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| Fix Common CD & DVD Drive Problems |
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Hardware November 2000 • Vol.6 Issue 11 Page(s) 45-47 in print issue |
Fix Common CD & DVD Drive Problems | ||
 Today's CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives are extremely fast and depend on their parts to work quickly and accurately. Unfortunately, dusty, worn-out internal parts or physical jarring can lead the components to fail. In addition, problematic software settings can cause low performance or even keep a CD- or DVD-ROM drive from working at all. If you have an optical drive that stops working or a new drive that doesn't work right out of the box, there are a few techniques you can use to find a solution. ( NOTE: Some of these tips involve opening the computer, which can void the warranty on some systems. In addition, you need to be cautious of static discharge. Work in a low-static environment, such as a noncarpeted room and keep grounding yourself by touching a metal part of your computer's chassis.)  General Troubleshooting & Settings. When your CD/DVD-ROM drive gives you trouble, the first and easiest troubleshooting step is to properly clean the drive. This will remove dust and dirt that can obscure proper beaming or reading of the laser mechanism. You can pick up a common CD cleaner disk at most electronics and computer stores. Using it can eliminate many problems with accessing and reading CDs. The next tool you should pick up is some troubleshooting software, which typically includes several CD/DVD-ROM tests that can find out if the drive itself is at fault. Some good troubleshooting packages are SANDRA (http://www.3bsoftware.com), AMIDiag (http://www.ami.com), BCM Diagnostics (http://www.bcmcom.com), and CheckIt (http://www.checkit.com). Note that troubleshooting software will work properly only if a disc can be inserted into and detected by the CD/DVD-ROM drive. If the drive you're having problems with is new, check its jumpers. If the CD/DVD-ROM drive is by itself on the data cable (the wide thin ribbon with many gray wires), it should be set to master, often marked as MA on the rear of the drive case. If the drive is sharing the data cable with another device, such as a hard drive or an internal Zip drive, you can try switching it to slave (SL) and setting up the other device as the master. You probably have two IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) ports on your motherboard, the primary and secondary. See the markings on your motherboard or its manual for details. If the drive doesn't work on one port, try switching it to the other. Drive settings. Problems can pop up if Windows' CD/DVD-ROM drive settings are incorrect or have changed. For example, in Windows 95 or Windows 98, your drive might be using compatibility-mode drivers instead of the normal ones. Click the Start button, select Settings, click Control Panel, double-click System, and then select the Performance tab to see if this is the case. For more help, refer to Microsoft's Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q151/6/34.asp. Other CD/DVD-ROM settings are available in the Device Manager, which you can access by clicking Start, selecting Settings, clicking Control Panel, double-clicking System, and then selecting the Device Manager tab. Double-click the CD /DVD-ROM drive in the list, then click the Properties tab to see its settings. AutoPlay and DMA are the settings you can experiment with. Double-click the channel the drive is on (probably Secondary) and then click the Advanced Settings tab. Windows' integrated Troubleshooter Wizard might help you out, too. If you're in the CD/DVD-ROM properties in the Device Manager, you can click the Troubleshooter button, or you can find it by clicking Start, selecting Help, and then clicking Troubleshooting. Trouble With Playback. If the drive is working fairly well but it skips, try cleaning it with a cleaning CD. Otherwise, check the audio cable that runs from the back of the CD/DVD-ROM drive to the sound card. Make sure it's plugged into the port on the sound card labeled CD Audio. Also, don't forget to double-check the sound level in Windows' Volume Control by double-clicking the yellow speaker in the Taskbar's System Tray.
