My DVD drive is not reading any kind of media

My DVD Drive in my Compaq Presario V5000 laptop just crapped out, its not reading any kind of media I am putting in. I downloaded a vista lookalike but its still running on Windows XP, do you think that is the problem, or is the Drive just bunk now? LOL.

Find a bootable CD and try booting your laptop from this CD. I believe on HP (Compaq) laptop you have to press F12 on startup to get to the boot menu and then chose the CD/DVD drive. Press Enter to start booting from the CD/DVD drive.
You can use any Windows CD, live Linux CDs (Knoppix for example) or something like that. In short, any bootable CD will work fine.
If the laptop boots from the CD but you cannot access the same CD in Windows, most likely you have a software related problem. Try reinstalling Windows and it will fix your problem.
If the laptop will not boot from the CD, apparently you have a bad drive and it has to be replaced. Before you replace the drive, try reconnecting it. Just remove the drive from the laptop and insert back in place. It could be just a bad connection between the drive and the motherboard.
By the way, if your CD/DVD drive disappeared from My Computer, you can fix it using this methods.

20 Responses to “My DVD drive is not reading any kind of media”

  1. 1
    Pearl Says:

    Dear Laptop Freak,

    I have this TOSHIBA MK6026GAX. My dad was using it with the battery. He left it on to do something and it shut off too quickly. When he went back to start it up, it won’t pass the windows page. I get to the page where it’s asking me to start up in safe mode, safe mode with network, start normally, etc. When I chose one of the selections it goes to the windows page and then it shows a black page and freezes for awhile then it goes back to the page asking selections. Is there anyway I can fix it without losing all my files? Plz answer asap.

    Thnx for you help.

    Pearl

  2. 2
    Michelle Mason Says:

    We just tried to install a web cam and microphone as well as a printer on to our pc but for some reason all of a sudden our modem will not read any of the cd when we try to install the programs we tried even using a music cd to see if it was just the programs and mabey they were not compatible but it wont read any cd we put in now so i am wondering if we accidently undid the wrong cord or did i accidently uninstall something on the computer to where my computer wont read cds now we have windows xp if that help i am so computer illiterate please Help!!!

  3. 3
    Dom Says:

    Hi there
    My Medion MD 95101 is temperamental with reading DVDs and CDs. It usually doesnt read at all, only sometimes will it (briefly) read a disk. The light comes on and it opens ok,suggesting it should work, so please can you help?
    It runs with windows XP.
    Thankyou :)

  4. 4
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Dom,
    If the DVD drive works intermittently, most likely you have a faulty DVD drive and have to replace it.
    Just in case try cleaning the laser. Open up the drive and clean the laser with alcohol.

    Also, try booting your laptop from a bootable CD or DVD. You can use Windows XP CD, recovery disk or any other bootable disc. For this test you don’t have to reload the operating system, just try booting your laptop from one of the above mentioned discs.
    If the laptop can boot from the bootable CD/DVD without any problem and at the same time cannot read the same disc in Windows, it’s possible that you have some kind of problem with the operating system and it’s time to reinstall Windows from scratch.

  5. 5
    taquana Says:

    i am tried to physically remove my CD/DVD rom drive and replace it but that did not work, i still can not find my CD/DVD drive under My Computer. i also do not have a bootable cd to use are there any other options to get my CD/DVD drive to work. thanks taquana

  6. 6
    Kyle Says:

    Hello. My Dell Inspiron 2650 is having some problems reading cd’s/DVD’s. It makes loud Clicking sounds repeatidly like this. “click…Clickclick…click…clickclick” etc. Please help!

    This computer runs Windows XP.

    Thankyou, Kyle.

  7. 7
    Katy Says:

    I have an advent laptop which is about five years old now. The cd-rw drive on it started making grinding noises with some cd’s and would not read them. With other cd/dvd’s it worked fine. I replaced the drive with a new one – but this was now a dvd writer drive. This has had two effects
    1)Ahead nero now fails to reconise that this drive writes, and will only read from it
    2) After six months I am back to the gridning noise and the intermintent reading of disks.
    Any help welcome.
    Thanks.

  8. 8
    Jay Says:

    combo dvd+-rw will play data discs, even cd rom cleaning disc, but wont read any dvd’s (video)..disc spins, but no video. any ideas other than removing or replacing the drive? Inspiron 6000, sony dw-d56a drive from factory, and what would be a compatible choice to replace with? Please and thank you very much, freak.your labor is much appreciated, at least here.

