Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive?

moofiee · 08-04-2009, 06:35 AM

Okay, there's something wrong with my laptop. (It's an Acer Aspire 5720Z)
I inserted The Sims 1 into my DVD/CD drive, click on my computer and try to open it, it just comes up with
"Burn a disk"
"Prepare this blank disk"
"Disk title: Aug 04 2009
(Drop down arrow) "Show formatting options"

What's wrong with it? I definitely know that it's not blank because I installed it on my old computer a few times.
Also, I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium if that helps.

Madcatz · 08-04-2009, 07:33 AM

is it a burned disc your using or is it a factory disc?

does it do the same thing with other discs factory and burned? cd's and dvd's?

moofiee · 08-05-2009, 02:20 AM

Factory disk? What doe's that mean? Yes, it doe's the same thing with other disks too. They're all CD's. Haven't tried with a DVD yet though.

Madcatz · 08-05-2009, 08:52 AM

factory disc as in one that was bought and opened from a package. There are factory made discs, and burned discs. Some drives will stop reading burned discs and read factory ones, or the other way around.

If your using a burned cd, then try one that was bought from a store, try factory made dvd's and burned dvd's also if you have them. Do they all not work or do some work and not others?

moofiee · 08-06-2009, 03:07 AM

Ah. Yes it's a factory disk, so is the other one that I have tried. I don't have any burnt disks.

Madcatz · 08-06-2009, 06:56 AM

couple things you could try is cleaning the lens with cd lens cleaner, you could also try and get a bootable disc, if you have a recovery disc or windows install disc, see if your computer will boot to it.

Other than that you would really need some burned discs or in order to test the drive to really see if a replacement is needed or not (booting to original and burned discs is best way to tell if a drive is bad or not).

moofiee · 08-06-2009, 07:18 AM

What is CD lens cleaner? I don't have a recovery disk or anything similar :(

Madcatz · 08-06-2009, 07:25 AM

cd lens cleaner is something you can pick up at a retail store. usually has a disc and a bottle of cleaner.

Is it possible to get ahold of a windows install disc? work, friends, family, they are really common. You could even take your laptop over to somebodys house and try it right there (if they don't want you to borrow it) only takes a minute.

or, the computer your using now, click the link in my signature and download memtest86+ burn that to a cd and that gives you a burned cd that is bootable.

or if you don't want to or can't find anything, you could replace the drive, but without testing its booting capabilities (original and burned discs), theres no way to tell if its a windows/software problem or a bad drive.

moofiee · 08-07-2009, 02:10 AM

I don't know how to burn stuff to a disk so I'll just get it looked at. Or use the CD lens cleaner.

08-04-2009, 06:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
moofiee Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista	Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? Okay, there's something wrong with my laptop. (It's an Acer Aspire 5720Z) I inserted The Sims 1 into my DVD/CD drive, click on my computer and try to open it, it just comes up with "Burn a disk" "Prepare this blank disk" "Disk title: Aug 04 2009 (Drop down arrow) "Show formatting options" What's wrong with it? I definitely know that it's not blank because I installed it on my old computer a few times. Also, I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium if that helps. Last edited by moofiee; 08-04-2009 at 06:37 AM.

08-04-2009, 07:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? is it a burned disc your using or is it a factory disc? does it do the same thing with other discs factory and burned? cd's and dvd's? __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-05-2009, 02:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
moofiee Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? Factory disk? What doe's that mean? Yes, it doe's the same thing with other disks too. They're all CD's. Haven't tried with a DVD yet though.

08-05-2009, 08:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? factory disc as in one that was bought and opened from a package. There are factory made discs, and burned discs. Some drives will stop reading burned discs and read factory ones, or the other way around. If your using a burned cd, then try one that was bought from a store, try factory made dvd's and burned dvd's also if you have them. Do they all not work or do some work and not others? __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-06-2009, 03:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
moofiee Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? Ah. Yes it's a factory disk, so is the other one that I have tried. I don't have any burnt disks.

08-06-2009, 06:56 AM	#6 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? couple things you could try is cleaning the lens with cd lens cleaner, you could also try and get a bootable disc, if you have a recovery disc or windows install disc, see if your computer will boot to it. Other than that you would really need some burned discs or in order to test the drive to really see if a replacement is needed or not (booting to original and burned discs is best way to tell if a drive is bad or not). __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-06-2009, 07:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
moofiee Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? What is CD lens cleaner? I don't have a recovery disk or anything similar :(

08-06-2009, 07:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? cd lens cleaner is something you can pick up at a retail store. usually has a disc and a bottle of cleaner. Is it possible to get ahold of a windows install disc? work, friends, family, they are really common. You could even take your laptop over to somebodys house and try it right there (if they don't want you to borrow it) only takes a minute. or, the computer your using now, click the link in my signature and download memtest86+ burn that to a cd and that gives you a burned cd that is bootable. or if you don't want to or can't find anything, you could replace the drive, but without testing its booting capabilities (original and burned discs), theres no way to tell if its a windows/software problem or a bad drive. __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-07-2009, 02:10 AM	#9 (permalink)
moofiee Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista	Re: Something wrong with my CD/DVD drive? I don't know how to burn stuff to a disk so I'll just get it looked at. Or use the CD lens cleaner. Last edited by moofiee; 08-07-2009 at 02:11 AM.