DVDs won't play but CDs will

Malmo · 10-17-2005, 08:21 AM

Hello there,
I recently experienced a problem with the DVD drive on my laptop (XP). It was working fine in the morning, but when I tried to play the same DVD in the evening, the drive made some noises, blinked its light a few times and just wouldn't recognise that a DVD had been inserted. Windows Media Player 10 just says No Disc in Drive. I tried random DVDs and the same problem for each one. When I tried CDs they worked just fine (I know that these combo drives have 2 lens - one for CDs and one for DVDs). I left the problem alone for a while.

I moved to a new home after a couple of weeks, and the drive started working again and I had no problems with any DVDs...until I visited my parents at my old home and tried a DVD...the same problem again. No Disc in Drive according to WMP 10.

So I bought a DVD lens cleaner after reading that other people have experienced similar problems. This had no effect at all.

I then uninstalled the driver and reinstalled it after booting up. No effect.

So I contacted my laptop provider's helpdesk by email as I'm still well within the warranty period.

Whats really freaky is that when I went back to my new place the next day, it started working again! Surely it can't be the location?! The only difference between the 2 locations is that my old place (where my parents live) has a wireless network set up, which my laptop just automatically connects to when I start it up. But I never had a problem with the drive before when I was living there.

I thought I'd throw this one out there to you as I'd like to know if theres a logical reason for this bizarre problem.

**please** · 10-18-2005, 09:47 AM

@ Malmo
Welcome

That is a strange problem. I don't have great advice for you, but maybe a few suggestions. Try fooling around to see if you can pinpoint the cause. Try disconnecting from your parents wireless network to see if that allows you to watch a dvd. It would be too weird if there was a conflict between a wireless network software/hardware and wmp10. Try some other dvd-playing software.

It is hard to say whether replacing the drive under warrant would be of benefit or not.

Or, don't watch dvds on your laptop at your parents house

10-17-2005, 08:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
Malmo Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1 OS: XP	DVDs won't play but CDs will Hello there, I recently experienced a problem with the DVD drive on my laptop (XP). It was working fine in the morning, but when I tried to play the same DVD in the evening, the drive made some noises, blinked its light a few times and just wouldn't recognise that a DVD had been inserted. Windows Media Player 10 just says No Disc in Drive. I tried random DVDs and the same problem for each one. When I tried CDs they worked just fine (I know that these combo drives have 2 lens - one for CDs and one for DVDs). I left the problem alone for a while. I moved to a new home after a couple of weeks, and the drive started working again and I had no problems with any DVDs...until I visited my parents at my old home and tried a DVD...the same problem again. No Disc in Drive according to WMP 10. So I bought a DVD lens cleaner after reading that other people have experienced similar problems. This had no effect at all. I then uninstalled the driver and reinstalled it after booting up. No effect. So I contacted my laptop provider's helpdesk by email as I'm still well within the warranty period. Whats really freaky is that when I went back to my new place the next day, it started working again! Surely it can't be the location?! The only difference between the 2 locations is that my old place (where my parents live) has a wireless network set up, which my laptop just automatically connects to when I start it up. But I never had a problem with the drive before when I was living there. I thought I'd throw this one out there to you as I'd like to know if theres a logical reason for this bizarre problem.

10-18-2005, 09:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
please Tech Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,185 OS: WinXP SP2	@ Malmo Welcome That is a strange problem. I don't have great advice for you, but maybe a few suggestions. Try fooling around to see if you can pinpoint the cause. Try disconnecting from your parents wireless network to see if that allows you to watch a dvd. It would be too weird if there was a conflict between a wireless network software/hardware and wmp10. Try some other dvd-playing software. It is hard to say whether replacing the drive under warrant would be of benefit or not. Or, don't watch dvds on your laptop at your parents house __________________ P4P800E-D:~:P4 3.0C@3.75GHz:~:Zal7000AlCu:~:OCZ4001024ELDCPER2-K@250MHz 2.5-3-3-7 WinXP SP2>2X160GB Samsung SATA ICH5R RAID1:~:2x80GB Samsung SATA Promise RAID0 ATI A-I-W X800XT~SB Audigy2 ZS~2X BenQ1620~Antec SLK3700AMB~Antec SmartPower2.0 500W