  9. 9
    Anthony Says:

    My Dell Inspiron 1100 will play dvds but not cds. Is there any way I can fix this without replacing the CD-ROM. PLEASE HELP!!!!

  10. 10
    Cecile Says:

    I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop my CD/DVD has disappeared from my computer and it won’t read or write to cd’s or dvds. It was there one day and the next it wasn’t. We have tried reinstalling the software that’s there, I took my laptop apart to make sure everything was properly connected and I don’t see anything wrong there. Any suggestions on what to try next would be appreciated.

  11. 11
    prakhar mathur Says:

    hi i run xp sp2. i bought LG DVD writer two months ago now yesterday my writer was working fine but today when i insert a blank cd to write with nero it fails to write moreover after then the drive is not working completely. i reconnect my drive also try try to boot with bootable cd but in vain. The green light just blinking for long time but it not read anything. even any sound of reading or spining of disc is not heard.

    plaese help…..

  12. 12
    Kaitlyn Says:

    heyy..
    i have a Dell Inspiron E1505
    i was trying to burn a cd, but when i inserted the blank disc in… the cd drive wasnt’t able to read the disc.
    the icon shows up on “my computer” but it won’t read any disc i try putting in. and it makes these weird “click” sounds

    so if you can help me out, that would be great!

  13. 13
    Russell Says:

    Followed the instructions to edit the system registry given by JACK – SUPPORT ENGINEER at this thread hosted by microsoft…
    http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistahardware/thread/f1feaace-ab91-44c6-afc2-ad66397a2957?prof=required

    Worked for my HP G60-243CL with CD/DVD Slimtype DVD A DS8A2L-A ATA Device

  14. 14
    Jen Says:

    I have a Dell Inspiron 1545 about 6 months old. It will not read any of my cd’s or dvd. Green light comes on the disc spins and then it all stops. Any help would be wonderful. Thanks.

  15. 15
    Bubu Says:

    I have an IBM R51 laptop, just recently it can not read CDs, VCDs, even cleaner disc.When i go to my-computer, it does not show anything even when the disc is inside the drive, but it can easily read DVDs.When ever i put the cd/vcd in the drive, the light in the drive blink after sometimes it stop, unlike for DVd where it works normally. Will you please help me?

  16. 16
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Bubu,

    just recently it can not read CDs, VCDs, even cleaner disc.When i go to my-computer, it does not show anything even when the disc is inside the drive, but it can easily read DVDs.When ever i put the cd/vcd in the drive, the light in the drive blink after sometimes it stop, unlike for DVd where it works normally.

    Sounds like you have a bad CD/DVD drive. You’ll have to replace the drive with a new one.

  17. 17
    Golu Says:

    i have recently installed win7 ultimate on my hp , 3.36gz, 1.25gb ram, 360gb harddisk. Yesterday when i inserted a dvd then i saw that agreen light was blinking but it was stopping after a while and when i use to click on the drive then a messsage comes “please insert a disc into drive f”.
    in short my lg dvd writer is not reading dvds.
    please mail me

  18. 18
    windows xp pro upgrade keygen Says:

    Not sure if I’m in the right place but here it goes..Windows XP w IE8 browser.My problem is this,you know that little bar at the bottom of page that(when clicked on)you can change zoom level?(50% and so on)That’s gone.My page is so big that I have to use the scoll thingys.Does anyone know how to fix this?I’m a newbie at all this PC stuff and I don’t have all the lingo down.So forgive me if I appear stupid.Please help!!

  19. 19
    tobin Says:

    about that vista lookalike for xp, FORGET IT!!!!! Everyone who downloads it has major problems starting shortly after installing it. I did. thats how i found out how many people are having the same problems. It gave me a warning,
    cannot find file c:/windows/system32/scrnrdr.exe if you want to find ….. search with… blah blah blah. scanned with 2 different antivirus and an antimalware program and i never had a virus but strange things were happening with my system. I had to remove that program and after i did that i had a system crash out of the blue and windows repaired itself and rebooted saying this system just recovered from a serious problem, so i would say thats why your drive is acting funny and if its not DUE to that i bet you have by now or are going to get some probs with that vista crap.

  20. 20
    kamesh Says:

    my drivwr is reading only dics no dvd when i put a dvd in it it does nor recongnize it its a SONY

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