My CD-ROM drive pooted...

[Dopples]

I dunno what's wrong with it, but when I tried to install a brand new game I got, it won't read it. It'll start reading it, then it'll click a few times, then stop. It's happening to all my CDs too. I've updated the drivers, uninstalled the device then reinstalled it, and it still won't work. Anyone able to help?

 

[Grandor]

If it's consistently having problems like that, it may have become damaged somehow. Did the problem occur before you tried to reinstall it or after? If it happened after, you probably damaged it while trying to reinstall the thing.

 

[Dopples]

It was happening before-hand too.

 

[Grandor]

Then it appears as if it was probably damaged before you touched it. You may have scratched the disk reading compartment. Their is a laser in there that reads disc, and along with that is a tiny piece of glass that you probably don't even notice. If that glass gets a finger print on it or gets broken, your drive is as good as dead.

 

[Dopples]

Well, it's an optical drive...and another little thing it does is scratch my disks...no clue how it does it though. There isn't anything stuck in there.

 

[Grandor]

Could be something snagging to the disk, and holding it the wrong way when inserted. Then it just gets scratched by the compartment.

 

[arcthemonkey]

I'd just replace it, if I were you. You should be able to do so for all of $10.

Honestly, they are so cheap it's easier that way. I've taken to replacing my DVD/CD Burner every year just to make sure it doesn't fail on me. Needless to say I have a lot of friends who never have to pay for burners.

 

[Dopples]

Are Laptop CD/DVD-ROM drives cheap though? Cause I know laptop stuff is generally more expensive.