DVD/RW Drive Missing?!

[Liberi Fatali]

.

[Ivex]

Put the drive in a different computer and see if it works, if so there's something wrong with your computer/OS. If not, the drive is dead and you need a new one.

[Liberi Fatali]

Put the drive in a different computer and see if it works, if so there's something wrong with your computer/OS. If not, the drive is dead and you need a new one.

Damn. I'm not even sure how you open one of these computers -- it doesn't have a desktop. It's just a monitor... I guess the desktop is built into it somehow.

Doesn't the fact that the green light is lighting up mean that it is functional? I mean, it only lights up when I push the eject button -- but still.

[AnticorRifling]

What OS you running chief?

[Liberi Fatali]

What OS you running chief?

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc497/GoldenTabor/os.jpg

[Ivex]

The light coming on just means it has power going to it, doesn't mean it is successfully interfacing with the computer. It might also just need a firmware flash to get it working again, google that up and see if that's a possibility

[AnticorRifling]

First step I'd do:

I don't have my win 7 laptop with me so these are win XP steps might be slightly different:

Right click My Computer > Manage > Select Disk Management from the right hand list > See if the drive is listed as CD/DVD/Whatever drive with a drive letter.

Let me know what you see. Might be wasted effort but it's the easiest step to do.

[Liberi Fatali]

First step I'd do:

I don't have my win 7 laptop with me so these are win XP steps might be slightly different:

Right click My Computer > Manage > Select Disk Management from the right hand list > See if the drive is listed as CD/DVD/Whatever drive with a drive letter.

Let me know what you see. Might be wasted effort but it's the easiest step to do.

Ah, I saw that recommended somewhere. Let me try again. I could have sworn nothing was even there -- no mention of the CD/DVD drive.

Yeah, this is what I see:

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc497/GoldenTabor/rubbish.jpg

[AnticorRifling]

Ok doesn't look like it's seeing your drive then. You're getting a light that means it has, at the very least, power. I'm going to guess (which is alway bad but practice in issue resolution but it's a slight upgrade from assume) that the physical connection is not the issue.

Do this then for me:

Get to your control panel and Add New Hardware. See if the system will recognize it for you and step you through the install.

[Liberi Fatali]

Ok doesn't look like it's seeing your drive then. You're getting a light that means it has, at the very least, power. I'm going to guess (which is alway bad but practice in issue resolution but it's a slight upgrade from assume) that the physical connection is not the issue.

Do this then for me:

Get to your control panel and Add New Hardware. See if the system will recognize it for you and step you through the install.

Provided I am at the right spot, it says, "Searching for devices... make sure your device is discoverable".

I had read of at least two "fixes" that involved downloaded programs with "fake" DVD drives. I tried them both -- one had me download something called DAEMON TOOLS, which made an SCSI virtual CD drive -- it was supposed to then detect my original drive, which it did not.

I also downloaded, per recommendations, something called a "Chip Intel Driver" or something like that, which didn't work either.

Well, it's been running for about 3 minutes so far and nothing has popped in the box. Just says searching for devices still.

[AnticorRifling]

Where did you read those fixes?

[Ivex]

Do you know how to get into your BIOS? If your drive shows up as a valid device in the BIOS, then Windows/driver problem may be the culprit

[Liberi Fatali]

Where did you read those fixes?

Various Microsoft/Windows 7 forums I found via Google. Heh.

[Liberi Fatali]

Do you know how to get into your BIOS? If your drive shows up as a valid device in the BIOS, then Windows/driver problem may be the culprit

I read about this... but it was never very elaborate. I went into my BIOS, but wasn't sure what to look for. I saw one part where there was a CD-ROM selection and it said "NOT INSTALLED", I believe.

[AnticorRifling]

I'd start here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116

[Ivex]

If the BIOS doesn't see it, either the connection internally between the optical drive and the motherboard is bad, the port is bad or the drive is bad. Windows can't see a device if the BIOS doesn't recognize it. I'm leaning towards the drive just died, as that's the most feasible (and cheapest) option, unless the cable went bad but that almost never happens

[Liberi Fatali]

I'd start here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116

That's the "FIX IT" program I referred to in my original post. It said it could not detect my optical drives.

[Liberi Fatali]

If the BIOS doesn't see it, either the connection internally between the optical drive and the motherboard is bad, the port is bad or the drive is bad. Windows can't see a device if the BIOS doesn't recognize it. I'm leaning towards the drive just died, as that's the most feasible (and cheapest) option, unless the cable went bad but that almost never happens

But this computer isn't even a year old yet! Hoooow!

[Liberi Fatali]

That's the "FIX IT" program I referred to in my original post. It said it could not detect my optical drives.

Just ran it again. Direct message is:

"Windows did not detect an optical disc drive. It might be disconnected or unplugged. Check the drive connection or plug the drive in".

[Ivex]

Thing about computers is the same as cars; the whole car generally doesn't break, but its individual parts do. Optical drives are cheaply made and a dime-a-dozen nowadays, always a chance of getting a dud with any component

[Liberi Fatali]

Thing about computers is the same as cars; the whole car generally doesn't break, but its individual parts do. Optical drives are cheaply made and a dime-a-dozen nowadays, always a chance of getting a dud with any component

So I can't just download an optical drive? I don't even know what that is. Heh. I'm not very computer savvy.

