CD or DVD drives and drives are now less common - they have been replaced by USB flash drives. The advantage of the disk was its compact size and large amount of stored information, and the disadvantage of their fragility. Information could easily be lost with just a few scratches on the work surface. If your drive does not read discs, this article will help you find out why, and what needs to be done to fix the situation.

The drive does not read discs - why and what to do. Is it possible to fix it myself

It is clear that the above problem occurs for two reasons:

• The device itself is faulty;
• Faulty disk;

And if you can evaluate the condition of the disk yourself, then what to do with the drive? Let's analyze all possible options.

The drive does not read discs - we will diagnose it

Failure of a disk drive is not uncommon, especially if it is many years old. The main reasons for drive failure are as follows:

• Dust that contaminates the lens through which the laser beam passes. You can carefully disassemble the drive and wipe it, for example, with a DRY cotton swab. Do not use solvents - the lens may tarnish and the drive will stop reading.
• The material from which the lens is made. Poor-quality plastic lenses quickly become cloudy and stop transmitting the beam in the volume necessary for work. You can only replace the lens in a service center, you cannot do it yourself.
• Reduced laser power - its power will not be enough to write or read discs. For example, the drive will read CDs fine, but not respond to DVDs. Or disk reading will proceed as usual, and errors will begin to occur during writing - this is a clear sign of a decrease in power. On the Internet you can find information on how to make adjustments, but remember this can lead to a complete failure of the drive.

Discs are not readable - what to do with them

As a rule, careless handling can lead to breakage or scratches on the work surface. Contamination is also the enemy of the disc, but it can be carefully removed without the use of solvents. Cracks and scratches, unfortunately, speak of its complete unsuitability. Replace the disc with a new one and try to be more careful.

If yours, do not rush to run for a new one! Drives for many reasons can begin to "work out". Perhaps the problem is not in the drive at all. And if the drive is to blame, then there are ways to bring it back to life. In this article I will tell you everything I know about this problem, and at the end of the article I will tell you how to read scratched discs!

Nature of the problem

First of all, you need to determine the nature of the malfunction. The DVD drive may not read all discs at all, or only some. Check it. If some discs are still readable, then the problem is in the hardware. How to solve it I will tell below.

First of all, we will try to return the drive to its former agility by removing software restrictions. If the operating system malfunctions, the drive may not read anything at all. By the way, there may or may not be the same problems with recording discs.

Software solution to the problem

Remember what programs you installed lately, what games did your children install? A common cause of the problem is virtual disk managers such as and. Games can install virtual disks for their own needs, and they can conflict with each other. In some cases, the DVD drive does not read discs after installing a disc burning program.

To make sure that this is precisely the problem, the advice is simple - demolish these programs and look at the result. But the removal may not bring results, if not, when everything was still working.

If everything worked, then we dig the problem in this direction: we try other analogues, other versions, leaving only what is necessary.

In the case of "alcohol", try unchecking "Force other programs to detect discs as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM" in the program settings.

The second cause of the problem may be a driver glitch. To solve the problem, we need the "Device Manager".

To enter the "Device Manager" go to "Control Panel -> System" or press the hot keys "Win + Pause" and select "Device Manager" on the left.

After removing the above software, virtual drives may still be present in the Device Manager under "DVD and CD-ROM drives". Delete them through the right-click menu, reboot and look at the result.

The next thing to do is:

• Go to the "View" menu and select "Show hidden devices"


• In the device tree, find the "SPTD" driver under the "Non-Plugin Device Drivers" branch


• Remove driver and reboot

This is all a legacy from virtual drives.

If it doesn't help, move on. In the "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" section, among the two or four channels of the controller, you need to find the one to which the DVD drive is connected. These four channels can be named differently, such as "Primary IDE Channel" and "Secondary IDE Channel", or "ATA Channel 0" and "ATA Channel 1" as in my picture. We open each in turn and look at the "Device Type".

We need to find a channel with a device type of "ATAPI CD-ROM drive" or something like that.

• We look at the checkbox "Enable DMA". Remove if available, or install if not.


• Reboot, look at the result


• If it works with the option disabled, then check the box again, reboot and check


• We leave the working option, but it is highly desirable that the "Enable DMA" function be enabled.

In some cases, this is the only way to get a DVD-ROM to work in Windows 7.

Another loophole to straighten the brains of the drive is to change the region in the settings. To do this, in the device manager, open your DVD drive and on the "DVD Region" tab, look at the current region. If it says "Current region: Not selected", then do not touch anything. And if some left one is selected, then we try to change it to our own. The number of attempts to change the region is only 5! In complete desperation, you can try to change the region from the “Not selected” state to some other one. But you can reset it back only by flashing it.

What to do if the problem is in the hardware

First of all, I advise you to replace the cable with a known working one and change the power plug to another one. This completes the repair.

During operation, the DVD drive collects dust, which partially settles on the laser head. Due to dust, the DVD drive does not read discs, or reads, but not all. It would be a good idea to disassemble the drive and VERY CAREFULLY clean the laser eye from dust with an ear stick lightly moistened with water or gasoline.

