DVD only plays CDs

[amberlynn]

I'm trying to help my neighbour fix his Dell Inspiron Desktop 530.
This PC was given to him - fairly new.
He has never been able to get a DVD to play - CDs work fine.
It has a DVD-RW drive (according to Device Options - a Sata DVD+-RW GSA-H73N.
Under "Device Description" it says CD-ROM - not DVD.
When a DVD is in the drive - it can't recognize that there is anything in the drive - but plays CDs fine.
Drivers say they are correct and working fine.
What should I do to fix this?
Thanks,
A

 

[tf1]

It's normal for the drives to be 'recognised' as CD drives. However, DVDs use a different wavelength/focus laser than CD, so the symptoms suggest that the DVD laser is not working but the CD laser is working.

It may be worth seeing if there is a firmware update for the drive from the manufacturer, but it is most unlikely to be the problem.

DVD combo drivers are so cheap, get a new replacement to save the hassle. You just need to see if it needs an IDE or SATA drive (both still widely available).


Regards: Terry

 

[goombawaho]

Free tool to tell you all about your drive. Will tell you the firmware and what formats it supports. Then, you can look for firmware.

http://www.nero.com/enu/support-nero8-tools-utilities.html

INFOTOOL