Can you read CDs? Can you see the files on a DVD? In My Computer, right-click on the DVD drive, and choose Explore. It sounds like the drive may have failed. See if you can run the Dell Diagnostics from your Drivers and Utilities CD. If you can start the test, it will mean that the drive can read a CD. After you are in the Diagnostics, put in a DVD, and run the Optical drive test. It should run with DVD in the drive. If any of the tests fail, then contact Technical Support.
I was able to run the diagnostics from the CD. The test i found related was the IDE devices; IDE CDRW1 test.
My system passed this test and asked to insert an audio cd which it was able to pass "i heard the music" however i was not asked to insert a DVD. what should i do.
I tried to insert a DVD and explore it. The drive letter opens but no folders or viewable. Yesterday i think i was able to if i am not mistaken.
By the way, i tried to install the DVD Xpack from the intervideo site but this didn't work.
Please tell me what can i do, please be advised that i live in Egypt so it is not easy to send the system in for checking
Try running the test again. At the point where you are ready to hit Enter and start the test, remove the CD, and put in a DVD, and then hit enter. Unfortunately, it looks like the drive is no longer reading DVDs, and that would mean that it would need to be replaced.
The drive has failed. It is reading CDs, but not DVDs. The drive needs to be replaced.
When you first run the test, it simply reads the disc that is in the drive. I have run this test with a DVD, and it should work. The test will not ask for a DVD, but it should run with a DVD. When it requests an audio CD, then it must be an audio CD that is inserted.
If your system is still under warranty, then contact Technical Support for a replacement.
Today i uninstalled the drive driver and rebooted to let windows identify the driver, after this i tried the drive then it was not able to read dvds nor normal cds, even when i tried to run boot from the diagnostics cd it did not work.
Hopefully i downloaded the firmware from the dell site and run it.
The status now is as follows.
The drive can read cds
when i put a dvd into the drive it takes a quite long time but it can recognise it and i can explore the files on it.
when i try to play the dvd the player stops responding.
We have moved beyond the point where I have anything else to suggest. If the firmware update only improved things that much, then I still think there might be a problem with the drive. You may want to run the diagnostic with a DVD again, now after the firmware update. If there are no problems or delays in the diagnostics, then it might be a problem with the drivers, or with Windows.
Unfortunately, I really think it is a problem with the drive.
So far as I know, a DVD drive has two seperate systems, one for reading DVDs, and the other for reading CDs. One can fail and not the other. I know that much from experience. It is not an uncommon failure for a DVD drive to stop reading DVDs, but continue to read CDs.
If you have an Inspiron it should have came with InterVideo WinDVD, I believe. Check if you have the WinDVD program CD that should have came with your computer from Dell. If you have it, try uninstalling WinDVD completely and reinstalling it. Do DVDs play now?
Or you could try downloading the trial version of PowerDVD from http://www.gocyberlink.com to see if the DVD player is actually broken (if PowerDVD doesn't work either). If it works, then the InterVideo DVD playing driver/decoder files probably got erased or corrupted or something. I think mine got accidentally deleted from my anti-virus software! Luckily reinstalling WinDVD worked for me... Good luck!!
Rollie_R
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
November 18th, 2003 13:00
trust,
Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.
Can you read CDs? Can you see the files on a DVD? In My Computer, right-click on the DVD drive, and choose Explore. It sounds like the drive may have failed. See if you can run the Dell Diagnostics from your Drivers and Utilities CD. If you can start the test, it will mean that the drive can read a CD. After you are in the Diagnostics, put in a DVD, and run the Optical drive test. It should run with DVD in the drive. If any of the tests fail, then contact Technical Support.
trust
6 Posts
0
November 18th, 2003 16:00
Dear sir;
Thank you for your reply;
I was able to run the diagnostics from the CD. The test i found related was the IDE devices; IDE CDRW1 test.
My system passed this test and asked to insert an audio cd which it was able to pass "i heard the music" however i was not asked to insert a DVD. what should i do.
I tried to insert a DVD and explore it. The drive letter opens but no folders or viewable. Yesterday i think i was able to if i am not mistaken.