But not everyone can disassemble a DVD drive. In this case, special cleaning discs can help, i.e. CDs with glued brushes. When the drive tries to recognize the disc, it spins it and the brushes brush the dust off the laser head.

Due to excessively hard brushes, there have been cases of damage to the laser head. The brushes must be flexible and come with a lubricant.

You can also blow the insides of the drive through the open tray using a can of compressed air, as an option.

Sometimes updating the firmware of the drive helps. You need to look for a new firmware on the manufacturer's website and clearly follow the instructions for installing it.

A dying laser is a common occurrence if the DVD drive won't read discs. Due to a low laser, CD discs can be poorly read, but DVDs can be read perfectly and vice versa, because each type of disc has its own laser. Probably the drive has worked its way, if none of the above helped. Do not worry and buy a new one, since today they are inexpensive.

BONUS!

How to read a bad disk

When everything is in order with the drive, but there is a scratched disc that really needs to be read, then try sanding the disc with a soft cloth. Be sure to sand from the center to the edges! With this we will grind the most dangerous - longitudinal scratches, because. they match the tracks. I once tried a special device for stripping discs, but did not feel any benefit, better with my own hands

To read a bad disc there are special programs, for example paid or free. Programs try to read the bad sector many times with different parameters, and if nothing works, they simply skip it and move on. In this way, you can save everything that is possible. As a rule, for audio and video, the loss is not noticeable. In the bonus video below the article, I recorded how to read a bad disc using the Unstoppable Copier program.

Today you learned what can be done when the DVD drive does not read discs. I hope I saved you time looking for the right information or money to buy a new drive.

Greetings, dear readers.

Some computer users encounter a problem when the drive does not see Windows 10 discs. If you observe such “symptoms” on your device, you should not immediately run to the store for a new reading component. Such an ailment can appear as a result of various reasons. There are many ways to bring an element back to life. In the article below, I will tell you how to do this.

The first thing to start with is to determine the nature of the disease. Check if the problem occurs only when reading some discs or all. So, if it performs its functions selectively, the drive is most likely faulty. If the situation repeats with everyone - a software failure.

How to fix at the software level?()

What to do when you suddenly stop reading discs? Remember what exactly was installed on the equipment recently. It could be games or programs. Often the problem is virtual managers, such as Alcohol 120, Daemon Tools and the like. In addition, such “symptoms” appear as a result of placing a data recording program, Nero, on a laptop or desktop computer.

To solve the problem, you just need to remove the software installed before. If this does not help, use the System Restore tool. I have talked about this many times before.

If the ailment is gone, we try to install other versions of solutions that will not interfere with the operation of the drive. And in general, it is better to remove all unused software from the device. This has many positives.

Driver()

In addition, sometimes problems appear as a result of driver failure. The solution is the following:

If the DVD drive continues to refuse to perform its functions, we perform additional movements:

If this does not help, we take a few more steps:

Opening the tree IDE ATA…". We are looking for a controller to which the drive is connected. To do this, open each channel in turn and check " A type».

Find the option Enable DMA and celebrate it. If she was standing there, we remove it. We restart, and then we return it back.

hardware failure()

Why might the drive not work at the hardware level? There are many options. The first thing to do is to change the connection cable and the power plug.
In addition, you can use a special cleaning disc. It has microbrushes that clean the laser head. But before that, make sure they are flexible.

What to do if the DVD-ROM does not read discs, why does this happen and how to fix the problem?

This question is asked by some users when they discover that the media inserted into the drive is not recognized by the operating system.

Then, before fixing the problem, you need to establish how it appeared?

signs

The problem is non-specific and it can be detected in a very diverse way. It is possible to understand that a DVD-ROM does not read discs by one common characteristic - you installed the media in the drive, but it did not appear in the system. The physical variations of this phenomenon are as follows:

• Only media of a certain format is not readable, for example, CDs are readable, but DVDs are not. Or vice versa;
• Only media with a certain type of files are not readable (it happens quite rarely, but still occurs);
• Only media with certain technical characteristics (capacity, recording type, etc.) cannot be read;
• Only blanks (of any or any particular format) are not readable, however, media recorded in industrial conditions work properly;
• After installation in the drive, you can hear that it works, you can hear that the disk is spinning for a long time. But despite this, it is not determined by the system;
• Only movies are not played, regardless of the recording method and the presence of other files on them. Although most often we are talking about specialized discs with films bought in a store.

All types of reasons why this happens can be divided into two large groups. Hardware ones arise from the hardware side, due to its malfunction, incorrect operation, etc. Such problems are quite difficult to fix, especially for a beginner.

Often in this case, it is necessary to replace some components of the computer. It is not worth doing this, especially for a beginner who does not have special skills. It is recommended to seek the help of professionals.

The second common reason is software. That is, when the drive does not function due to the fact that it cannot communicate with the computer, due to faulty drivers, etc. Such problems are fixed quite easily, and you can do it yourself.

