I have a HL-DT-ST-DVD+RW GRA-4120B in my Dell Dimension 8300 which recently stopped working. I also have a Samsung DVD ROM which is working just fine. I can open the tray and the green lite goes on, insert the disk and when I close the door, the lite goes out and stays out. "My Computer" etc., still shows that the drive is there and working properly, but it won't recognize any disk. I have uninstalled and re-installed the newest driver so far, which did nothing.The burner is only about 1-1/2 yrs. old, ( and out of warranty), but I burned an alot of DVDs in that time, so could the unit be shot already?I am pretty much a novice, and new to this Forum, and would greatly appreciate any help on what to check next. Thanks, Rick
It does not read/burn any type of media, CD or DVD, pre-recorded or not. When I click on the drive after putting in a disk, it reads " please insert a disk", so it is seeing nothing.
I had a similar experience a short while back with a Samsung DVD ROM. Upon closer inspection (after pulling the drive apart), the laser had melted. If you cannot read or write from the drive anymore, it's probably safe to assume that your drive has had it. Luckily for you though, the LG burners are cheap so a replacement shouldn't be too hard to get.
Thanks Pelvis_3, I was hoping it wasn't that, but so be it. Is that normal to only last that long? I did burn quite a few dvd's thru it though.Also, what would be a good DVD writer to replace it with, that would (fit?) a Dell Dimension, or do any fit? I need a good one that will stand up to a lot of burning. What is anyones opinion on extenal units vs. internal as well?
I would check the warranty of that system first. If it's still under warranty, make use of it. Otherwise, get a new burner. Internals are cheaper, and if you're not afraid of and/or incapable of using a screwdriver, that's the way to go. Unless you need to move your burner around, you're better off with an internal unit. LG and Lite-ON make some pretty cheap drives, but you can also go with Samsung and Pioneer drives. If you really want to go and shell out, the Plextor PX-740A is probably the best on the market, but it costs about twice as much as other brands out there. Plextor=Rolls Royce of optical burners.
I don't know about Dell cases since I don't own any but you should go towards the likes of LG, Lite-on, Plextor (quite expensive), Sony or Toshiba.
mmmm, I would not give up yet. Ther are still one or two things you can try. When you are saying you reinstalled drivers, how do you mean? If you are using XP you do not use drivers. What you need is maybe a firmware upgrade or update. So what is it that you were re-installing?
Thanks to all, I really appreciated the replies. Guess I'll check out the Plextor.You are saying it's the "Rolls Royce", and I don't mind paying more for quality, but will it last twice as long as the others that are half the price? I know that's a pretty relative question, but do you think it's worth the money?
I have XP and it did say update driver, which replied that I did have the lastest version (in MYComputer- Properties-etc.)So I'm unclear exactly what you mean? Thanks Rick
IDE devices do not need drivers in modern OSes, so don't worry about that. Lots of things can kill optical drives, and the cheaper they are the moer quickly they die. Cigarette smoke is a big one, so if you smoke around your PC you might reconsider such a practice. Also, drives which use plastic lenses are even more susceptible to heat damage than others, so make sure your chassis is running cool.
