Member Avatar for xkrnwarriorx

My DVD drive reads normal CDs but not DVDs i tried reinstalling but still dont work
can someone please help me with this
o and when i oepn Roxio dvd recording program thing, it says i dont have the dvd recorder...

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 110 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by DMR

Dani AI

Generated

Short checklist for , with followup notes tied to 's troubleshooting suggestion.

If an optical drive will read CDs but not DVDs and recording software reports "no DVD recorder", proceed by isolating hardware from software. Common causes are: the red-wavelength DVD laser failing while the CD laser still works, the drive being read-only (not a burner), driver/registry problems, or firmware/region/software detection issues.

Try these steps in order:

  • Try several discs: a commercial DVD movie, a burned DVD data disc, and a known-good CD. Different results point to different problems (playback/region vs burn vs universal read failure).
  • Test outside the installed OS: boot a live environment from a CD or USB and try reading the same DVDs. If DVDs still fail, the problem is almost certainly hardware.
  • Verify whether the drive is a DVD burner or only a DVD/CD reader (check the bezel/manual or the drive label). Burning software will not detect a drive that cannot write.
  • On the system side, uninstall the optical device in Device Manager and reboot to let the OS reinstall it. If Windows is involved, check for stray UpperFilters/LowerFilters entries in the CD/DVD class registry key (back up first).
  • Clean the lens with a commercial lens-cleaning disc or carefully with isopropyl alcohol if comfortable. Dust affects DVD (shorter wavelength) reading more than CD.
  • Try the drive on another machine or swap in a known-good drive. If the drive fails everywhere, replace it; replacement is inexpensive and more reliable than prolonged repair.
  • If the drive used to read DVDs, check for firmware updates from the vendor (as suggested via manufacturer troubleshooting) before replacing.

Caution: back up data and the registry before edits, and observe ESD precautions when handling internal drives. If after the hardware checks DVDs never read in any OS, the red-laser has likely failed and replacement is the practical fix.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for DMR

Please give us the following details:

* Make and model of computer.
* Make and model of DVD drive and, if possible, the name and version of the driver software in use (you can find this info in Device Manager).
* The version of Windows you are using.
* Any details on the history of the problem which might give us some clues.

Member Avatar for xkrnwarriorx

Please give us the following details:

* Make and model of computer.
* Make and model of DVD drive and, if possible, the name and version of the driver software in use (you can find this info in Device Manager).
* The version of Windows you are using.
* Any details on the history of the problem which might give us some clues.

Compaq Computer Corporation
Compaq 6027US
Presario 6000
Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.00GHz
1.99GHz, 768MB of RAM

ATAPI DVDROM 16X
Driver Version: 5.1.2535.0

Windows XP
Home Edition
Service pack 2

Member Avatar for DMR

HP has a few suggestions concerning DVD/CD problems with your particular model; give the suggestions a try and let us know the results:

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.