Member Avatar for Twenty8

Hello all,

For several years now, my CD-ROM drive has been acting strange. It will read and write CD-RW discs just fine, but can neither read nor write CD-R.

Whenever I try to put in an old CD-R disc with data, it won't read or show that a disc is present in the drive.

The drive is listed as "HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4241N." The driver is from Microsoft (version 5.1.2535.0, date: 7/1/2001), and the "device is working properly," so it says. I'm running XP SP2.

Any steps on troubleshooting? Do I need a new driver? Help is greatly appreciated, and I apologize if I've posted this in the wrong forum.

Best,
Twenty8

Edited by Twenty8 because: n/a
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Dani AI

Generated

The pattern you describe — the drive can handle CD‑RW and audio CD‑R but not data CD‑R — narrows the likely causes to two families: media/format compatibility (unfinalized or packet‑written data discs, UDF/ISO differences) or an optical/firmware/hardware limitation (laser power, media reflectivity or aging). Suggestions from , and (drivers, cleaning, lens‑cleaner) are all good first moves, and ’s firmware idea is reasonable — but follow the safer checks below before flashing firmware or buying parts. (cdrfaq.org)

Quick, practical tests to run now:

  1. Try one of the problem data CD‑Rs on a different PC (you already did — good).
  2. Burn a fresh data CD‑R on a known‑good burner at a low speed and “finalize/close session” when burning; try that disc in the laptop. Some burners leave multisession/packet discs unfinalized so other drives can’t see them. (en.wikipedia.org)

Windows checks (do these before registry edits or firmware updates):

  • In Device Manager: uninstall the optical drive entry and reboot so Windows redetects it.
  • Uninstall any packet‑writing software (InCD, DirectCD) if present — these can hide data on CD‑R unless the proper driver is loaded.
  • If the OS still behaves oddly, check/remove UpperFilters/LowerFilters per Microsoft guidance (backup the registry first). These are a common cause of optical‑drive problems. Be careful and back up before editing. (learn.microsoft.com)

If the drive still fails the same test outside Windows (boot a Linux live USB and try the disc) then it’s almost certainly hardware: older drive assemblies lose laser calibration or don’t match the reflectivity of some CD‑R dyes. The GCC‑4241N is an early slimline combo drive and, given the laptop’s age, the cheapest reliable fix usually is swapping the drive or using a small USB DVD writer. If you prefer to keep the unit, a cautious firmware update from the drive/system maker can help, but only if a matching update exists — firmware flashes carry risk. (manualslib.com)

Recommended order: clean discs/lens → try a freshly burned finalized CD‑R → uninstall packet‑writing software and reinstall default driver → test from a Linux live USB → replace drive if failure persists. Taking that path will separate format/driver issues from true hardware failure and avoid unnecessary purchases.

Recommended Answers

All 9 Replies

Member Avatar for mjdodd

worth trying a new or updated driver.
Worth checking the disks are OK on another machine.
Worth ensuring that you have not had a cd RW disk in the drive before the CD R as it may be remembering that type of disk and then finds it can't write to it as it is a R only disk. (mayneed a reboot to perform this. and then try the CD R disk/s)
M

Member Avatar for sarah newton

Just clean your CD and ensure whether you are able to run it in another drive.

commented: Erm, what has that gbt to do with the actual question? Did you actually read it??? -2
Member Avatar for sarah newton

If you are not able to run, it on another system, reboot the PC to get a better performance from the CD drive.

commented: sigh... -2
Member Avatar for Twenty8

The CD-Rs run just fine on other machines, and I power down/boot up my computer everyday.

This has been going on for years. I really have no clue why.

Thanks for the replies thus far. I'm guessing I should try an updated driver via Windows driver search?

The manufacturer drivers are here, but I don't think any correspond to the CD ROM drive, right?

Edited by Twenty8 because: n/a
Member Avatar for javanoob101

Maybe your CD-Drive doesn't read CD-r's????? (That would be really odd if it is true!)

Try using a CD laser cleaning CD and maybe that will help...or use a can of compressed air (use caution here!) and blow it into the drive's CD slot (open the cd drive's door) perhaps that will help clean it out... Dust can cause this...

Hope this helps!

javanoob101

Member Avatar for Twenty8

update the firmware of your cd room..... or go to this link...

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/cd_dvd_drive_problems/

Thanks for the link. However, it wants me to install SP3 and NET, and I don't see how either of those will fix the problem. In fact, I had NET before I did a restore, and the problem was still there.

I think I'm going to be stuck with this until I get a new computer. Funny thing is, it reads CD-Rs that have been written as audio, just not CD-Rs written as data.

Strange.

Nonetheless, I appreciate all the replies.

Member Avatar for javanoob101

I think I'm going to be stuck with this until I get a new computer. Funny thing is, it reads CD-Rs that have been written as audio, just not CD-Rs written as data.

Strange.

Nonetheless, I appreciate all the replies.

That is just strange... It reads Audio CD-R's? but not Data CD-R's?!?

I think (unfortunatly) you might just be better off buying a used CD drive from ebay or something for a cheap price...

Unless your CD drive can't read Data CD-r's in the first place...
Or maybe it can't read the CD's file system. (usually they can read CDFS file systems)

javanoob101

Edited by javanoob101 because: n/a
Member Avatar for Twenty8

That is just strange... It reads Audio CD-R's? but not Data CD-R's?!?

I think (unfortunatly) you might just be better off buying a used CD drive from ebay or something for a cheap price...

Unless your CD drive can't read Data CD-r's in the first place...
Or maybe it can't read the CD's file system. (usually they can read CDFS file systems)

javanoob101

Who knows what happened? It used to read/write CD-Rs and RWs just fine, but now only RWs. It plays DVDs fine, too, or other software that wasn't written on a blank disc (e.g. I am able to use the restore disks just fine).

My laptop is old, though -- circa 2002. I'll have to save up for a new one.

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