Odd DVD drive problem in windows 7

[Guest]

Hi there,

I had a CD RW drive and a DVD RAM drive with my dell desktop. THe dektop is 6 years old and came with XP but I have recently upgraded to Windows 7 without a hitch.

Anywho, it seems that BOTH drives started working sporadically at the same time, about 3 weeks ago or so is when I first noticed it when I tried to watch some films from a DVD. It would play then freeze then not respond and the disc would click-click around in the drive and I would be forced to take it out and put it back in again. Sometimes it wouldn't work at all and other times would stop halfway through a film then work again.

Since the DVDs plus a pc game worked FINE in my other 2 laptops that were also upgraded from Xp to 7, I put it down to a hardware failure. So I bought a new DVD RW drive. Installed it, and films that wouldnt read at all on the previous drive read fine with this new one, but this time others didn't work and the pc game didn't either.

It's really thrown me since it's impossible for all these DVD drives to be faulty, but I can't explain why all the DVD's and games work fine on other computers. Are there any known compatibility issues with drives on PCs upgraded from XP to windows 7?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dogman_1234]

Hello, and welcome to THG.

There are many issues that could of come along. First, let me be the one to say that there could be a software to hardware incompatibility.

 

[davcon]

Well i'll assume at least one or more of the optical drives is IDE.
Correct me if i'm wrong.
Regardless if they are IDE or Sata the drives will have firmware upgrades.
Firmware upgrades generally improve the compatability of DVD media from all manufacturers.
Also keep in mind optical drives do eventually die.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. One is IDE yes, the DVD RW is sata. I understand that they do die, but all 3 at once and 1 of them brand new?

I'll have a look for firmware upgrades. Do I do that from windows or via a website?

 

[dogman_1234]

Website. First check the motherboard, and the BIOS type. Go to the Motherboard website and download the lasted BIOS update. From there you will flash the new BIOS firmware in the BIOS itself, restart and go for it.

 

[Guest]

Ok.. I will have to look up how to flash bios. As a side note, when I start windows it goes to the desktop and all is fine, but sometimes it just freezes with the busy sign the moment i click on anything. I have to restart and it's hit or miss if it works or not. Could this also be to do with the bios on my system being too old for the windows 7 i have installed on it?

 

[davcon]

Website. First check the motherboard, and the BIOS type. Go to the Motherboard website and download the lasted BIOS update. From there you will flash the new BIOS firmware in the BIOS itself, restart and go for it.

Good advice! dogman_1234
he should also update the chipset drivers from the mobo manu's website.
What make and model is your mobo?

 

[Guest]

It's a dell, but dell's website doesnt have the updated chipset drivers?

Now my PC has started to generally malfunction. Every time it starts now it freezes after it gets to the dektop. First thing you click on locks everything. Restarting makes no different, BUT if i reboot in safemode then reboot into normal mode again it works fine. Every time. Not if I choose safemode with networking though - could it be something to do with the networking drivers needing updating?

 

[dogman_1234]

Not a network issue. I would say either firmware or a bug in the OS. When was the last time you updated MS? Also, contact Dell and ask if anyone else has had the same problem on your same computer.