Both built-in and plug-in drive may not work. Regardless of the type of device, the methods of working with it, described below, can help. It is worth mentioning that for plug-in drives, such a problem is often associated with the software part, and much less often with the hardware.

Symptoms of a hardware problem

The device can fail for various reasons. Sometimes this is the operational wear of the heads or other components of the hardware, dust and other reasons. However, in these situations, it is typical to stop reading media of any type, but if only one type has ceased to be read, then it is probably something else (with rare exceptions).

Playback side

How to diagnose the problem and roughly determine what actually happened? There are several characteristic features:

1. If the VD opens, but the CD does not start, or vice versa, then the problem is most likely in a laser that has broken or has just begun to change its functionality;
2. When installing the media in the drive, the user hears how it makes noise, the speed of unwinding either rises or falls, in some cases a rattle is also heard - the lens is damaged (worn out, dusty, etc.);
3. If the problem described above occurs only with any one particular media, then the problem is in its own malfunction, and the drive is probably in order;
4. Licensed discs are detected fairly well, but unlicensed discs are not detected at all.

These are signs that may appear on the part of reading disks. They are not the only ones. But these are the most common ones.

Record side

A separate option is the signs of a drive malfunction, determined when writing to a storage medium. On the recording side, problems appear as follows:

1. The disc is not recorded at all;
2. Data is written at the beginning, but then the process is interrupted;
3. The data seems to have been written, the system shows that the process is completed (sometimes too quickly), but then such media does not open on any other device;
4. The recording has occurred or was interrupted, but the resulting disk is now impossible to format, clean, use again.

Those who often use the recording function note that if the hardware fails, recording problems appear before playback. That is, discs are no longer recorded, but still read properly. This allows timely repairs.

Troubleshooting a hardware problem

A dusty lens and a broken laser are the most common causes of such breakdowns. But often there is another reason. These are incorrect or poorly connected cables for powering and transferring SATA or IDE data.

This setting must be checked first. To do this, open the system unit and find the wires that go from the drive to the motherboard and computer power supply. Make sure they are connected securely (tightly fixed in ports, free of dust and debris, etc.).

If the cables are connected properly, then the problem is with the drive. Eliminating it is more difficult than buying a new device. It is much easier to purchase a drive - the price of such a component is about 1000 rubles.

In the case of laptops, and at all, you should not try to fix anything on your own. Since the drive connection system is connected there with many components. You can accidentally disable the entire device.

The way out in the case of laptops is to use a drive connected via USB. With installed drivers and the correct software, such a device works properly and stably.

In principle, for repair it is often enough to disassemble the drive. And then wipe the lens with a cotton swab. It’s just that it’s very difficult to do this, since these devices are selected without taking into account the fact that they will be disassembled (although in principle this can be done, there are no general algorithms).

Disassembling and Cleaning the optical CD DVD drive of a PC if it does not work well

If your computer drive does not read, does not see, freezes, reads CD DVD RW discs for a long time, or simply does not work.

Software reasons

Sometimes a driver or system problem can cause a device to stop working properly. This cause of the problem is quite easily eliminated and does not require additional fees. Therefore, before disassembling the drive, make sure that the problem is not in the software.

Signs of a software problem

How to diagnose software problems in the system? By what criteria are they identified? You can assume such a malfunction if the following factors are present:

1. The device stopped functioning normally after the operating system was reinstalled, or after it was updated;
2. Problems began after a manual or even automatic driver update (which happens quite rarely, but still happens);
3. Discs written specifically by a particular program, a disc of a certain format or with a certain type of data cannot be read (this can equally be a sign of a hardware or software problem);
4. Difficulties appeared immediately after installing a particular program (especially often such problems are caused by programs for working with media - Nero, Alcohol 120%, Daemon Tools).

It is enough to simply diagnose the cause of the problem in this way:

1. Turn off your computer;
2. Install the boot disk in the drive;
3. Turn on the computer;
4. Open BIOS;
5. Try to boot from disk.

Accordingly, if the loading was normal, then the drive is working properly (at least with this type of disk). If the download did not occur, then the problem definitely lies in the hardware.

Troubleshooting

If there is a program or update that caused the problem, uninstall the program. Moreover, you need to do this through the Control Panel, as well as delete all its files from system folders. Sometimes it is also advised to “clean up” its traces in the registry, but most often this is not required.

If it is not known exactly what program caused the problem, you can roll back the system to the point where the drive was definitely still working. Quite often this is enough, and the discs begin to read properly.

If problems arose after updating the drivers, then you can do this:

1. Hold Win + R on the keyboard to bring up the command line, Windows 10 users can simply click on the start menu and type Command Prompt manually;
2. A small command line window will open with an input field, enter the devmgmt.msc command in it;
3. The Device Manager will start, in which you need to find the Drives section;
4. Expand this section and find the drive with which you have a problem in the list;
5. Right-click on it and in the drop-down menu, click on the Delete section;
6. Now select the Action button in the menu at the top and find the Update hardware configuration item;
7. After clicking on it, the operating system will find the drive again and install the necessary driver on it.