By the way, i tried to install the DVD Xpack from the intervideo site but this didn't work.
Please tell me what can i do, please be advised that i live in Egypt so it is not easy to send the system in for checking
Thank you for your help
Rollie_R
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
November 18th, 2003 17:00
trust,
Try running the test again. At the point where you are ready to hit Enter and start the test, remove the CD, and put in a DVD, and then hit enter. Unfortunately, it looks like the drive is no longer reading DVDs, and that would mean that it would need to be replaced.
VBlueV
118 Posts
0
November 19th, 2003 00:00
mod karell over on the cd/dvd board posted an exhaustive list of troubleshooting steps...
i've read some others have been successful trying her #12 or something similar within the registry:
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_cdrom&message.id=30439
and here's another one with a few different steps:
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_cdrom&message.id=30263
Message Edited by VBlueV on 11-18-2003 08:59 PM
trust
6 Posts
0
November 19th, 2003 18:00
Dear Rollie;
Thank you for your response. I ran the diagnostic program again and inserted a DVD in the drive before running it, i got the following message:
"The CD inserted in your CD-Rom does not contain any digital data such as a software installation CD if you like to try again press Y"
I inserted the anstallation cd and continued, then again i got a message to insert an audio CD so i inserted a DVD, the test was not able to pass.
Should the test ask for a DVD or is it supposed to pass the test after installing a DVD even though it asked to insert an audio CD?
Does this mean the drive failed? Can a drive fail just during watching a movie? i did not do anything else.
Is there something else i could try to solve this?
Thank you for your help
Rollie_R
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
November 19th, 2003 18:00
trust,
The drive has failed. It is reading CDs, but not DVDs. The drive needs to be replaced.
When you first run the test, it simply reads the disc that is in the drive. I have run this test with a DVD, and it should work. The test will not ask for a DVD, but it should run with a DVD. When it requests an audio CD, then it must be an audio CD that is inserted.
If your system is still under warranty, then contact Technical Support for a replacement.
trust
6 Posts
0
November 19th, 2003 20:00
Dear Rollie
Today i uninstalled the drive driver and rebooted to let windows identify the driver, after this i tried the drive then it was not able to read dvds nor normal cds, even when i tried to run boot from the diagnostics cd it did not work.
Hopefully i downloaded the firmware from the dell site and run it.
The status now is as follows.
The drive can read cds
when i put a dvd into the drive it takes a quite long time but it can recognise it and i can explore the files on it.
when i try to play the dvd the player stops responding.
Does this give any hope to things?
Thank you for your help
Rollie_R
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
November 20th, 2003 16:00
trust,
We have moved beyond the point where I have anything else to suggest. If the firmware update only improved things that much, then I still think there might be a problem with the drive. You may want to run the diagnostic with a DVD again, now after the firmware update. If there are no problems or delays in the diagnostics, then it might be a problem with the drivers, or with Windows.
Unfortunately, I really think it is a problem with the drive.
trust
6 Posts
0
November 21st, 2003 14:00
Dear Rollie;
I have one last question please.
Does the failure of the drive to read DVDs indicate that it will fail to read CDs, or are these two separate things.
Thank you for your help
Rollie_R
2 Intern
•
2.2K Posts
0
November 21st, 2003 16:00
trust,
So far as I know, a DVD drive has two seperate systems, one for reading DVDs, and the other for reading CDs. One can fail and not the other. I know that much from experience. It is not an uncommon failure for a DVD drive to stop reading DVDs, but continue to read CDs.
adevault
4 Posts
0
April 4th, 2004 00:00
If you have an Inspiron it should have came with InterVideo WinDVD, I believe. Check if you have the WinDVD program CD that should have came with your computer from Dell. If you have it, try uninstalling WinDVD completely and reinstalling it. Do DVDs play now?
Or you could try downloading the trial version of PowerDVD from http://www.gocyberlink.com to see if the DVD player is actually broken (if PowerDVD doesn't work either). If it works, then the InterVideo DVD playing driver/decoder files probably got erased or corrupted or something. I think mine got accidentally deleted from my anti-virus software! Luckily reinstalling WinDVD worked for me... Good luck!!