Date: 12/31/05 (Computer Help)    Keywords: software

Hi all. I'm on a Dell Dimension 4600 desktop with a DVD-ROM in the tower, and I've had it for about 13 months now.

The DVD-ROM no longer appears able to read DVD discs at all. It reads CD-ROMs just fine, oddly. But when I insert a DVD for use in Dell Media Experience, I hear spinning and something like a buzz, followed by silence. The system repeats this several times, almost as if it's trying repeatedly to read the disc, but ultimately I get no response and a notice of unable to detect a DVD. To test I bought a brand new DVD movie and put it in the drive straight out of the package. The same problem occurred, but the disc was completely clean on removal and didn't have any scratches placed on it. So I'm thinking the laser is the problem.

I have cleaned the drive using a commercial cleaning disc and an air blower, and still Media Experience can't detect the disc. All other discs which are not DVD, such as music CDs, CD-Rs and software CD-ROMs, still read and run applications and videos perfectly.

Has the laser been worn and I need to clean it manually or is it fried and I have to replace it? If the former, is there a way that I might clean it myself without taking the drive in for service?

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/computer_help/556091.html