Sometimes a partition has some kind of virtual disk drives and partitions. It is also advisable to remove them, as they can be the cause of the problem. After that, restart your computer to fix the problem.

Features of Windows 7

Some specifics of the problem are observed on computers with the Windows 7 operating system. Try to do this:

1. Open the Task Manager in the manner described above;
2. Go to the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section;
3. Items like ATA Channel 0, ATA Channel 1 should open;
4. In the right menu block, right-click on these items and go to the Properties section one by one;
5. In this window, go to the Advanced Options tab;
6. In the Device Type field, set Enable DMA;
7. Click Apply;
8. Restart your computer.

Now the problem should be fixed.

DVD drive repair

DVD player with a problem in the drive, he did not leave. Repairs were made and everything worked.

Very often, the computer does not have enough memory to store all the accumulated information. With the filling of the hard disk, it becomes necessary to transfer data to other media. Flash drives are expensive, but disks, in comparison, cost a penny. But even here problems can arise, disks can suddenly stop being read by your drive. This article will tell you about the possible causes of the breakdown and help you solve the problem.

Why did the drive stop reading discs?

There can be many reasons for this, ranging from problems with the disk to a complete failure of the drive. However, all causes can be divided into two categories, hardware and software problems.

Hardware problems are related to hardware problems. The following problems fall into this category:

1. The reason may be the disk itself, its deterioration can be so strong that no disk drive can read it.
2. The drive may stop accepting discs due to its contamination. For all the time of work, a large amount of dust accumulates inside the computer, which can get into the drive and settle on the read head.
3. Outgoing connecting wires will also affect the performance of the device.

These are the most common hardware problems; it is possible to determine which of these led to a failure only by “surgical” means, that is, you need to get into the system unit.

Diagnosing software problems is much easier. If problems appeared after installing any software, then we can talk about software incompatibility.

Solutions to hardware problems of reading disks.

Is your drive not reading discs? Do not rush to throw it away and run to buy a new one. To begin with, check the condition of the disk inserted into the drive, if it is in poor condition, then the reason may be the damaged disk, and not the drive. Remove the disc from the drive and inspect it for scratches and abrasions.

If everything is in order with the disk, then we move on. It is worth testing the drive on other discs of various types: CDs, DVDs and small miniCDs. It is recommended to use the newest disks for the test.

Do not forget about other hardware problems, open the cover of the system unit and carefully check the connection of the drive and connecting cables. If there is no obvious damage, still try to connect the drive using other available cables. And for prevention, clean the drive from dust and dirt. This can be done using special disks.

There is another way to clean the read head, but this option is for more experienced and confident users. This method involves disassembling the drive and cleaning the laser with water or high-quality gasoline. Never use cologne and other alcohol-containing liquids, as well as acetone, to clean the laser. Their use will lead to disastrous results.

Have you cleaned the drive, checked its performance on other disks and tried to make it work using other cables, but it still refuses to read disks? Don't be upset. You can move on to solving possible software problems, and consider all the above actions as preparatory.

Solutions to software problems of reading disks.

If it turns out that the problem is not hardware reasons, remember what you did with your computer earlier, what you installed, what you changed and deleted. Because you may have accidentally deleted or changed the files necessary for the drive to work.

To fix it, you will need to reinstall the device drivers required for the device to function normally and properly on the system. Mismatched or buggy drivers can cause the drive to fail to read discs.

In addition, you can disconnect the drive using the operating system and then reconnect it. For Windows, this is done in the system properties.

My Computer window

In the window that appears, click on Device Manager.

System Properties window

The manager looks for your drive and then deletes it.

Removing a device

After removing the device, you must restart the computer so that the system can detect the drive again and automatically install the appropriate software for it, that is, drivers.

Often, third-party software installed to emulate virtual drives becomes the cause of the drive not working properly. These programs include: DAEMON-Tools, Alcohol 120%, etc. All these programs can cause your drive to malfunction. If you have these programs on your computer, remove them one by one, and test the drive after each removal.

To uninstall, you can use the CCleaner program, it not only removes programs from the computer, but also cleans the system of unnecessary files and system records left after the software is uninstalled. The process of cleaning system records is called registry cleaning.

In practice, there were cases in which the solution to the problem was in flashing the device. But this action can lead to a complete failure of the drive. So before proceeding with these measures, it is highly recommended to read the following paragraph.

Solving the problem using the Microsoft Fixit program

Sometimes, after the next reinstallation of the Windows operating system, the drive stops opening only DVD discs, while CD discs still open normally.

This also does not mean that the drive "died", because before the reinstallation it functioned properly. Most importantly, this issue is solved with the help of the free and effective MicrosoftFixit.dvd.Run program. You can download the program from the link:

Troubleshooting Results Window

After that, the media contents window will open, or a dialog box will open containing several options for working with the disk. If none of the above happened, then open the disk manually using the My Computer shortcut. Thus, the MicrosoftFixit program easily solves the problem of failure to read DVD or CD discs.

