Windows 7 please help: dvd drive won't run pc-dvd

[rychrger72]

hello, new guy here. i've searched the web as well as this forum and haven't had any luck as of yet.

I have an Asus K60IJ, I recently had a friend install the full version of win7 and office (laptop came w/ win7 but not full up. I am trying to re-install flight sim X, and it won't run the disc, i can hear the drive runnin up then down, but it eventually shows the disc as a blank and the only options it gives me is to burn to the disc. I'm not very computer smart, but I've tried looking for drivers, system says I have the most current driver and it's running properly. I tried uninstalling it, and re-booting with the same results. The drive will still run other discs, and a friend tested the disc in his laptop so the disc is good. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike]

Check the bottom of the disc for scratches or other blemishes and marks. There are ways to properly clean both the DVD drive itself, usually using a cleaning product that is installed and run as a disc. This is technically probably the safest way to clean the drive if there is no hardware malfunction. If the disc has blemishes, you can use something like water, Monster iClean, eye glass cleaning solution, or even Windex with a fine cloth to remove the blemishes in a circular motion going around the disc. If there are scratches, there are some solutions for you. There are DVD scratch removal products you can purchase, or you may even be able to contact Microsoft and ask for a replacement disc if you still have your product key and so forth. I believe that either your DVD drive simply can't read the disc because it may be old and worn or the DVD drive may be having a compatibility error reading the disc as well. Too hard to tell, really, without doing more testing. Try running every PC DVD you have in it and if any of them are unrecognizable as well you know it is the DVD drive for certain. There are also some freeware utilities that can help you test our your DVD drive's health.

In general, a spin-up and spin-down is indicative that it could not read the disc. If it is showing as blank, you go to click on it, and there is an enormous delay or nothing comes up it simply could not read it. Chances are if the disc can be read on another DVD drive it could very well be due to the fact that the drive is in better condition to read the disc. So you need to test both and see where it leads. Personally if you notice even the slightest scratch, blemish, or mark on the disc I would consider it extremely suspect.

If not, I would consider the beginning of some problems with your DVD drive. That being said, you should really buy a cleaning product for the drive. It is not advisable to use compressed air on the drive, really, as this could result in damage to the optics and components that allow the drive to function properly.

So:

Any blemishes on the disc and its probably the disc and the fact that you have an old drive.
If the disc is in mint condition I would start looking at the drive as suspect.

My best advice would be to consider doing both and if all is well consider trying to get a replacement from Microsoft for the game. However, as you know, most games that are even opened are usually nonreturnable. That is why I suggest thoroughly performing these operations. Specifically you are looking for a DVD drive cleaner product and some DVD disc cleaning utilities.

 

[rychrger72]

Mike,

Thanks, I'm thinking you hit the nail on the head, my friend came by a bit ago to check it out, the disc is working on his, but he noticed there is a bit of a scratch. So I'm gonna clean the drive and the disc and I think that should do the trick. Thanks again.

 

[helpifIcan]

Mike,

Thanks, I'm thinking you hit the nail on the head, my friend came by a bit ago to check it out, the disc is working on his, but he noticed there is a bit of a scratch. So I'm gonna clean the drive and the disc and I think that should do the trick. Thanks again.

One thing to remember if cleaning does not solve your problem is that CD and DVD use different lasers in the drive. You did not say if the other discs were CD or DVD a drive could read a CD and not a DVD.