PC/CD player advice

[Guest]

My PC's CD/DVD player will play DVD's but not CD-ROM games for some reason.

One game it keeps asking me to insert the disk when I already have.

The other game it asks me to insert the correct disk and I have.

It's odd that the player is OK with DVDs.

Has anyone any advice, or is the player fucked?

 

[A_Kefka]

I'm not sure about this, but I believe there are seperate lasers for CD and DVD. If I'm right then just the CD one could be having problems. Like I said though, not sure about that, hopefully someone who knows more will come along.

 

[silverwhisper]

dirtybear, two thoughts:

1. have you tried looking for updated drivers for that device?
2. are you sure it's both a CD/DVD drive? what does your computer think it is? when you got the computer/drive, they should have a manual for that device with a troubleshooting guide: i assume that's been unhelpful?

ed

 

[cd1_christine]

My PC's CD/DVD player will play DVD's but not CD-ROM games for some reason.

One game it keeps asking me to insert the disk when I already have.

The other game it asks me to insert the correct disk and I have.

It's odd that the player is OK with DVDs.

Has anyone any advice, or is the player fucked?

There aren't separate lasers for CD and DVD functions. That's not it.

Your CD's drive letter has probably been changed, by something or someone.

If you originally installed the game with the CD using drive letter D:, and then your drive got changed to E:, then the game will still be looking in drive D: for the disk, which no longer exists.

If you're using Windows XP, right-click My Computer, then click Manage.
Click Disk Management in the left hand section of the window, and if it's not full screen, maximize it. You'll probably need it.
The bottom part of the right hand side of the window lists all your drives - optical and internal hard drives, as well as any USB or Firewire drives you may have. See the attachment for a screenshot.

Look for one called "CD-ROM 0". (I know...it's supposed to be a DVD, but they're all classed the same under the hood with Windows. And I've got multiple drives in mine, so I get CD-ROM 1 and 2, also.) Underneath that, it'll probably say "DVD (X" where X: is the letter the drive is using.
Most of the time, this letter should be D: for a CD/DVD drive. If it's not, you can change it to D:, provided nothing else is using D: for it's drive letter.
Right click the box that says CD-ROM 0, and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
In the dialog that comes up, select your current drive letter, then click "Change..."
In the dropdown menu, select D, and click OK.
NOTE: D won't show up in this menu if another drive is using D: as it's drive letter.
Select Yes to the warning about programs not running. (I suspect someone previously ignored this, which is why you're in the situation you're in now.)
Click OK again.


Now try your games. It's possible it's looking for another drive letter, other than D:, in which case you may have to go through every letter from D: to Z:, until you find the one that works. Fortunately, you don't have to reboot after every change.



CD

 

[cd1_christine]

2. are you sure it's both a CD/DVD drive?

ed

It'll play DVDs. How could it not be a DVD drive?

 

[Guest]

There aren't separate lasers for CD and DVD functions. That's not it.

Your CD's drive letter has probably been changed, by something or someone.

If you originally installed the game with the CD using drive letter D:, and then your drive got changed to E:, then the game will still be looking in drive D: for the disk, which no longer exists.

If you're using Windows XP, right-click My Computer, then click Manage.
Click Disk Management in the left hand section of the window, and if it's not full screen, maximize it. You'll probably need it.
The bottom part of the right hand side of the window lists all your drives - optical and internal hard drives, as well as any USB or Firewire drives you may have. See the attachment for a screenshot.

Look for one called "CD-ROM 0". (I know...it's supposed to be a DVD, but they're all classed the same under the hood with Windows. And I've got multiple drives in mine, so I get CD-ROM 1 and 2, also.) Underneath that, it'll probably say "DVD (X" where X: is the letter the drive is using.
Most of the time, this letter should be D: for a CD/DVD drive. If it's not, you can change it to D:, provided nothing else is using D: for it's drive letter.
Right click the box that says CD-ROM 0, and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
In the dialog that comes up, select your current drive letter, then click "Change..."
In the dropdown menu, select D, and click OK.
NOTE: D won't show up in this menu if another drive is using D: as it's drive letter.
Select Yes to the warning about programs not running. (I suspect someone previously ignored this, which is why you're in the situation you're in now.)
Click OK again.


Now try your games. It's possible it's looking for another drive letter, other than D:, in which case you may have to go through every letter from D: to Z:, until you find the one that works. Fortunately, you don't have to reboot after every change.



CD

Hmm.... I will try this... as I have 2 hard drives... I had my old one kept as the D drive and the new one is the H drive.... but the game has played since I had the 2 drives.... it just seems to have trouble reading PC games.... It DOES play DVDs and CDs perfectly fine, and is a CD/DVD rewriter also.

I will print your instructions and give it a go..... so thank you christine.

And also to everyone else who has tried to help.

 

[silverwhisper]

christine: oops, i missed that. excellent point.

ed

 

[Guest]

Without doing anything..... It played the game last night (Championship Manager... a soccer management game)..... But after taking the disk out and trying again, it did not work.

It didn't work for 2 other games either.... or on a CD.

But it DID play a DVD (Tropic Thunder) via my Cyberlink DVD suite.

I'm confused.

Do you think it's broken? If so, it was only installed in October.... so I could get it replaced under guarantee....

 

[Guest]

Just to let all of those kind enough to help know that I took it to the shop I got it from (it's still under warranty).

They said the optical drive was faulty for the CDs.

They replaced it... free of charge... and it's working fine. Apparently there are two lasers (one for CDs and one for DVDs).... who'd have thought it?

Again... thank you everyone.

From a techie klutz

 

[A_Kefka]

wow, sometimes I actually do have a clue, lol