Software CDs Won't Install. If you are trying to install new software but nothing happens when you put the disc in the drive, the CD's AutoRun function may not be working. You can bypass this by opening My Computer and right-clicking the CD/DVD-ROM drive, clicking Open, and then finding a setup or installation program on the CD. If the Open command doesn't work or it gives you an error, try a disc that you have used successfully before. If the old disc works fine, suspect a problem with the new disc, particularly a scratch or smudge. Often, you can remove problematic dirt from CDs by using a damp, very soft cloth and repeatedly wiping the surface of the disc from its center toward the outer rim. If a tried-and-true disc still doesn't work, check your AutoPlay settings in the Registry. Click the Start button, select Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER. Next, navigate to HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer. In the NoDriveTypeAutoRun setting, it should have the value 95 00 00 00. If not, double-click the entry and enter this value. If you don't see any changes after tweaking this value, try using troubleshooting software to narrow down the problem or borrow another CD-ROM drive to see if the problem goes away. If it does, you will need to buy a new drive. Strange Noises Or Vibrations. If this is a newly installed drive, make sure the mounting screws are tight and the drive isn't loose in the chassis. Older drives, however, can start to develop noise problems as their parts wear. This is normal, but it may be a sign that the drive is due to be replaced. New high-speed drives may vibrate or emit noise with only certain discs; this is the fault of the disc itself. Sloppy disc manufacturing leaves them slightly unbalanced, and when spun at very high speeds, they cause vibration. Thick labels stuck on a disc can also have the same effect. If your drive seems to be changing speeds a lot (spinning quickly and then spinning slowly), a dirty lens might be the cause, in which case a couple passes with a cleaning CD would fix it. If spin-up problems such as this occur with certain discs only, the data on the disc may be to blame. Certain types of copy protection make deliberate errors on the disc, which may be confusing your drive. There isn't much you can do about this except replace the drive with a different make and/or model. Noises also can be caused by foreign objects. Anyone with young children should put this high on the list of likely causes. Look inside the drive slot with a flashlight. If you see anything out of the ordinary, such as food crumbs, try to dig it out with tweezers, needle-nosed pliers, or a bent paper clip. You also can try opening up the drive (see the "Take a look inside" section below). Jammed Tray. If the drive tray won't open or close, don't force it or you'll end up destroying the mechanism. If there is a disc stuck inside the tray, try gently pulling it out with some tape-covered pliers (so you don't damage the disc). If it's not a disc, some other object may be in there causing mischief. You can try the manual release to open a stuck tray. Straighten a paper clip and carefully shove it in the tiny hole by the tray door to release the tray. This is also useful for extracting CDs you accidentally left in the drive after removing the drive from a system. If none of these things helps, you may need to open up the drive or replace it. Removing The Drive. Whether you want to open your CD/DVD-ROM drive for cleaning or repair or completely replace it, you need to start by getting it out of the computer. First, unplug the computer's power cord and any other external cables that might get in the way. Then, open the case, usually by removing screws in the back although sometimes you must remove the front panel. Third, locate your CD/DVD-ROM drive and unplug the cables that are attached to it. Note the position and orientation of these cables for when you reinstall the drive. Next, unscrew the drive from the chassis and pull it out through the front panel. Some cases have rails attached to the drive. If applicable, pull the drive out and then unscrew it from the rails. Take a look inside. Although you can buy a replacement CD-ROM drive for about $50 and DVD-ROM drives for about twice that, why spend the money if you can fix the problem? Pop the drive open by removing the screws that hold its case together. You may need to tear a warranty seal to find all the screws. If you want, use canned air to blow out any dust and debris, keeping the end of the can's straw at least 12 inches from the drive. Then, inspect the interior for potential problem spots such as a jammed CD, foreign objects, loose or broken parts, worn gears, or a dirty lens. If you can, fix the problems you find, but be extremely gentle when cleaning the lens because its calibration is particularly sensitive. (NOTE: Be sure to observe the same static precautions when tinkering inside a drive as you do when working inside the PC itself, taking care to ground yourself at all times. Like opening a case, opening a drive may void its warranty.) Replacing The Drive. Replacing a drive is basically the opposite of installing one. Mount the drive in the chassis, screw it in, connect the cables, reassemble the computer case, plug everything back in, and start it up. Pay attention to the alignment of the cables when you plug them into the drive. The data cable's marked wire must line up with Pin 1 on the CD/DVD-ROM drive. Also, if you're installing a new unit, make sure its jumpers are set up to match the old unit for the master or slave setting.  by William Van Winkle
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