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This will be my first attempt to install a new DVD drive into my computer. I have downloaded instructions from several places and will take pictures before I start removing the old one.
Does anyone have any comments on which is the preferred drive to buy (and most economical),
Will I need to buy software to get the job done, or do the drives come with the software for burning included?
Most retail drives (expensive route) will come with some flavor of burning software. Most OEM drives (economical) won't.
The software you need will probably depend on what you want the drive to do (burn video/audio DVD's, backup data, etc). There are free versions of just about everything, available. Some are good, some not so good. So, for the most economical route, get an OEM drive, and download software that does what you want. Or, pay out the wazoo at a "big box" store, and get everything you need. =)
The install is easy. Are you replacing a CD drive, or adding a new drive?
I am replacing a drive. The one I have keeps ejecting and I can't get it to stop doing that.
Just before this mechanical malfunction, the program that I downloaded for burning would not recognize that there was a disc in the drive. I did download and pay for a program that I was having a problem with. I think that I seriously want the program to be on disk from now on.
First rule in troubleshooting is go back to the point when things went to pot. Could be
the software you downloaded is the culprit causing the auto eject. I have owned 4 or
5 different versions of Roxio and they all had an auto eject feature as well as I can
remember. My current version is Roxio Ultimate 2009 which works well but is a bit
pricey ($129). There are lesser versions but they may not be as complete, function
wise. I had one version that would not let me copy a music cd but another, more
expensive version, would.
"Keeps ejecting"... when? As soon as the media is inserted? It could be as simple as the wrong type of disc. It could be a lot of things. Do you get an error message? Does the drive work normally, otherwise (do audio discs, previously burned media, retail DVD's, etc play?) Please be more specific and thorough about the information you're giving, to make it easier to provide answers.
Wants to open and stay open even if no disk is inserted. I got so frustrated that I put in a disk and held it closed until it stopped trying to open. When I went to "explore" the drive, I got the message "no disk in drive". When I went to the device checker, I got the message "this drive is working properly".
I am off to babysit at my daughter's house for a while. Maybe a break from this thing is just what I need.
It's possible that the bezel isn't aligned properly. If the tray can't close smoothly, it will by default, open again to avoid damaging the tray (and other internal parts). The front cover could also be applying slight pressure to the eject button. Try popping the front cover off of the machine (and the drive itself, if its cover is removable), and putting it back on, taking care to make sure that it's aligned properly. Have you tried shutting down the machine and using a paper clip in the small hole, to manually open the drive? It should then close when the machine starts up.
Eventually I will take the tower to the repair shop. Right now I need the computer to help with a co-op that is running this month. I'll let you know what gets one to it. Thanks for trying to help.