And if this does not help, then you can already think about buying a new drive. For a better understanding and optimal choice of a new drive, it is recommended to consult with specialists.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you will have the opportunity to try to fix problems with the drive on your own, first excluding possible hardware causes, and then software ones. By using the methods given in this article. It must be remembered that self-correction can end in bad results, therefore, nevertheless, you should not neglect the help of qualified specialists.

The DVD drive may not read discs for several reasons - these are: 1) the laser head is dirty; 2) the laser head is worn out; 3) the software is to blame; 4) a problem with the disk; 5) the problem is in the hardware. Therefore, if your DVD drive does not read discs, do not rush to buy a new one, you need to figure out what the problem is.

DVD won't read disc. What is the problem?

First of all, you need to determine the nature of the malfunction. The DVD drive does not read all discs, or only some. Check it. If some discs are still readable, then the problem is in the drive, if it does not read at all, this may also be related to the software.

laser head

During operation, the DVD drive collects dust, which partially settles on the laser head. Due to dust, the DVD drive does not read discs, or reads, but not all. You can disassemble the drive and carefully clean the laser eye from dust with an ear stick.

If you cannot disassemble the DVD drive, then special cleaning discs can help. But quite often, due to excessively hard brushes, there were cases of damage to the laser head. The brushes must be flexible and come with a lubricant.

It is also possible to blow the insides of the drive through the open tray using a can of compressed air, as an option.

The laser head is worn out - a common thing if the DVD drive does not read discs. With intensive use of the DVD drive, and besides, if the discs are heavily scratched, head wear can occur very quickly, even in a year. Usually, due to the recording density, reading of DVD discs first fails, and then CD. If the drive is already several years old, then it is better to buy a new one, now they are not expensive.

Software solution

Remember what programs you installed recently, what games your children installed? A common cause of the problem are virtual disk managers such as Alcohol 120% and Daemon Tools. Games can install virtual disks for their own needs, and they can conflict with each other. In some cases, the DVD drive does not read discs after installing the Nero disc burning software.

To make sure that this is the problem, remove these programs and look at the result. But the removal may not bring results if you do not roll back to an earlier state of the system, when everything was still working.

If everything worked, then we dig the problem in this direction: we try other analogues, other versions, leaving only what is necessary.

In the case of "alcohol", try unchecking "Force other programs to detect discs as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM" in the program settings.

The second cause of the problem may be a driver conflict. To solve the problem, we need the "Device Manager".

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open Device Manager

After removing the above software, virtual drives may still be present in the Device Manager under "DVD and CD-ROM drives". Delete them through the right-click menu, reboot and look at the result.

The next thing you can do is go to the "View" menu and select "Show hidden devices". In the device tree, find the "SPTD" driver under the "Non-Plugin Device Drivers" branch. Remove the driver and reboot. This is all a legacy from virtual drives.

If it doesn't help, move on. In the "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" section, among the two or four channels of the controller, you need to find the one to which the DVD drive is connected. These four channels can be named differently, such as "Primary IDE Channel" and "Secondary IDE Channel", or "ATA Channel 0" and "ATA Channel 1" as in my picture. We open each in turn and look at the "Device Type". We need to find a channel with a device type of "ATAPI CD-ROM drive" or something like that.

If it works with the option disabled, then check the box again, reboot and check. We leave the working option, but it is highly desirable that the "Enable DMA" function be enabled. In some cases, this is the only way to get a DVD-ROM to work in Windows 7.

Sometimes updating the firmware of the drive helps. You need to look for a new firmware on the manufacturer's website and clearly follow the instructions for installing it.

Problem in hardware

First of all, I advise you to simply unplug and insert the power plug and IDE or SATA cables, or even replace the cables with obviously working ones and change the power plug to another one.

Reading a bad disk

To read a bad disk, there are special programs, such as Non-Stop Copy. Programs try to read the bad sector many times with different parameters, and if nothing works, they simply skip it and move on. In this way, you can save everything that is possible. As a rule, for audio and video, the loss is not noticeable.

Like any other device, a DVD drive may one day fail and. In this article, you will learn why this can happen and how to fix it.
We will talk about some of the most characteristic symptoms that may puzzle many users, namely: the drive does not read only CD or DVD, you can hear the disk spinning for some time, but the system does not recognize it, errors in reading recorded discs, despite the fact that discs with licensed software are read without any problems.

Drive related reasons

There are many reasons that can lead to breakage, from simple dust to wear and tear on internal parts.

