Laptop Optical Drive Not Working

[EAGLEye52]

SO I have a Toshiba L505D-S5983 and I was trying to rip a CD but when i go to check if the disc is reading in my computer it says to insert a disc. What is happening and can some one help me quick.

 

[Virgorising]

SO I have a Toshiba L505D-S5983 and I was trying to rip a CD but when i go to check if the disc is reading in my computer it says to insert a disc. What is happening and can some one help me quick.

Clearly, the system is recognizing the drive. Have you tried other disks? When was the last time the drive "saw" a disk?

Worst case scenario, yr lasers are going or are gone. How old is the lappy? How old is the drive? How much mileage on the drive?

 

[Virgorising]

K......this appears to be an older, AMD dual core lappy:

http://www.toshiba.com/us/computers/laptops/satellite/L500/L505D-S5983

My take is, if, that is, this happens with all disks you try, yr lasers are going, and the drive has seen much activity over time. If so, you might find a decent replacement drive for not a lot.

Sorry, I think in this, we maybe can't mange the "quick."

But try lots of other disks. Including blank media.

 

[denis280]

Try uninstall from device manager.restart pc.windows will do the rest.and if it still not working.well get a new one

 

[Virgorising]

Try uninstall from device manager.restart pc.windows will do the rest.and if it still not working.well get a new one

Our Canadian pundit always CUTS TO THE CHASE.()

 

[EAGLEye52]

I have tried cd's, dvd's and blanks and it continues to say "Insert a Disc"

 

[Virgorising]

I have tried cd's, dvd's and blanks and it continues to say "Insert a Disc"

Yep, yr drive is gone. Lasers exhausted and not seeing. You need to replace the drive. But shouldn't cost much!!!

 

[phis6]

You could try to clean the laser lens with some optic lens cleaner. Those lens cleaners are available at some CD/DVD/BR stores around your area.

 

[Virgorising]

You could try to clean the laser lens with some optic lens cleaner. Those lens cleaners are available at some CD/DVD/BR stores around your area.

First, this is an older system. This is a laptop optical drive, not even a desktop optical drive. Even with bigger desktop optical drives, opening the drive to clean the lasers is time consuming and most often doesn't work given, even if not dirty, the lasers have a finite life....and my take is, this one has a lot of mileage on it.

And, while the kind of laser cleaning disks made for stand alone DVD players work.....such things often do not for PC optical drives.

That is why I did not go there in this situation. But if he wants to try, that would be his choice.

And, for what he would have to give for a good, new replacement drive for is a very modest amount.

 

[Virgorising]

New:
http://www.hexparts.com/Toshiba-Satellite-L505-L505D-DVDRW-Optical-Drive-V000181450_p_2335.html

Not new, but Grade A condition, NO MONEY ALMOST, price includes shipping: NINE DOLLARS.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toshiba-Sat...=US_CD_DVD_Blu_Ray_Drives&hash=item417ff597e2

Many on ebay!!!!!!

 

[HOSED]

I would agree 99% ^^^ , but does the issue persist if you try to use the drive outside of windows (such as a windows install disk)? Also do you hear the disk spinning up?

 

[Matt1970]

First, this is an older system. This is a laptop optical drive, not even a desktop optical drive. Even with bigger desktop optical drives, opening the drive to clean the lasers is time consuming and most often doesn't work given, even if not dirty, the lasers have a finite life....and my take is, this one has a lot of mileage on it.

And, while the kind of laser cleaning disks made for stand alone DVD players work.....such things often do not for PC optical drives.

That is why I did not go there in this situation. But if he wants to try, that would be his choice.

And, for what he would have to give for a good, new replacement drive for is a very modest amount.

If you will notice on the laptop drives the laser is right on the tray and can easily be cleaned. However with his not even recognizing a CD or DVD inserted in there I doubt cleaning it is going to work.

 

[Virgorising]

If you will notice on the laptop drives the laser is right on the tray and can easily be cleaned. However with his not even recognizing a CD or DVD inserted in there I doubt cleaning it is going to work.

