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General discussion

DVD drive problem...

Feb 15, 2015 1:44AM PST

Earlier today I was having trouble with my laptop. I erased the drive because I'm planning on selling the laptop on Ebay, but when I tried to boot up the Windows disk to reinstall it wouldn't work. I ended up installing Windows from a flash drive, which worked perfectly. Now though, my DVD drive isn't reading disks. In device manager, it shows and device status says "This device is working properly". I know it isn't though, and there's nothing I can do about it. I've tried updating the drivers, but they're already up to date. I've tried uninstalling the driver and reinstalling it, but it still doesn't work. I've also run Microsoft Fix It on the laptop, but that couldn't find a solution. I've also tried a firmware update on the DVD drive, which made absolutely no difference.

Discussion is locked

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Yes. These drives do fail about 2 or so years out.
Feb 15, 2015 1:50AM PST

You didn't write about cleaning the lens but such drives are fungible to a point. Why not sell it as-is?
Bob

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Could do but...
Feb 15, 2015 1:59AM PST

I could do that, but I would probably get more money for it with a working DVD drive. I could get a replacement for the drive off Ebay for £12-£15, which isn't that much. How would I go about cleaning the lens without the risk of damaging it further (If it isn't already damaged enough)?

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how about some tutorials
Feb 15, 2015 2:21AM PST
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YES!
Feb 15, 2015 3:19AM PST

I LOVE YOU!!! Cleaning the lens and and the area around it worked! I now have a fully functioning DVD drive. YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON!!

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I was wrong!
Feb 15, 2015 3:41AM PST

OK, the drive read one DVD and let me access it. Now it's gone back to how it was before, now able to read a disk. I tried cleaning the drive again, but it didn't work this time.

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Oh, and...
Feb 15, 2015 3:44AM PST

It's now making a strange buzzing or humming sound that it never used to make before.

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Time to put a new drive in and move on.
Feb 15, 2015 3:48AM PST

Dafydd.

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I wonder.
Feb 15, 2015 3:55AM PST

These laptops can suck up a small scrap of paper and now this noise. Or the fan fails, etc.

I've lost count of how many machines with fan noises. Never quite the same thing but paper scrap and failed/failing fans are all too common.

It's an older laptop so don't expect it to be silent as new.
Bob

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True Bob.
Feb 15, 2015 4:10AM PST

I had a laptop here a few weeks ago. Riddled with malware from the usual torrent sites and a whole lot of toolbars. I had to open it up due to fan noise. The amount of crud that had accumulated around the fan blades was enough to cause contact.

A good blast of air along with a soft brush sorted it. When the person came to pick it up I turned it on to demonstrate and they complained the fan wasn't working. It was, but not at the 100% they were used to.
Dafydd.

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Looks like I'll be getting a new drive then...
Feb 15, 2015 4:17AM PST

I think you're correct about me needing to get a new drive. It's not that old of a laptop to be honest. I only got it in mid-2012, and it's a gaming laptop. I could get about £500 for it on Ebay, so I don't think £12-£15 to replace the DVD drive is that bad. Without a working DVD drive, I don't know if I'd even get £400 for it.

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So annoying...
Feb 15, 2015 4:19AM PST

I wonder why it worked that one time a little while ago though...? Damn it, for giving me false hope!

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try something like
Feb 15, 2015 4:26AM PST

CDBurnerXP and see if it makes a difference
Digger

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Doesn't work either.
Feb 15, 2015 4:57AM PST

I tried CDBurnerXP, but it just says "Not writable (No disc) when I try and burn a data CD. I've tried more than one blank DVD as well, with the same result.

Out of curiosity, I tried the drive with an audio CD. It worked perfectly, but the DVD put in straight afterward wouldn't read.

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Two different lasers for cd/dvd.
Feb 15, 2015 5:04AM PST

Seems to me the laser for the dvd has gone south.
Dafydd.

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So CD works, DVD fails? Some drives were CD only.
Feb 15, 2015 5:02AM PST

Let's hear the exact model number of that drive.

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Here goes...
Feb 15, 2015 5:13AM PST

The drive is listed in device manager as TSSTcorp CDDVDW SN-208FB ATA Device.

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Whoops!
Feb 15, 2015 5:21AM PST

Tell a lie, that's the drive in my new laptop! It's been a long day, and I'm tired Silly

The drive in my old laptop (The one not working) is TSSTcorp CDDVDW SN-208BB ATA Device.

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It's a few years old.
Feb 15, 2015 5:24AM PST
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Two ways to go here.
Feb 15, 2015 5:33AM PST

Sell it for less than the price of a new drive, or add the new drive and put the cost of that on top.
Dafydd.

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I'll get the new drive.
Feb 15, 2015 5:35AM PST

I think I've got more chance of selling it with a working drive.

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Or convert it to a SSD/HDD tray.
Feb 15, 2015 5:52AM PST
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Bit confused...
Feb 15, 2015 7:30AM PST

The broken DVD drive is SN-208BB/BEBE. If I bought a SN-208BB/SCFFZ or an SN-208BB/ASBFZ, would it still fit/work in the laptop? Looking at photos, they all look the same to me.

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I've swapped a few hundred now.
Feb 15, 2015 7:50AM PST

I like this word. Fungible.
Bob

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Had to Google that but...
Feb 15, 2015 7:55AM PST

It's good news. I'm guessing a SN-208FB would fit and work as well, as it just sounds like a slightly newer model of the same drive. I can get a brand new SN-208FB from Dabs for less than any of the used SN-208BB's on Ebay.