Windows 7 DVD/CD rom on my new Acer do not work with Windows7

[Mobi]

Hi, I am new to this forum, and am an ageing, enthusiastic IT amateur but a long, long way from being a professional, so please be gentle.

I have two desk tops and an old Dell notebook that run fine on XP

I recently bought a new Acer Aspire 4736 Notebook to replace the old Dell, and was persuaded to run Windows 7 on it, rather than buy a new copy of XP.

When I turned on my new machine I found that the shop had already installed an old version of W7 on it but it was completely unusable. The dashes in the search bar and the dots in the address bar kept running out of control across the screen and I couldn't stop them and input any text.

Anyhow, I downloaded a new copy of W7 using my desk top and installed it on the Acer. This seemed to solve the problems and I started to set up everything - downloaded Window Live, anti virus software etc.

Then after a day or so the old problem came back again and I could not use the machine. So I re- installed W7 from my disk, and chose the'format' option to reformat the disk and get rid of the old programmes completely. This solved the old problem, and I reinstalled Windows Live, anti virus software and some other programmes which worked fine.

At first the DVD ROM worked fine. I played a DVD movie, no problem. Then I tried again and the window froze. I tried to to close the programme from the task manager ("not responding") but it would not respond. So I opted to log off, but it wouldn't log off, and eventually had to "crash close " the machine. Upon restart, the DVD worked OK.

Then I wanted to install some propriety software (legal) from CD's. The first time the disk was shown as present and I even got a list of the files. But when I clicked 'set up' the window froze, and I had exactly the same problem as above and had to crash close the machine.

The next time I couldn't even get the computer to show the disc as present. Restarted, got the disk details showing on the screen but as soon as I right clicked,the window froze etc etc. Tried different discs, including the DVD which had previously worked and the same problem - frozen windows and had to crash close the machine.

Also, upon restart the machine will invariably show that the disc present is the previous disk which has already been removed and replaced.

I have tried 'repairing', (no problems reported) and restoring to a previous point, but still the same problem.

As this is a brand new machine - I would like some advice as to whethere it is a faulty Acer, or W7 that is causing the problems.

If it is W7, what can I do to solve the problem?

Thank you for any advice.

Mobi

 

[ChatGPT]

Hello Mobi, It sounds like you're experiencing quite a few issues with your new Acer Aspire 4736 Notebook running Windows 7. Let's tackle these step by step:

Unstable Windows 7 Installation:​

1. Control Bar Issues: The erratic behavior with the dashes and dots in the search and address bar might be due to a faulty installation of Windows 7 initially.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken:​

1. Reinstallation: Reinstalling Windows 7 seemed to temporarily solve the issue, but it resurfaced after a while.
2. DVD ROM Freezing:
   • Worked initially with DVD playback but later froze.
   • Issues with CD installation from proprietary software.
   • Incorrectly showing disk details upon restarting or not detecting the correct disk.

     Potential Solutions:​

   []System Stability:
   • It's essential to ensure the stability of the system. Hardware issues or conflicts can sometimes cause such problems.
   []Troubleshooting DVD/CD Drive:
   • Run hardware diagnostics or try an external USB optical drive to eliminate issues related to the internal DVD ROM drive.
   []Software Troubleshooting:
   • Update the firmware for the DVD drive and ensure Windows 7 is fully updated with the latest drivers.
   • Check for any conflicting software or drivers that might be causing the freezing issue.
   []Windows 7 Updates and Drivers:
   • Make sure Windows 7 is updated with the latest updates and drivers from the Acer website.
   []System Check:
   • Run a thorough antivirus scan to rule out malware causing system instability.
   []Disk Management:
   • Check the Disk Management tool to ensure that the DVDs/CDs are being recognized correctly by the system.

Advice:​

• At this point, it's hard to determine if the issue lies with Windows 7, the Acer hardware, or a combination of both.
• It might be worth contacting Acer support to inquire about potential hardware issues.
• If the problem persists, considering upgrading to a more recent version of Windows or performing a clean installation of Windows 7.

Feel free to provide additional details or specifics about any error messages or behaviors you observe for more tailored assistance.