DVD-RW problem (drive fails to write)

[Zygis]

Hello fellows geeks . I want to ask you all a really big question.

My friend have a laptop which DVD-RW started having problems.
The problem is DVD one day after years of use just stopped burning disk while it still reads them properly.

The laptop is old - maybe 5 years old , using some Philips dvd-rw ( cant remember model ID ) we tryed al custom software (Nero , reinstall linux , Linux live CD ... ) but it just didnt start burning . And simulation run properly . So looks like its not a software problem . I even installed new firmware to DVD.

So where may the problem hide ? Dirty laser lens ( but wouldnt read then , right? ) Laser just got "aged " , meaning its power isnt enough to burn or what ?

Thanks for response

[Kerry56]

Cleaning the lens is about the only thing left to try at this point. And that might take some work to get the drive out and disassembled for something that may not have any effect at all.

So yes, it does sound like a failing drive. Laptop drives aren’t the most robust machines around.

I’m going to add a bit to your title and make it more descriptive. Maybe someone else will chip in with more advice and better news than I can offer.

[PhotoJim]

In many laptops it isn’t terribly hard to replace the drive. (I pulled out a combo drive in an Acer laptop and replaced it with a DVD burner a couple of years ago and it was surprisingly easy.)

It’s worth googling about how to change the drive in your machine - if it sounds reasonably easy you can pick up a laptop drive from many vendors. I paid around $40-50 for mine when I did it, and I’m sure they aren’t any more costly now than they were then.

[Arachne]

Welcome to the forum

In addition to the good advice already offered, I have a question - does the drive only have a problem with burning DVD media, or with CD media also? Does it read either type of disc OK?

If the problem is with burning just one type of disc (either CD or DVD), then have you tried a different disc brand?

Kerry’s right though in that laptop drives aren’t as robust as desktop drives…and given that it’s 5 years old it may indeed have had its day. But I’m just trying to clarify a couple of points and make sure it’s not a software/disc problem instead.

EDIT: One more question - do you have Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools, or any other virtual drive software installed?

[cholla]

One more suggestion :
If you have or can borrow a known working external drive.
See if you can burn a disc in it. If you can it eliminates a
software problem being the cause.

[Arachne]

Hehe, I’ve another suggestion too - try booting the laptop from a bootable CD or DVD (your Windows disc, a Linux distro etc), using the internal drive.

If it doesn’t boot from either or both CD and DVD, then there more than likely is a hardware problem with the drive. Don’t forget to choose the DVD drive as first boot device in your laptop’s BIOS.