No, Matt, C my first post, bur first see his first post, the system is recognizing the drive.

And welcome back, where U been????????

 

[Virgorising]

I would agree 99% ^^^ , but does the issue persist if you try to use the drive outside of windows (such as a windows install disk)? Also do you hear the disk spinning up?

See his first posts, and then, my first post. The system is recognizing the drive. or else he wouldn't be seeing the insert a disk thingy.

 

[corkyg]

What Hosed suggests is valid. Yes - the laptop recognizes the drive, but all the problems are from within Windows so far. A simple test would be to start from OFF and see if the laptop responds to a bootable disk. If this test fails, then the drive is gone and it should be replaced.

 

[Virgorising]

What Hosed suggests is valid. Yes - the laptop recognizes the drive, but all the problems are from within Windows so far. A simple test would be to start from OFF and see if the laptop responds to a bootable disk. If this test fails, then the drive is gone and it should be replaced.

I stand by dirty or dying lasers. I don thin the problem is within Windlws at all, for me, from The Get, this is hardware issue.

Wut Matt point out is true and so, important: lappy opticals come out and you can see and access the lens, it's right there. It's been so long since I've used my lappy I forgot.

But, no optical drive lasts forever---no drive does--- and my take on this one is it's not only older, but has uber mileage on it.

And, another important factor to consider in this case; heat impacts/shortens the life of lasers in optical drives. And, remember, this is a laptop, and an older laptop.

 

[boomerang]

I sold an old Toshiba laptop that was purchased with Vista on it. I took advantage on a Hot Deal posted here for a replacement and decided to sell the old one. The optical drive would not recognize a disk, same as the OP. I messed with it a bit even deleting the Upperfilters and Lowerfilters in the registry with no luck.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driverssupport/ht/upperfilters-lowerfilters.htm

I wanted to wipe the drive before selling it and decided to at least try and boot from the Vista disk in hopes of doing a clean install and if that didn't work I was going to remove the drive, slave it into my desktop and wipe it. Lo and behold it booted and I was able to do a fresh install of Vista.

Something in the OS was borked and I never knew and will not know what but the drive worked perfectly after the clean install.

 

[Smoove910]

is it possible to 'uninstall' via the Device Manager, then reboot Windose and let it detect and install drivers for it?

Just a thought

 

[denis280]

is it possible to 'uninstall' via the Device Manager, then reboot Windose and let it detect and install drivers for it?

Just a thought

I told him a few post up Smoove.But Op not answering back.So did it work or not give some news.

 

[Virgorising]

I told him a few post up Smoove.But Op not answering back.So did it work or not give some news.

Yes, you sure did!!!!! I wish people would read thread before leaping in.

And, given the age of the lappy and the mileage on the drive and the heat factor re lapppys, I still think the lasers are gone.

 

[Smoove910]

Yes, you sure did!!!!! I wish people would read thread before leaping in.

And, given the age of the lappy and the mileage on the drive and the heat factor re lapppys, I still think the lasers are gone.

Don't be rude dude... I'm not hopping in here typing on every other post just to see my words on the screen (such as you). My bad for skimming through the posts and not catching the suggestion, besides... what value did this particular response give? You gave your suggestion, and now you 're-give' it?

 

[Virgorising]

Don't be rude dude... I'm not hopping in here typing on every other post just to see my words on the screen (such as you). My bad for skimming through the posts and not catching the suggestion, besides... what value did this particular response give? You gave your suggestion, and now you 're-give' it?

Rude? U mean like the above? Why don't you response to the post I was responding to: Denis'........HIS post was in response to YOURS, mine was only dittoing his.

 

[Ketchup]

Rude? U mean like the above? Why don't you response to the post I was responding to: Denis'........HIS post was in response to YOURS, mine was only dittoing his.

Let's take the fight elsewhere folks. Or better yet, just end it. Let the OP decide which way they want to go.

 

[Smoove910]

21 replies to this specific post, and 11 of those are Virgorising... I think someone needs to just STFU.