Do I need a new DVD-RW drive?

My results thus far: Random DVD - still didn?t work, put same DVD?s into my home DVD player, movie played & data DVD, (music files), showed that there was a music folder, but of course couldn't access.
Safe mode: didn?t work here either
Right-click: shows nothing - as if DVD not in drawer -- When you first insert a DVD, it appears to take a very long time to load up, but then nothing happens.
Don?t have an Ubuntu LiveCD
Noticed when I click on my ?D? drive, my CD-ROM, it asks to insert a disk. When I click on my ?E? drive, my DVD burner, it doesn?t ask or do anything.
Regarding my CD burning, since I?m using my DVD to burn the CD?s, I just assumed ?if? I was having problems with the ?burner? then ?that? was the problem - and yes, I was making Audio CD?s. Shows what I know, huh. I just erased an CD-RW and burned some data files and it worked just fine. To clarify thou, I was using some older CD?s I had, and I bought some new ones, and they worked fine to complete the CD burning that I had been doing. I just thought the two issues were connected. So, the bottom line seems to be that I can't 'read' a DVD or its not recognized.
Thanks,
Eddie

You might have a driver problem with the dvd drive itself. Try creating a new user with administrative privelages. It might just be a corrupted file in your user account.

If you can, you could also do a revert before you start swapping hardware. Since it is reading CD's and not DVD's, it's probably not the hardware. That indicated the motor, laser, and receptors are working properly, as well as the I/O module for the DVDWR and the CPU. But if the driver is corrupt or partially corrupted, it may do what you are describing.

If updating or re-installing the driver doesn't work, remove it from your hardware through the control panel. Then add it again using the 'add hardware' wizard. Do a retest.

You should then remove both the CDROM and the DVDWR from you computer and swap the locations. Make sure you remove them from the control panel first or windows might freak out. Don't do this if you haven't got a backup or the required software for the DVDWR. But if you can obtain a good driver for the DVDRW drive, then you can do this. Your driver for the CDROM is good so no need to worry about that.
If your CDROM stops working right in the slot where the DVDRW drive used to be AND the DVDRW drive DOES WORK in the slot where the CDROM drive used to be, then the issue is probably with a connection or your motherboard. But that's highly unlikely unless you play around in there alot or if it's really dirty or dusty.

Lastly, if you have the money available. The easiest way after all that is to swap it with a new DVDRW drive. You might want to do this instead of what I recommended in the previous paragraph, especially if you're not comfortable with switching mounts and serial cables around, that could involve changing some of the structures in the case that hold those connections, but the ports should be the same for both slots.
If the new DVDRW drive works in place of the old one, you might try to re-install the old one, just to see if that makes the computer trick-fk itself into believing it's a new one. That way you might be able to return the new one and get your money back.

I hope this helps.

I uninstalled both CD-ROM & DVD-RW via control panel. I powered down, took cover off and blow everything out. Then I got a scare, I couldn't power back up. LOL. Seems I didn't reinstall the front cover properly. Anyway, upon reboot, the computer reinstalled the two disc drives, but still no go. I really don't want to get into swapping stuff, so I'll look to buy a new DVD-RW and when I get it, maybe try what you are saying.
On a related note, I could not find a separate driver for the DVD, so I assume its getting everything from the windows Xp OS. That being the case, if somehow that is corrupted, then if I reinstall the OS with my original CD might that fix the issue. Don't really want to go there, as that would entail a lot of work. Can't slip stream anything because of the problem with the burner. I have, in the past tried various different 'software' burner programs, and they may have messed things up. Who knows for sure. Just thinking out loud.
Any further suggestions,
Eddie

Do you have ANY DVD software installed on the computer? You've mentioned that you can make CD's on the DVD drive..but have you EVER been able to make DVD discs, like DVD data discs or DVD movie discs? In addition, have you EVER been able to view commercial DVD's on the DVD drive? Do you have any software like WinDVD or Power DVD on the machine which allows you to watch movies?

If neither of the above applies, then you may simply need DVD software. The links to the free software below should help with that..

CDBurner Pro-Burns DVDs and CDs
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/download.php

VLC Media Player- Plays DVDs although the programs I mentioned above will do a better job
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

On the other hand, if you've already got the right software, then it appears as if your current DVD drive is headed south.. DVD-RW drives are pretty cheap and too easy to replace to wait around.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Hi Grif,
Thanks for trying to help. Replies to your inquires:
It was a very long time ago, that I actually made a DVD movie. And yes I did see it on my computer. I had uninstalled the ?WinDVD?, but I just installed it again, and no I could not see the store bought DVD ?today?. As someone recently noted, I look at my DVD?s on my ?big? screen TV in the living room not on my 17? monitor. LOL. Anyway, I have ?recently? made DVD data discs that contained my ?computer? music and yes I checked it before putting it away for safekeeping and ?no? it will not play now.
Just to clarify something for me, since the DVD gets its driver info from the Operating System, if it had become corrupt somehow, would buying a new 'DVD burner' work? I ask, because with reformats and slipstreaming stuff, I suppose this could happen. No error messages, thou.
Thanks,
Eddie

...since you mentioned uninstall, reinstall of DVD software, please click on the link below and follow the steps to remove the "upper/lower filters" entry in the registry. It may allow your drive to be "seen" again.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

It that doesn't help, then a new drive is in order.. No drivers will be needed and it should be recognized as soon as you replace the old one.. (Make sure to set the jumpers the same as your current drive when doing the replacement.)

Hope this helps.

Grif

seems there weren't any upper or lower filters. I did the 'auto' guide thing this time, and it also said, no such animal.
Well here I go to the store I guess.
Thanks everyone,
Eddie

To determine whether or not the problem is software or hardware, You could go to the store and buy a new one. You said you pulled out the drive and cleaned it out, then replaced it. You could do the same thing with the CDROM drive and swap locations. That would tell you if the problem is with the drive or the slot it plugs into.

If you buy a new DVDRW drive and it does the same thing, you will know it's likely the plug or connecting cables.

As far as drivers go. The OS might supply one for you, but there are better ones out there. If you know the model and manufacturer, you could go to the website of that company and download a new driver. I've had to do it for networking hardware and for a DVD drive. I had pretty similar problems, actually.

I couldn't even see the drive on my user account but it was there on the administrator account. After re-creating all user accounts and updating the driver to the right one, it worked just fine.

Good luck with whatever route you decide to go.

Every time we get a hiccup with out computers, we learn a little more. Bought a new DVD burner and it works fine. Since there was no "additional" software/drivers to install, obviously the 'burner' gets its necessary 'whatever' to make itself work from the operating system. So no operating system problems, just a worn out component.
Alls well. Thanks again for everyone's input & suggestions,
Eddie

I am a computer consultant and troubleshooter. I carry a CD-ROM with the free utilities that I install on my client's systems. I have always used good-quality burners, such as ones from Plextor, Yamaha, and LiteOn, and I always test the discs in a separate read-only drive after I create them.

Almost invariably, I have problems using the discs in the optical drives in my clients' Dell computers. Usually the drives have been made by Samsung, although some have been made by NEC. I wouldn't give you two cents for either of them.

Replacement drives are so inexpensive today that if you've having a problem with an optical drive in a mass-market computer, such as those made by Dell, HP/Compaq, or Gateway/emachines, I would just replace it. Sony, Plextor, and LiteOn all make decent drives.