Author Topic: DVD drive not being recognized (Read 20302 times)

thatcrazydoglady · « **on:** January 31, 2013, 11:03:47 pm »

Love your all-in-one program! It has kept my dying hard drive going for a bit longer. Newest problem is that my dvd drive wasn't reading dvds/cds. Contacted Dell and they said it was faulty and they were going to replace it. In the meantime, I ran your program again and this seemed to fix the drive and it was reading discs again! Then, dummy me, let the Dell tech. install the new drive anyway. It worked, but had a loud clicking noise that didn't sound right, so the tech ordered another drive. Came today to install it and then it wasn't being recognized by my computer! In My Computer, didn't even show up. So, after trying various things and talking with the Dell Service Desk, the telephone Dell guy says I need to reinstall my OS! I said "No way!" So, the clicking drive got reinstalled, but now the computer is not recognizing it either! Another dvd drive has been ordered, but I just don't know what to do now. I have tried your program again, but since there's no drive being recognized, I don't think it did any good. The Dell website's PC diagnostic doesn't show the dvd drive as being there either. Any suggestions? I have tried the Registry where you can delete the upper and lower......., but my registry line doesn't have those line items. I've tried System Restore, but I don't have any older than today restore points. I'm at a loss.

Tomas_Sweden · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2013, 01:29:55 am »

Do you have a laptop or a desktop computer and which Windows version do you have?

Is there is no CD/DVD drive listed in BIOS?

Did you check the master/slave jumpers?

Does the drive show up in Device Manager?

Tomas

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2013, 05:13:09 am »

I have a laptop....Dell XPS M1330. I am using Windows Ultimate 7. There is no CD/DVD listed in BIOS. What are the master/slave jumpers? I assume the Dell tech. checked those when she did the installation(s). The drive does not show up in Device Manager. But prior to yesterday, the replaced drive was being recognized (just making the abnormal clicking sound), as did the original one before the replacement. This began yesterday when the 2nd replacement was installed and then continued when the 1st replacement was reinstalled. The Dell tech. that was here knew how to replacement hardware, but was not savvy in much else about computers (ie. software related problems that might be causing this, altho' I'm not sure this is software related, since the drive is not even showing as being in the computer). If you press the eject button at the top of my computer, you can make the drive sound like it is trying to read the disc that is in it; but then it stops and won't eject the disc either.

Shane · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2013, 09:58:49 am »

It may not be software related.

If you go into the bios and go to the boot order you should see the drive there. If it doesnt show up there then the motherboard isnt seeing the drive.

But if it happened to 3 different drives then it may be the motherboard itself that is bad and the port the cd plugs into.

You can also confirm that it is hardware and not software by getting your hands on a usb external cd drive. I keep one here to work on netbooks that dont have drives.

If the external cd drive shows up in Windows then you know it isnt Windows and a reinstall would have been pointless. How ever if Windows cant see the external either then we know to start looking in Windows

Given how cheap they are it is worth getting one. Then you can use it on any system. This one is a dvd burner, so you can play dvds, burn dvds and cds and use it on any system. Not bad for $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106382

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2013, 01:30:16 pm »

Thank you so much for this info', Shane! I've just placed an order on Amazon for a dvd drive that will arrive by tomorrow. I would like to know everything I can as my ammunition for dealing with Dell, before I contact them again. It's my understanding that there is another drive coming by the first part of next week, so this weekend is my window of opportunity. The BIOS is definitely not reading that there is a dvd drive. So, as you say, if this external drive I've ordered works, then I will have my proof that it is hardware and not software. Either way, I want to know. If it turns out to be software, then I'll just get the hard drive replaced sooner rather than later (extended warranty will cover this), so I'll be dealing with the headaches of a reinstall of the OS at the same time as a transfer to the new hard drive. I'm looking forward to seeing what this external dvd drive will show me tomorrow. I will let you know!

Shane · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2013, 01:33:30 pm »

Great

Let me know how it goes

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2013, 06:10:24 pm »

Well, Shane, my external dvd drive from Amazon arrived today and it works with my computer! Yay! Does that mean that the motherboard is not recognizing the internal dvd drive?

