Help. My DVD drive will not recognize DVDs, but plays CD-Rs fine.

[Stuck Again]

Hi,

I have a Sony Vaio PCV-RZ 34G desktop. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition
SP3, with automatic updates turned on. Sony DVD RW DW-U12Aa drive. I have
Corel Video Studio DVD burning software installed. Everything was runnig
fine in early December (last time i used the DVD drive, I thnk).

My DVD drive is not reading DVD discs. The drive plays CDs fine. When I
put a DVD in the drive and use file explorer the F:/ comes up, but shows no
files. This does show files when a CD is in the Drive. CDs play fine in
windows media player, but when I try to play a DVD, windows media player
shows 'drive F: busy’ and the menu is grayed out so I can not select it from
the Play menu.

Device manager shows the device working properly. The trouble shooting
wizard did not help. I have reset the bios to default. I have run the
Windows Mr.Fixit (KB314060) and it could not resolve the problem. It said a
working DVD is ‘not readable media’ and ‘install CD/DVD writer’.

Can you provide any assistance/suggestions?

Thank you

 

[Mark Adams]

Hi,

I have a Sony Vaio PCV-RZ 34G desktop. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition
SP3, with automatic updates turned on. Sony DVD RW DW-U12Aa drive. I have
Corel Video Studio DVD burning software installed. Everything was runnig
fine in early December (last time i used the DVD drive, I thnk).

My DVD drive is not reading DVD discs. The drive plays CDs fine. When I
put a DVD in the drive and use file explorer the F:/ comes up, but shows no
files. This does show files when a CD is in the Drive. CDs play fine in
windows media player, but when I try to play a DVD, windows media player
shows 'drive F: busy’ and the menu is grayed out so I can not select it from
the Play menu.

Device manager shows the device working properly. The trouble shooting
wizard did not help. I have reset the bios to default. I have run the
Windows Mr.Fixit (KB314060) and it could not resolve the problem. It said a
working DVD is ‘not readable media’ and ‘install CD/DVD writer’.

Can you provide any assistance/suggestions?

Thank you

Sounds like the laser that reads DVD isn't working, but the one that reads
CD is. Try swapping the drive with a known working one in another computer.
If the drive doesn't work in the other computer, and the other drive works in
your computer; then it looks like you need a new drive.

 

[Nil]

My DVD drive is not reading DVD discs. The drive plays CDs fine.
When I put a DVD in the drive and use file explorer the F:/ comes
up, but shows no files. This does show files when a CD is in the
Drive. CDs play fine in windows media player, but when I try to
play a DVD, windows media player shows 'drive F: busy" and the
menu is grayed out so I can not select it from the Play menu.

Almost certainly a failed physical drive. Your only practical solution
is to relace it. They are not expensive.