-pk

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

An option is to purchase an external drive.

:
: If it's a laptop - the parts aren't standard and are expensive and you
have
: to contact the manufacturer.
:
: HTH
: -pk
:
:

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

An option is to purchase an external drive.

Although that's true, from my personal point of view, it's an
unacceptable option. The most common reason people have a laptop is to
permit them to travel with it. If I had to also carry an external
drive whenever I traveled with my laptop, it would be heavier and
bulkier. I wouldn't want an external drive of any kind.