You can understand that the culprit of the problem is the breakdown of the device itself, you can with the following signs:

• If DVD discs are launched, but CDs are not accepted in any, or the same thing, only vice versa, then a malfunction associated with the laser is possible;
• While working with the disk, the sound of a constant increase in speed is heard, then, on the contrary, slowing down and at times grinding and friction. If this occurs only with discs of one type, then the lens is likely to be dirty or worn. But if the drive reacts this way only to one single disk, then most likely something is wrong with the disk itself;
• Discs with licensed software are read relatively normally, but burned CDs and DVDs are practically not perceived;
• Hardware reasons can also cause problems when burning discs. For example, during recording, an unplanned stop occurs, or the entire process is completely completed, but the resulting disc is nowhere to be read at all. In addition, after a similar error, there may be problems when trying to overwrite or erase a rewritable disc.

If you are faced with exactly one of the described problems, then it is likely that all the reasons lie in the drive itself. Among them, dust on the lens and the laser, which is about to fail, are most often to blame.

But before drawing any final conclusions, please note: if the cables are poorly connected to the drive (or from the drive to the motherboard), you may encounter the same problems that have already been described. Therefore, first of all, you need to remove the cover from your system unit and make sure that all wires are securely connected.

In any case, the best solution would be to buy a new drive, especially given their low price. Although when a disk drive in a laptop breaks down, it is often extremely difficult to find a replacement. Here you can solve the problem using an external drive that connects via USB.

In a very extreme case, if you want to try to solve the problem yourself, you can disassemble the DVD drive and gently wipe the lens with a cotton swab. Sometimes this can get things back to normal. Please note that the drive is not intended for disassembly and various cleanings, so do everything very carefully.

The problems that we describe in today's article can happen not only with a physical breakdown. You can suspect the cause in the software in the following cases:

• If you reinstalled Windows and after that the above problems appeared;
• The drive stopped working normally after you installed a program that is somehow related to optical discs and their images, for example, the well-known ones: Alcohol 120%, Nero, Daemon Tools and the like;
• Not very often, but it also occurs when updating or installing drivers, regardless of whether you do it manually or the system installs it automatically.

You can make sure that the matter lies in the software part here, using the boot disk. Set the options to boot from optical discs and try to start the Live-CD operating system. If everything works successfully, then look for the reason among your software.

What to do if it really turned out to be a software error? The first step is to try to remove the application, the work of which may have led to similar consequences. If nothing happened, then you can install another version of the same application. A good solution would be to roll back the entire OS to an earlier state when everything worked fine.

If the DVD drive stopped reading discs after updating the drivers, you can do the following:

By the way, if you find installed virtual drives for working with disk images in the same Device Manager, you can safely remove them and restart your computer. Sometimes it helps.

Let's look at another way, in case the drive has stopped working in Windows 7:

Users of the Windows XP operating system can try opening the Device Manager, find their drive and click on it, select the "Update Drivers" option and click on manually install the driver. After that, you need to select the standard system driver for your drive.

Usually, one of these methods is enough. If all else fails, share it in the comments to the article, and we will try to deal with the problem together.

CD or DVD drives and drives are now less common - they have been replaced by USB flash drives. The advantage of the disk was its compact size and large amount of stored information, and the disadvantage of their fragility. Information could easily be lost with just a few scratches on the work surface. If your drive does not read discs, this article will help you find out why, and what needs to be done to fix the situation.

The drive does not read discs - why and what to do. Is it possible to fix it myself

It is clear that the above problem occurs for two reasons:

• The device itself is faulty;
• Faulty disk;

And if you can evaluate the condition of the disk yourself, then what to do with the drive? Let's analyze all possible options.

The drive does not read discs - we will diagnose it

Failure of a disk drive is not uncommon, especially if it is many years old. The main reasons for drive failure are as follows:

• Dust that contaminates the lens through which the laser beam passes. You can carefully disassemble the drive and wipe it, for example, with a DRY cotton swab. Do not use solvents - the lens may tarnish and the drive will stop reading.
• The material from which the lens is made. Poor-quality plastic lenses quickly become cloudy and stop transmitting the beam in the volume necessary for work. You can only replace the lens in a service center, you cannot do it yourself.
• Reduced laser power - its power will not be enough to write or read discs. For example, the drive will read CDs fine, but not respond to DVDs. Or disk reading will proceed as usual, and errors will begin to occur during writing - this is a clear sign of a decrease in power. On the Internet you can find information on how to make adjustments, but remember this can lead to a complete failure of the drive.

Discs are not readable - what to do with them

As a rule, careless handling can lead to breakage or scratches on the work surface. Contamination is also the enemy of the disc, but it can be carefully removed without the use of solvents. Cracks and scratches, unfortunately, speak of its complete unsuitability. Replace the disc with a new one and try to be more careful.

The drive does not read discs - why and what to do - video instruction

What to do if dvd rom does not read discs? The computer freezes when a disc is inserted, or when copying a movie or music, an error appears. So what's the matter - in a scratched disk or the disk drive is to blame for everything. Let's look at the causes and methods for fixing these computer problems.

If earlier disks were read normally, but after the next reboot the computer cannot read more than one disk, then most likely the reason is in the software or, more simply, some installed program conflicts with the DVD drive.

