matshita 850s dvd/cd writer

[theted]

hi,ive just bought a matshita 850s dvd/cd writer,it fits the slot ok,its reconised in 2my computer" but when i click to open a disc theres nothing there..ive tried dvd and music cds thinking it might be a disc problem..the guy i bought it from said it was a plug and play unit and didn't need a driver or firmware...is this correct..i'm new to pcs as u have probably guessed..if a driver is needed could you please send me a link..i'm running windows xp...my pcs a acer aspire notebook {1690]..any help would be appreciated..theted

[TazUk]

He's correct no drivers are required to read CD's and DVD's with the drive. As it's showing under My Computer then Windows has picked it up. Was it a new drive or taken out of another laptop?

Try the solution listed on the third post of thread, it might help with your issue.

[theted]

hi,i got it on ebay for £21..used..he said it has hardly been used...when i put a disc in to the drive i get a lot of grinding and whinning noises coming from it..it plays some dvd and cds...blank and pre recorded discs..do u think it might be a pig in a poke?...the one that was in my pc was a slot loader..the one i got on ebay was the same model but was a tray loader..can u put me onto a link on where to get the correct dvd/cd writer for a acer aspire notebook {1690}...kind regards theted

[davey6]

whats the model number and version number of your old slot drive ?
it will be printed on the yellow lable on a panasonic ( matshita ) drive.

just before you replace that other drive if its a bit hit and miss on reading i would try the following.
remove it from the laptop once more , make sure all the contacts are clean and straight.
if it fits in to a caddy , make sure its fitted tight.

refit the drive and see how it does.
as its a tray load check the laser ( power off ) make sure its clean with no dust or marks over it, it only take a finger print on the laser lens for them to skip and play about. laptop tray drives do suffer with that when people remove cdroms.

if you find the laser is dirty use a cotton budd to clean it, i must stress a great deal of care must be taken in order not to damage the laser only the lightest of touch is needed.

[theted]

hi davey,the writer was faulty so i sent it back to him and he refunded cash..ive bought a brand new slot loading writer from ebay for £26 sloted it in to laptop and its working great...{u only get what u pay for} ...theted..