CD not recognizing CDs

[kmillerusaf]

Hello,

Just bought a new dell laptop with Windows XP Home on it... Well I am trying to load some software from a CD I bought for study material and the CD drive won't recognize the CD. Now the CD is legit, I bought it and have the licensing key but the drive itself won't load the CD. I tried putting it into another computer and the CD showed up just fine. I tried updating the drivers through device manager but it said they were up to date so I have no idea what could be the problem. I really need this software and I had the laptop shipped and it would be a pain to ship it... Was wondering if there was a home remedy. Thanks in advance

Keith

Ps it recognizes music CDs just fine (that's all I had to test if it worked)

[ktkendall]

Are you sure your not trying to put a data dvd disk into a plain cdrom drive?? You really need to try another disk with a program or just some data files on it to see if that can be recognized. Did you go to my computer and or windows explorer and see if the disk shows up??

[kmillerusaf]

its a tsscorp dvd+-rw drive and its a software CD for testing... I went to my comuter and the label of the drive changes from "dvd-rw (e:)" drive to "cd drive (e:)" but no files show up when I double click on it.

[glc]

Will the drive recognize another data CD?

[kmillerusaf]

yes as a matter of fact because I had to add programs from a cd-r to here when I first bought it so it did work.

[ktkendall]

I always try cleaning the disk off with alcohol wipe when i'm having trouble with a particular disk.

[kmillerusaf]

another computer recognizes the disk fine though... so it cant be the disk dont you think?

[ktkendall]

True but It never hurts to clean the disk and perhaps one drive is more sensitive to a little dirt or dust than another drive is.. What we really need you to try is another disk though..

[glc]

Don't say can't.

Put it in the PC that can read it and burn a copy and try the copy. There may be a laser alignment issue.

If the drive is shaky, Dell will ship you a replacement drive, you won't have to ship the whole thing back.

[kmillerusaf]

Well my computer is a laptop and so is the other computer. I am not sure if he has cd writing capabilities on his laptop because it is older and I dont have any CDs burn it to but that is a fixable problem (by going to walmart or something). You dont think it could be anything else like drivers or something? Maybe uninstalling the device and trying to install it again? Dell won't be able to ship out a replacable drive for laptop either, will they? I thought typically notebooks need to go to manufacturer to be fixed.

[glc]

CD drives in most laptops slide right out without tools or at the most, by removing one screw - read your manual. You may have been able to install stuff from other CD's before, but have you tried it NOW?

[kmillerusaf]

i just got the laptop a week and a half ago... i tried the CD again an hour ago and it worked... just not this particular CD

[glc]

Then there is an issue between the drive and that particular CD. Not much you can do without replacing one or the other.

[kmillerusaf]

that sucks.. i bought this damn thing to study the material from this CD. that was its whole purpose and the damn thing dont work. Maybe I can try cleaning it like the other guy said but it looks pretty clean and the CD is 'new' so I dont think that would be a problem either.... damnit, nothing ever goes right.

[glc]

You are going to have to replace one or the other - start with whatever's easiest, either way it should be covered by warranty.

[Ob1]

if you have your pc's networked, then just share out the cd drive on a machine where the disc works, and browse to that cd drive from your laptop and install it over the network.

[kmillerusaf]

No unfortunately the laptop is not networked. mY computer is elsewhere right now and that is why I bought the laptop. I tried the CD in another person's computer again (2nd different computer) and it worked on their's so I am figuring it is the drive itself. I will call Dell this weekend I guess to see if I can get a replacement.

[Ob1]

take your laptop to your friends and network the two together, use a crossover cable, or use a switch and two patch cables. assign each pc an ip address and subnet mask. turn off firewalls that are running, then share out his cd drive. on your laptop browse for his pc by either pc name or Ip address and install over the network

[kmillerusaf]

I wish I had all of that hardware but I dont... We are in training right now and I have limited supplies, so does he. We basically have the main accessories for a laptop but no extras.

[Ob1]

i can understand being restricted with limited supplies, just use a crossover cable $2.50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812117841

or make your own if you have a wire crimper in your tool kit and a spare patch cable lying around. just cut the ends off and rewire them.
http://www.pantz.org/networking/cabling/crossovercable.shtml

http://www.littlewhitedog.com/content-8.html

[kmillerusaf]

what if the software needs to be detected for it to run via cd? it is pretty secure software since its so expensive and valuable to the members of our organization. I think it checks for the product key to everytime its loaded.

[Ob1]

what software is it? call there tech support and they shold be able to tell ya if you need the disc to run in the drive in order for the software to run.

or install it over the network and try running without the disc and see first hand.

[kmillerusaf]

mcmillan study guides PFE Gold --- study material for AF to test for stripes.. I might try to give them a call and see if I can try to do the crossover cable thing... It pisses me off that this drive doesnt work though... I wonder what else I will have problems with in the future.

[Ob1]

which laptop did you purchase from Dell?

i would still contact Dell though and try and get a replacement.

[kmillerusaf]

inspiron 640m/e1405 but it was from the outlet store... supposedly it is like brand new but was shipped to the customer, box may or may not have been opened but was never actually loaded full blown to windows... i most likely will call when I get the chance.

[ktkendall]

But we still wanted you to try another CD in that drive and see the results. You said music cd's are working in that drive, so I'm thinking there is some functionality to that drive which leads me to believe it may not be a hardware issue.

[glc]

Contact McMillan and tell them your situation - and ask them if they can replace your CD.

KTK, refer to post #12. The drive is still reading other CD's.

[kmillerusaf]

I got my new cd drive from dell and the CD works. Thanks a lot for everyone's help on this issue.

Keith