If you're having problems with one drive, but other drives are working fine, try these solutions. Please note that your console does not require repairs or updates to resolve this issue. Solution 1 – Make sure the drive is clean and bad.

Clean the disc with a soft, clean, slightly damp cloth. Hold the disc by the edges without touching the top or bottom surface. Solution 2: Playing the disc on a different console will help you figure out if the problem is with the individual disc or the disc drive on the console. Try the disc on a friend's console or at a retail location where the disc can be tested.

If the computer does not read only some discs, then the problem is in the drive itself, but even we will try to fix this malfunction with our own hands, this will be discussed below. But first, let's see if it is possible that the problem lies in the operating system.

For reference, the problem can be not only with reading discs, but also with writing them. The instructions below can be equally effective in resolving both problems.

My drive boots but hasn't been mounted

Solution 3. Previous section. In this article, we will show you how to fix the problem. After all, you want to get your data quickly. The main rule in this situation is to remain calm and act analytically. In most cases, the cause is harmless. Our practical article shows what you can do in such a case. Obviously, nothing happens after connecting an external storage medium, which can have many causes.

Determine the reason why the drive does not read discs

In the worst case, the hard drive is actually defective and can no longer be used.

• Connection problems, such as a mechanical problem.
• The wrong driver is being accessed.

Software conflict

In the event of a software error, the drive stops reading discs immediately, rather than gradually getting worse and worse. This may be preceded by an installed program or toy. Programs for creating virtual drives often conflict with the drivers installed on the computer's DVD-ROM drives. The most popular of these programs are Alcohol 120% , Daemon Tools and Nero. We simply remove these programs and undo the changes made by them through System Restore. Go to Control Panel => Action Center => System Restore and tear out the date to which you should recover. Select a number when the drive was still working without problems.

Check external hard drive connection

Each technician will also begin working on the hardware when analyzing a hardware problem. If a hard drive is detected, then most likely the first port on the computer is bad. Especially in the case of cheaper cymbals, their quality often leaves much to be desired. It is possible that the cable is broken and therefore a stable connection cannot be established. Be sure to connect the AC adapter. And make sure it's enabled. Check the indicators on the plate and power supply.

• Get an alternative cable.
• Many external hard drives are not the cause of the power cable.

We look at the result, if the problems have disappeared, then the remote program is to blame, if not, we move on.

Driver error

It is possible that the drive does not see the discs due to errors in the driver. By pressing the key combination "Win + Pause" open the device manager from the menu on the left.

In the list of devices, we delete virtual drives, if this did not happen after removing the programs that we met above. Right-click on the virtual drive and select "delete" from the drop-down menu. To completely remove the traces left, we need to find the driver " SPTD' and remove it. To display it, enable the " Show hidden devices" on the menu " View". You can view the changes after restarting the computer.

The control is simple. Call up "Computer Management", preferably by typing the term into the search bar. If the drive is to be found here, but no drive letter is assigned, right-click the item.

• In the Data Storage submenu, select.
• Then all connected hard drives are displayed.

If the problem persists after a reboot, proceed to the next step. In the task manager, go to "", and among the devices with the name " ATA Chanel» we need to find the one that is responsible for the CD-ROM. To do this, you need to open the properties of the controller and go to the "Advanced Options" tab.

In the line "Device type" should be "". See if there is a checkmark next to the item " Enable DMA”, try to start the system both with the function enabled and disabled. This method often helps to get the drive to read discs in Windows 7.

If the wrong one is used, it leads to problems. The "Edit environment variables for this account" entry also shows up as a hit.

• Enter the entry "Environment" in the search field in the Start menu.
• Click Create.

• Open "Device Manager".
• In the "View" section, select.
• Devices or drivers that are not activated will not be available.
• Now find the model name of your record.

If the drive does not read only video DVD discs, then the wrong region may have been selected in the drive settings. In order to change the regional settings, go to the task manager and open the properties of the DVD-ROM. Go to the "DVD Region" tab and select your region, but if the "Current Region" line is set to "Not Selected", then it's better not to change anything.

Disk or file system is defective

However, make sure that you really only uninstall the drivers that you know are no longer needed or are causing the problem. To ensure safety, restart the system and reconnect the external hard drive. Often the problem is fixed. If the drive is now recognized but you still can't access the files, you may have to face the truth that the drive is really bad. Then just reformat. The function is achieved by right-clicking on the disc entry in Explorer.

CD drive problem

All do-it-yourself drive repair comes down to replacing the IDE or SATA cable from the drive to the motherboard. You can also try connecting a different power connector, usually the power supply has a couple of free connectors. And the last thing left for us is to clean the drive laser.

To clean the laser head, remove the cover from the drive and very gently wipe the laser with a cotton swab.

If the drive still does not show up in Device Manager, the drive may also be mechanically faulty. In this case, you have no other choice but to buy a new record. Before troubleshooting, first make sure the discs you are using work with your computer. Inserting a non-standard size or shape disc into a drive that is not designed to accommodate it can damage the drive.

