I need help with my cd drive.I have installed 3 new ones and each time I get the same problem.They work OK for a while then they stop.What happens is, if I put in a blank CD I get an error message, Saying that the D drive is not accesible.But I stick in a CD that already has anything on it then the drive opens and works properly.

Hi macca21, welcome to SAF

Although a blank CD is not really blank, it may not be readable, if the media is poor, or if the laser lenses are dirty, for example. A written CD contains much more contrast in reflections than a blank CD.

It's also possible that you are using a generic Windows driver on your CD drive. Some hardware may not work properly unless you load the manufacturer's correct driver for your CD drive model.

Chris

I cannot understand the purpose of inserting a "blank" CD in a CD-Rom. One would always get the drive is not accessible message.

I could understand if the drive was a CD-RW and the same message appeared.

Hi Mahmud603,

Well, I meant: if you are using Windows generic drivers, they would not work with all hardware. Upload your proper drivers and see what happens.

Also, if D: drive is not accessible, you may try another one to pinpoint the problem. (how is your BIOS settings though ?)

Chris

Hi..trouble again...LOL
I'm having almost the same trouble as Mahmud603... so maybe we can share the subject ..Thanks. I have WinXP, Dell 4100, had original CD/CDRW drive installed by Dell 2001.

My CD/CDRW was working great until about 10 days ago. I was getting the same error message. The drive wouldn't even read anything.
I tried everything I could think of (for my capabilities) and decided to buy a new drive. I got a Sony CD/CDRW drive and when it was installed it was doing the same thing as the old one (which I had already given away)...same error message. It came with a mini-version of Nero...(which is superior to Roxio).
I checked for an updated driver...none. Nero CD was the only disk I got and that was all there was on it.

I tried using the "copy disk" of a card program I have and it copied fine. Just for curiosity (women are like cats!) I put the original CD back in the drive and it recognized that one too. The next day..neither one would work again....same message. Each time I look at the drives..they are all working fine.

I don't know what to do concerning the BIOS...I've never messed around with it before. As far as the interior..I only remove the cover to clean out the dust. I also use a Kensington CD cleaner in the drive about once a month.
I have a couple of new programs sitting on my desk that I can't install because the wont work.
Thanks for your kind, patient, knowledgable help! Ms Koye

Hi Ms Koye,

As a first thought, have you tried a system restore ?

Optical drives issues are sometimes difficult to solve, because of a lot of standards and media qualities.

You can enter BIOS (it's safe unless you make changes that can stop the system) and see if your optical drive is set to Auto... also, on device manager, there are some settings you can play with, such as DMA (Direct Memory Access) and others.

Chris