[AnticorRifling]

So I can't just download an optical drive? I don't even know what that is. Heh. I'm not very computer savvy.

Not any more than you can download a pizza.

Optical drive is a physical device.

[Ivex]

Windows doesn't need a special driver for 99.9% of all optical drives out there, I'd just get the drive tested in another PC or buy a new one for $20

[Liberi Fatali]

Windows doesn't need a special driver for 99.9% of all optical drives out there, I'd just get the drive tested in another PC or buy a new one for $20

That cheap? It will still be a DVD/RW drive? Problem is, I don't know how to take this monitor apart. :(

[Ivex]

Yeah around $20-$30 online (newegg.com, microcenter), don't buy from bestbuy as they'll gouge you into a $75 drive. Just find someone who is decently savvy to do the work or if it's still under warranty, send it back.

[AnticorRifling]

I've never had to work on an all-in-one like your Dell Vostro 320. If it's new look at the warranty info. Just looking at the picture it really looks like it's using a laptop optical device so the whole thing probably one screw and a push tab...

Yup I was right:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos320/en/sm/TD04_OpticalDrive.htm

[AnticorRifling]

Get the part it's less than a 20min job to pop that back cover, replace the drive, replace the cover.

Hell do I need to drive over and fix this for you?

[Liberi Fatali]

Get the part it's less than a 20min job to pop that back cover, replace the drive, replace the cover.

Hell do I need to drive over and fix this for you?

Haha. If it's as easy as you say it is, I may be able to do it myself. But if I can't, I'm calling you in for backup!

Now I have to find the correct drive. Anyway you can find that for me? I'd hate to get the wrong one!

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Not sure if this in the prior posts, but Microsoft has an awesome tool for lost drives.

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/cd_dvd_drive_problems/en-us

[phantasm]

Before you buy a new drive, try messing around with your BIOS PnP OS settings, and reset the ESCD data in the bios.

[AnticorRifling]

Generally I just take the part out and get the number off it.

I'd probably try the following first:

If warranty exists STOP use your damn warranty.

If no warranty > Shut down the system > UNPLUG IT > Remove the drive (use the service manual instructions I linked > Plug in the system > Turn it on > Let it load > turn it off > UNPLUG IT > put the drive back in > plug it in > turn it on see if it finds it > If no > try a firmware/driver update > If no > order replacement part (you did write down the part number when you had it out of the system right? of course you did).

[Liberi Fatali]

Before you buy a new drive, try messing around with your BIOS PnP OS settings, and reset the ESCD data in the bios.

Can you walk me through how to do that?

[Liberi Fatali]

Generally I just take the part out and get the number off it.

I'd probably try the following first:

If warranty exists STOP use your damn warranty.

If no warranty > Shut down the system > UNPLUG IT > Remove the drive (use the service manual instructions I linked > Plug in the system > Turn it on > Let it load > turn it off > UNPLUG IT > put the drive back in > plug it in > turn it on see if it finds it > If no > try a firmware/driver update > If no > order replacement part (you did write down the part number when you had it out of the system right? of course you did).

Warranty expires 05/09/11, eeeek. Cutting it close. Calling them now.

@ Suppa: I'll check that website out as well.

[phantasm]

Sure here's how I do it on my PC

restart
push DEL during the POST
arrow around through the menu's stopping on reset ESCD data
push enter change it to Reset
usually in advanced bios settings or something
press f10 to save and restart

[Liberi Fatali]

Sure here's how I do it on my PC

restart
push DEL during the POST
arrow around through the menu's stopping on reset ESCD data
push enter change it to Reset
usually in advanced bios settings or something
press f10 to save and restart

Okay, I will try this.

[Liberi Fatali]

Holy FUCK. I just talked to what sounded like an Indian accented man named ECHO. I couldn't understand half of what he said, but he's sending me a new drive in 2-3 days!

Now we'll see if I can install it on my own...

[AnticorRifling]

Thank you, come again.

[Morchal]

I have a dell laptop and I had something similar happen.

I had it about 5 months and it had vista. I bought win 7 and went to download it. As soon as the download was done my drive was not recognized.

Had to replace the drive.

[Latrinsorm]

Hell do I need to drive over and fix this for you?Maybe you didn't notice in his post, but he is a doctor.

(So... yes, yes you do.)

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I e-mailed INFORMATION SERVICES at the hospital, and this is what they replied with:

Good Morning, Dr. Wilson,

When the device is not being recognized by the Operating System it is almost always a result of a corrupt or missing driver. The manual ejection should not have any bearing on the driver; however, if you were installing software and the installation didn’t complete properly then you could easily have corrupted your driver.

Under NO circumstances should you need to re-image (re-install) your OS.

If you know the model of optical drive that you have then google the driver for it, download, install, and reboot. Just make sure you get the driver from a legitimate source.

Let me know how it goes and if you have any further questions.

Dr. Wilson... Paging Dr. Wilson...

[Parkbandit]

Dr. Wilson... Paging Dr. Wilson...

:rofl:

[Keller]

Dr. Wilson... Paging Dr. Wilson...

:clap: