Disk drive won't recognise any disks?

[Alex119]

It feels like I'm jumping from problem to problem this week. :/

I've borrowed a friend's laptop so I can burn a recovery CD to fix my unbootable PC, but I've just realised that the disk drive isn't recognising anything I put in it. As the laptop isn't mine I'm unsure how this might have happened or how long the problem has existed as my friend rarely uses disks in the machine.

My Computer is recognising the drive and I hear some startup noises when I put a disk in, but nothing happens and the laptop continues to act like there's no disk in the drive no matter how long I wait. I've read about instances where it will only recognise one type of disk but it's not picking up DVDs or CDs. How can I diagnose the problem, and how can I fix it? :/

ETA- Troubleshooter didn't detect any problems and Device Manager lists the drive as enabled and working fine.

 

[WyomingKnott]

Question: you borrowed it to burn a CD. Are you putting in only blank CDs, in which case it may be a read-only drive, or prewritten CDs are not seen either?

 

[Alex119]

I tried putting films and music CDs in too, nothing was recognised.

 

[WyomingKnott]

The usual - if it's a removable drive, remove and re-insert it. Try the same disks in another machine. If they work, drive may be broken, blah, blah, blah.

Given your original reason for using it, can you return the laptop and use someone else's machine, just to get you back on track? Has the friend who lent you it read CDs on that machine recently?

Sounds like you are having a run of hard luck. Sorry.

 

[Alex119]

The discs work elsewhere, just not in this laptop. Thankfully I was able to burn the CD I needed with another machine, but the disk issue still stands.

As far as I'm aware my friend hardly ever uses disks in the machine, he mainly uses the laptop for work and never really installs software or uses disks. I'm not sure the last time the drive might have functioned.

I'm not even sure if the drive is removeable though even if it is I'd be afraid to try, as I have virtually no experience with handling hardware.

 

[WyomingKnott]

Well, tell the friend, give the machine back and, if the friend acknowledges that you did not break it, fix your machine. Then post another thread on fixing your friend's laptop. One thing at a time.

If it's seen in the Device Mangler / My Pooter, then the cable / electrical attachments are probably good. My first guess would be a defunct drive.

 

[Alex119]

I'm on the way to fixing my own machine now so I don't mind trying to diagnose his issue too, without the laptop I'd have been stuck so doing some research of my own to try and fix it isn't a problem for me.

Device Manager shows it as working fine and there don't seem to be any issues with opening or closing it so I agree the connection itself seems fine. I might just suggest he gets it looked at.