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Why won't my DVD drive see the Windows 7 Installation Disk?
The TEAC DV-W58E DVD drive on my Dimension PC will play videos and games, and will read and write data onto DVDs.
Why won't it see the Windows 7 Installation Disk that got delivered today? This is the only disk it has ever failed to read. It doesn't think the drive is empty, just sees 0 bytes used, 0 bytes free.
The disk is recognized by two other PCs, but not the one I want to install W7 on.
My PC runs XP Professional, and passed the Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser test, and is up to date with Windows Update, and has the latest driver for the DVD drive.
I can't install the new operating system unless I can get the PC to read the disk.
speedstep
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December 23rd, 2012 18:00
Most Likely cause of not reading the DVD is that its firmware is too old. Dual Layer and Newer Encryption methods make old 1x 2x and 4x dvd drives unable to read 16x recorded media.
Windows 7 has minimal requirements.
Windows 8 Adds lots of SPECIFIC requirements like NX Bit support in BIOS.
If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:
1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit) This rules out most INTEL 815 chipset
pentium 3 systems. 512 Meg is MAX for the 815 chipset.
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.
fireberd
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October 21st, 2009 17:00
With XP you can't do an "in place" upgrade, you must do a complete new install. You must boot from the Win 7 Disc. Is this what you are trying to do?
There is a firmware update for this model drive (that I see for the Retail version). There is probably a Dell listing but we need your PC Model Number to check on any firmware updates.
jwynne
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October 22nd, 2009 02:00
I'm trying to get the PC to "see" the DVD's contents, so that I can then do a clean install (re-formatting the drive, etc).
It won't boot from the Win 7 Disk.
It won't open in Explorer either (though It doesn't think the drive is empty, just sees 0 bytes used, 0 bytes free).
The disk is recognized by two other PCs, but not the one I want to install W7 on.
My PC runs XP Professional, and passed the Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser test, and is up to date with Windows Update.
I have installed the latest firmware, as per your suggestion, and re-booted, but it still doesn't "see" the disk. I've tried un-installing the drive via the Device Manager, and letting the PC "find" the new hardware after a second re-boot, but Explorer still can't see the contents, and the PC won't boot from it.
jwynne
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October 22nd, 2009 02:00
It's a Dimension 4600, running XP Professional SP3, with 2.5Gb RAM and a Pentium 4 3GHz CPU.
The Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser didn't find any problems, apart from the odd software programme that I don't need anymore.
fireberd
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October 22nd, 2009 04:00
Since the Win 7 disc can be read by other drives I would suspect a "weak" laser in the DVD drive and the drive probably will need to be replaced. Can you temporarily install a drive from a different system into this 4600 just to confirm?
jackshack
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October 22nd, 2009 13:00
The Dimension 4600 uses IDE optical drives. A Dell will normally support booting only on the master drive, which is by default the drive at the end connector on the data cable. Is your DVD drive the master? If your DVD drive is on the slave connector you might be able to use a trick given by The_Namek; restart, use F2 for system setup, and set secondary drive 0 to Off. This seems to allow the slave drive to act as a master. You can also disable the slave and move the master connector of the data cable to the DVD drive (if that is presently the slave drive).
I have also run across computers that seem to have trouble booting from an optical drive when there is a slave. Turning the slave Off in system setup and disconnecting the slave data connector has helped in those cases.
fireberd
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October 22nd, 2009 15:00
From Jack to Jack. I get the impression, from his posts that he can't even see anything on the DVD using the Windows explorer, let alone boot. That would suggest the drive is bad (at least what I get from his posts).
jackshack
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October 22nd, 2009 20:00
Hi Jack!
I don't disagree with you, and if you have a Win 7 installation disk you are in a better position than I to decide that his drive is bad. I have seen boot disks that didn't reveal a directory structure so I was just offering a possible alternative. It could also be that he is trying a CD drive rather than a DVD ROM drive.
jwynne
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October 23rd, 2009 02:00
Thanks for your comments and suggestions, guys.
I did try the CD drive (in my desperation, of course it didn't work), but it is the DVD drive (TEAC DV-W58E) on my Dimension 4600 PC that 's the problem . This DVD drive will read/play EVERY OTHER DISK I put into it (video, game or data) EXCEPT for the W7 Installation disk.
If it was a weak laser, why would it just be the W7 Installation disk it can't read?
fireberd
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October 23rd, 2009 04:00
I don't know what format Microsoft is using with the DVD. An outside possibility is dual layer. The only way to know for sure is to install a known good drive that will read the disc. DVD's and DVD drives were in the "early" stage for PC's when the 4600 was made.
jwynne
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October 23rd, 2009 10:00
Hi Guys,
I don't know how Microsoft's installation disks might be different from other disks these days (e.g., dual layer, etc.), but I've mananged to find a work-around.
Using a DVD drive on another PC on my Home Network, I copied the W7 installation disk to a folder on the PC with the "problem" DVD drive. I then burned the contents of the folder to a DVD disk (using the supposedly "faulty" DVD drive). It worked perfectly!
I now have a W7 installation DVD that works. I can read it with the "problem" DVD drive and see all the files and directory structure, and it auto-runs on the "problem" DVD drive.
I can now go ahead and install W7, to see what fresh challenges that may bring me.
I thank you for your interest, and your helpful and constructive suggestions.
Best wishes,
Anon E. Mouse
fireberd
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October 23rd, 2009 12:00
There is a compatibility issue with that drive and the MS install DVD. The workaround was a good idea, however in the future you could run into similar problems. Considering a new CD/DVD burner drive is under $25 I would seriously think about replacing it. Check www.newegg.com (where I buy most of my PC parts).
ewtwolf
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November 18th, 2009 12:00
I'm running into the same problem...I have two studio xps 9000 systems and both will not boot from the free windows 7 upgrade discs I have.
shesagordie
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December 21st, 2012 18:00
kcpc
You probably will not be able to run Win 7 on this computer, due to it's age.
Use Windows & Upgrade Advisor, to check your computer for compatiblity
http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor
Note: If your Dad's Win 7 DVD is the OEM version from another system, then it will not work, you will need to buy either a retail, or an OEM Win 7 installation DVD that has it's own COA.
Bev.
kcpc
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December 21st, 2012 18:00
my computer is an old compaq, running windows 98, and thus will perform few functions. i borrowed a windows 7 professional 32-bit reinstallation dvd from my dad, and have done everything i can to get my computer to recognise this dvd. printed on the dvd is, " use this dvd only to reinstall the operating system on a dell pc. this dvd is not for reinstallation of programs or drivers." i am not very computer savvy, and i know that you are extremely busy, but would it be possible for you to write to me and tell me if there is anything that i can do in order to install windows 7 from this disk onto my computer? thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
sincerely,
krisenda clair