problem with DVD drive on a Toshiba P300-156

artyeva

Hi there - am hoping someone far more technical then me will be able to advise...

Whenever I put a disc into the dvd drive it makes this awful noise - I can hear the disc spinning and clicking but nowt happens - an orange light on the drive itself flashes but nothing happens. When I try to get the disc out again it doesn't always open - sometimes I have to re-start and press the eject button before windows powers up - then it comes out.

Yesterday I was trying to burn some files onto a blank disc - the writing went ok but when it was trying to close the disc it just ''hung'' and made that awful noise for about an hour. Eventually it stopped. Now I'm trying to view the files to see if they got on there and I'm just getting the awful spinning and clunking noise again.

Is this fixable?? If so if I brought it to one of those guys who advertise in the papers ''all computer problems fixed'' - you know the type - how much would they charge??

Thanks in advance - As you can tell by now I ain't the most technical :rolleyes:

artyeva

just wondering if anyone can help me with this?

Thanks!!!!

artyeva

no one?

mods - is there a different forum this could be moved to in order to get a response?!

Alanstrainor

It sounds to me like the dvd drive is dead. It happens. It should just be as simple as replacing the old one with a compatible new drive. There may be some driver issues, but i doubt that'll be a problem. It's an easy job to do.
What Laptop is it? ie make and model? we might be able to point you towards a drive to replace it with.
This is the right forum, it's just no one has replied yet...

artyeva

it's a toshiba satellite 17'' P-300-156 laptop.

It's only about a year old though and to be honest i haven't ever used the dvd drive much - i'd say it's been opened and closed less than 20 times since i got the laptop!!??:eek:

ttm

I don't have any experience with that particular laptop but if the drive is in a removable drive bay its always worth removing it and making sure its firmly seated when you put it back.

There are various degrees of not working.....

Does the OS (XP or more likey Vista?) show the DVD as a drive letter Windows Explorer?

If not can you check in the BIOS (there should be an option to enter it by pressing a key when you start up) and see if the DVD gets a mention there?

artyeva

ttm wrote: »

I don't have any experience with that particular laptop but if the drive is in a removable drive bay its always worth removing it and making sure its firmly seated when you put it back.

Um - I can't see where it could be removed (by an amateur such as myself):(

ttm wrote: »

There are various degrees of not working.....

Does the OS (XP or more likey Vista?) show the DVD as a drive letter Windows Explorer?

If not can you check in the BIOS (there should be an option to enter it by pressing a key when you start up) and see if the DVD gets a mention there?

Yes, Vista shows the drive as a drive letter (F). What does this mean?

When I insert a disc now it just keeps rotating and clunking. The problem of it not opening seems to have stopped for some reason - at least now I'm able to get the disc out. :rolleyes:

ttm

If you can see the drive letter it tends to indicate a fault with the drive. If windows had its drivers mess up then you would be unlikely to see the drive letter.

Just one thought have you ever switched the laptop off completely? I'm asking as Vista tends not to swtich off by default and uses suspend mode most of the time so I would swtich off form the start menu then remove PSU and bettery before putting them back and trying again.

I'd also try another CD or DVD as the problem you have atm can be from a scatched disc, the drive just keeps trying to read the disc but can't - same can be true if the drive itself is damaged.

I would always try booting the laptop with the restore CD or DVD if you have it. Don't do the restore but if you get offered the option to install Vista then say no but that would mean the drive is OK.

If you can't boot from the restore disc (or the Vista DVD if you have it) make sure the PC is set to trying booting from the DVD, it may need you to press a button on boot up and to choose the CD/DVD, need a change in the BIOS or just do it automatically. Give it a try anyway.

artyeva

ttm wrote: »

Just one thought have you ever switched the laptop off completely? I'm asking as Vista tends not to swtich off by default and uses suspend mode most of the time so I would swtich off form the start menu then remove PSU and bettery before putting them back and trying again.

I thought of this too - but it didn't work

ttm wrote: »

I'd also try another CD or DVD as the problem you have atm can be from a scatched disc, the drive just keeps trying to read the disc but can't - same can be true if the drive itself is damaged.

It happens with any kind of disc I try - DVD, CD, or data!!

ttm wrote: »

I would always try booting the laptop with the restore CD or DVD if you have it. Don't do the restore but if you get offered the option to install Vista then say no but that would mean the drive is OK.

If you can't boot from the restore disc (or the Vista DVD if you have it) make sure the PC is set to trying booting from the DVD, it may need you to press a button on boot up and to choose the CD/DVD, need a change in the BIOS or just do it automatically. Give it a try anyway.

I never got a restore disc when I bought the laptop I've tried doing a system restore to a point way back before this issue arose, and that didn't work either. Does this mean I just need a new DVD drive to be installed?? How much will this cost? I bought it in SIZE=1]***whispers*** pc world[/SIZE If I didn't want to go back to them (cause let's face it - as little as I know they know a helluva lot less :pac:) where would I buy one and get it replaced?

ttm

Just to check if the DVD will work without any drivers straight off the BIOS you could (from another PC with a working CD Burner) create a Windows Memory Test disk http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp download the ISO file (very small file about 700k or less) burn it to a CD and it creates a bootable CD that automatically runs the memory test. Your not interested in the mem test just if it boot and start the memtest.

As for a repalcement they are fairly generic, if you work out how to remove it you should be able to strip it down and swap over the outer draw cover with the original one so it all looks like original. There are a couple of variations, not many so I'd have a search on eBay and ask a few sellers for more info before buying. PM me if your anwhere near Dungarvan as I could take a look for you.

Just checked eBay - they have hundreds and cost is around 15-30euro plus P&P - just get the right one looks like you should be able to get an exact replacement. As an example of what I said earlier I found this one http://cgi.ebay.ie/New-Toshiba-TS-L632-Laptop-Notebook-DVD-Re-Writer-Drive_W0QQitemZ260381045326 (not recommened or anything just an example) and as the seller says 99% compatable just swap over the front bazel. But again its up to you to double check you are getting the right one.

Brian Capture

what DVD were you trying to play?

2manyconditions

artyeva wrote: »

it's a toshiba satellite 17'' P-300-156 laptop.

It's only about a year old though and to be honest i haven't ever used the dvd drive much - i'd say it's been opened and closed less than 20 times since i got the laptop!!??:eek:

Did you get 1 year warrentee (cant spell). If so I'd contact PC World and get them to return to the manufacturer for replacement

Brian Capture

2manythreadbumps