But, now I seem to have other problems that have developed.

1. All my Windows updates (and history) have disappeared and I can't get any new updates. When I ask to find updates, I get the error message "Code 80073712, Windows Update encountered an unknown error." I've tried everything I can think of, including running the Tweaking All-In-One Windows Repair.....to no avail. I even tried doing a Windows Repair from my Windows 7 disc (now that I have an external dvd drive! Thanks for turning me on to this!), but.....nothing different for updates or sfc /scannow.

2. Can't run sfc /scannow from command prompt as administrator - get message "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation." I discovered this when I tried to run it before running the All-In-One program.

3. All my System Restore points past 1/31/2013 are gone, which is after the above problems began.

4. DVD drive not recognized by computer in BIOS or My Computer. Sounds like it's trying to read inserted disc upon boot up and when you first press eject button, but nothing more and won't eject.

5.. I know I have 4kb in bad sectors on my hard drive.

So, what does this all sound like to you? Is this the bad sectors on the hard drive playing games and I should now really consider getting a new one (Dell owes me one anyway under my extended warranty). Or is there possibly something more simple that I can do to fix these problems? I have a current back up of all my files and folders and plan on doing so every day till I get this sorted out. I would imagine that if this is a Windows problem that making a system image at this point probably isn't a very good idea, altho' I do have one (I think - Acronis True Image), but I've never tried it, so don't know if it will really work or not!

Hope you have some ideas for me! Thanks, Eve (thatcrazydoglady!)

Shane · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2013, 09:58:26 pm »

Any time a hard drive has bad sectors you should replace it. Also if any system files are on that bad sector it can cause windows to act very odd.

Then you have gone through 3 dvd drives and none worked. Then when you plugged in a external dvd it worked fine. This tells me it might be the motherboard. Which if anything isnt working correctly with the motherboard it can cause Windows to act nuts as well.

To be honest, if you can get them to, I say replace both the motherboard and hard drive. And if the internal drive doesn't make click noises go back to a drive that doesn't.

There is a reason they only give their systems 1 year warranties lol

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2013, 07:04:06 am »

Thanks, Shane. I had a feeling that's what you were going to say! I'm going to buy myself a cheap netbook to help me get through the frustrations of making this changeover with a new hard drive. I know....shouldn't be hard, but I will have to upgrade the Vista they install on it to my current upgraded Windows 7 Ultimate! I will survive!

Shane · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2013, 10:07:23 am »

The threads on my forum auto lock after 30 days of no posts, if you get everything fixed and replaced before then post back and let me know how it goes

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2013, 01:48:29 pm »

I will do that, Shane! Got the netbook ordered.....new dvd drive is coming on Wednesday.....Dell will replace the motherboard if it doesn't work......Then after next week, I'll work on getting the new hard drive installed! Always something! Now, after trying the Windows Repair from the disk, my Office 2010 says its not activated! And since my old computer tech installed it a couple years ago, I don't have a product key that works! So, I'm going to uninstall it and reinstall my Office 2007 that I know is a legal copy!

I will post again once everything has happened in sequence! Thanks, Eve

Shane · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2013, 05:43:41 pm »

Quote

after trying the Windows Repair from the disk, my Office 2010 says its not activated

Odd I never had that happen with other systems with office 2010. Unless of course it was using a hack and had something in the hosts file. The repair tool replaces the hosts file but makes a backup of it first. Check the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc

There you will see the backup host files, check them and see if they had something in there

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2013, 05:56:44 pm »

Gonna check that now, but it gets worse. I still have my original Office Basic 2007, with a valid product key. It lets me start the install after validating the product key, but then I get this error message "Error 1935 - An error occurred during the installation of assembly component {97F81AF1-0E47-DC99-A01F-C8B3B9A1E18E} Result : 0x80073712

This Error code at the end is the same one that I am getting when I try to get any Windows Updates. Obviously some connection there????

Shane · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2013, 06:01:15 pm »

Looks like the Windows file system transaction log has become corrupted.