Standard round disc 120 mm

Examples of non-standard or formatted drives that are not supported

Do not use acetone, alcohol or other aggressive liquids. Instead of the expected result, you will lose the drive forever. The best choice would be water or, in extreme cases, high-quality gasoline for lighters.

If you don't want to take the risk of disassembling the drive, you can purchase a special cleaning CD that will also effectively clean the laser eye of accumulated dust.

Accepts discs, but discs are not readable or automatically ejected

If the disc is bent on both sides or in the center, do not use it as it may get caught in the drive. If you find it difficult to insert a disc into the device, or if the disc stops in the middle of the disc, look closely at the disc for marks that may be in the way of the disc. If you can't find the bright labels on the disc, try downloading it a few more times. Try inserting a different drive to see if the problem is caused by the specific drive. Make sure you insert enough of the disc to engage the drive mechanism. You need to insert almost the entire disc in order to activate the disc and take it out. If you don't insert the disc completely, the device will reverse and eject the disc. Give the disc a second or second to accept the disc when fully inserted. Reset.

Do not eject discs or discs are ejected slowly

• Check the disc to make sure it is flat.
• You can do this by placing the disc upside down on a flat surface.
• Do not use discs with attached or suspended objects.
• Make sure the device is not upside down.
• Select System Information from the menu.
• Remove label if possible.
• If the disc does not eject, try pressing the eject key on your keyboard.

To understand the reasons why the laptop does not read disks, it is necessary to analyze the situation - how exactly did the malfunction appear? What events preceded the problem?

If the computer has been in operation for a long time, it is logical to assume that the power of the laser beam has decreased significantly over time. In this case, the drive usually stops writing information to discs first, and after a few months it becomes impossible to play.

If you cannot use a shared drive

If you have enabled the option to ask permission before using the disc, click Accept on the computer that is sharing its optical disc. Summary: External hard drive is not recognized or appears in the computer or drive?

Hard drive overview is not displayed or not recognized

Some types of disc drives have an option to increase laser power. For this, there is a special adjustment screw on the case. The problem is that the amplification of the laser will force the equipment to work in a forced mode and this will soon lead to the final destruction of the laser source.

If the discs are not just not readable, but the tray does not open at all, it can be assumed that there is no power on the device. There may be several reasons for this.

Make sure the external hard drive is showing up under Disk Management

When you find that the external hard drive is not showing up on the computer, you first need to open the Disk Management tool and make sure it shows up in Disk Management. This will help you determine why your hard drive is not being recognized and find the right solution to display or find the missing drive.

Make the hard drive recognized and appear on the computer on different occasions

When the hard disk appears in disk management. If you see your external drive listed in the disk management window, it means that the disk is not showing up in your computer window because it does not contain any partitions. To backup or restore data to an external hard drive is not recognized.

• Broken contact in the connecting wires. It is necessary to turn off the computer, perform an external inspection, disconnect and reconnect the power and data cables.
• Faulty motherboard or southbridge.
• Tracks on laptop boards are very thin and often burn out. A short circuit most often occurs after liquid gets on the laptop keyboard. Burnt tracks and contacts can be detected by visual inspection. Some advanced users even repair breaks in the tracks on the motherboard themselves.
• If the laptop has not been charged for a long time, the battery power may not be enough for some of the computer's power-consuming devices to function properly. To check this version, you just need to connect the charger to the laptop and wait a while.

The drive could break, and not only at the laser level. Verification is usually done by installing a known-good analog or installing a problem unit in another computer.

Software issues

Sometimes the situation when the laptop does not read discs is caused by the work of some applications, such as Nero. If any virtual disks were previously created on the computer, the system could have switched to them, and the physical drive seemed to disappear from the general list of connected equipment.

To find out if a drive is connected, you need to open the Control Panel and view the list of connected devices. If the problem is with disk management software, the physical drive may not be listed in the hardware list, but the virtual disks will be shown.

For starters, you can try to simply remove the virtual drives and turn on the physical drive. Perhaps, after a reboot, reading DVD and CD media will be restored.

The next probable cause is the incorrect operation of the device drivers. How to reinstall the drivers if the drive does not read and it is impossible to use the set of files from the Windows installation distribution? It remains to look for the necessary drivers on the Internet. Best of all - on the official website of the manufacturer of such drives, which is installed on your computer.

If you are not sure which drivers are required, you can go another, simpler path. Download and install from the Internet, which automatically analyzes the computer system and checks for the presence and relevance of drivers.

The utility itself will check the availability and performance of the drivers and then automatically find and install them as well. Alternatively, you can run the Windows OS automatic update system, in the general process, fresh drivers for the optical drive will also be installed.

Problem with BIOS settings

For some reason, the laser drive was disabled in the basic BIOS settings. Go to CMOS settings and check. If it is written that the drive is not available, you just need to re-enable it by selecting Enable instead of Disable from the drop-down menu. Then restart Windows. It's even easier to drop