Give this fix a try.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-windows_programs/error-1935an-error-occurred-during-the/7105ee7e-ab45-4bd2-b5db-a3e9002f7f9e

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2013, 06:36:41 pm »

Just tried what you suggested. It didn't work. Same error message.

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2013, 10:30:17 pm »

So frustrated! In tears over trying everything with Microsoft and nothing is working! Been trying Visual C++, .NET Framework, various other supposed fixes and nothing is working! So I no longer have a working version of Office, can't do any updates, can't run
sfc /scannow. I don't know what to do now! And this all began from a stupid dvd drive not working!

Going to bed now. Maybe things will look better tomorrow. NOT!

Tomas_Sweden · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2013, 11:48:07 pm »

I googled a little and found this: Error Code 0x80073712 occurs in Windows Update or Microsoft Update http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957310
also found this: Steps that might help fix Windows Update errors and a blank Windows Features dialog in Windows Vista http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2009/01/09/9303167.aspx

Tomas

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2013, 06:32:19 am »

Thanks, Tomas. I'm afraid I've tried both these fixes and what seems like a million others. Nothing seems to work. Here is a list of my problems as concise as I can remember -

1. All Windows updates seem to have disappeared.
2. Can't do any Windows updates currently. Get error message Code 80073712, Windows Update encountered an unknown error.
3. Can't turn on/off Windows Features. Box appears blank.
4. Can't run sfc /scannow from command prompt as administrator - get message "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation."
5. Can't do a System Restore past 1/31/2013, which is after the above problems began.
6. DVD drive not recognized by computer in BIOS or My Computer. Sounds like it's trying to read inserted disc upon boot up and when you first press eject button, but nothing more and won't eject. This is getting replaced again Wednesday. Dell says if it doesn't work, they will then replace the motherboard, as per Shane's suggestion.
7. I know I have 4kb in bad sectors on my hard drive.
8. No longer have a working Office program. After attempting a Windows Repair from the disc, was getting message that my product key was not valid. Removed Office 2010 and tried to install Office Basic 2007 that came with my computer and get this error message - Error 1935. An error occurred during the installation of assembly component {97F81AF1-0E47-DC99-A01F-C8B3B9A1E18E}; HRESULT: 0x80073712.

So, needless to say, I'm very frustrated right about now. I have not yet tried an In-place Upgrade of Windows from the disc. This one worries me...attempting this before getting the new hard drive. I just wish there was something that would fix it all!

Shane · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2013, 11:05:31 am »

If the motherboard or hard drive isnt working right then you will get a lot of errors in Windows as well.

Dont stress yourself out, wait for those replacement parts and then we will go from there

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:16:30 pm »

Thanks, Shane. There's not much more I can do at this point anyway. I do agree with you tho'. And I just have to be patient and take each step as it happens. Step 1 - new dvd drive tomorrow (probably won't work). Step 2 - new motherboard (another couple of days or so; this one gets tricky, 'cause my husband gets back into town Thursday evening and he doesn't like me to be all wrapped up in the computer!). Step 3 - After husband leaves next Wednesday, tell Dell that I want my new hard drive, with Vista installed on it. Step 4 - After making sure that the new drive works with Vista, and my files and folders added to it, try to reinstall my Windows 7 Ultimate and then all the files and folders onto it. I don't think I want to attempt using the system image I may or may not have, since I don't know what has caused all the problems and I don't want to just repeat them. Step 5 - reinstall all my programs (the not so fun part!).

Have I missed anything? Is there any easier way of doing things than I've listed? I want to have this all fixed before I leave here and make my drive north to Calgary (our house here is in Lake Tahoe), which will be on March 5th, so the thread should still be active (you did say it stays active for 30 days, right?). I've sent an email to the local Reno tech that I know, but he's not responded, so I may be relying on you guys rather heavily, once I have the new hard drive!

Thanks, Eve

Shane · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:28:06 pm »

Just make sure to have a backup of your files before you do anything

Shane

thatcrazydoglady · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:50:18 pm »

Doin' that daily these days......Just in case! Thanks for the reminder tho'!