BleepingComputer.com: Need some advice on how CD drives work.

It is lightly scratched, when I put it on my flash drive it had no file read errors plus I tested it on my desktop and it worked just how it was supposed to. I am starting to think it may be hardware problems although im not sure how that can be. All that has ever went wrong with the laptop was the harddrive quit on us but we replaced it. And im sure we got the right one.

I am posting a few links to the Dell web site that are related to your laptop, the last one listed is one you should investigate as a possible cause as to why your drive is not reading the Windows XP CD.

Try gently cleaning the laser lens with a cotton swab dipped in house-hold alcohol.


http://support.dell.com/support/DPP/Index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&ServiceTag=&SystemID=LAT_PNT_PM_D610&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

CD/DVD/BD Optical Disc Drive Cannot Read or Write Media Due to Environmental Dust

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&cs=19&docid=266474&l=en&s=dhs

Bruce.

Thanks for the links. I will try to get some diagnostic utility's to boot. And about the CD drive... At this point we are mainly trying to get it to boot the XP install via flash drive. We have gotten absolutely nothing from that CD drive for a while. It may be faulty, cant say at the moment while nothing is working. And that CD drive we believe is not the original one, so far from what we are seeing all the D610's came with DVD burners/writers. This one is only a CD reader so we think it is 2nd hand.

I just read about the bios that it is "validated" for windows XP SP1 & 2. This is a windows XP SP3 disk I have been using. Can this bios not boot it because of this?

NuckenFutz, on 13 July 2011 - 09:26 PM, said:

SP2 was probably the SP that was available at the time your computer was manufactured, but I do not think the SP number makes any difference, since the primary thing that exists on any boot disk that makes it boot is the autorun.inf file on the disk. Basically there is no difference in that file from SP2 to Sp3 it has the same instructions.

Your disk would have a file on it called WIN51IC.SP3, your system came out when it was called WIN51IC.SP2, which is the name of the file on a SP2 installation disk.

The SP3 disk just has more patches on it that would have been updated through Windows update if you had the Sp2 version of Windows XP.
That is the primary difference between your disk and the Sp2 disk is the patches.

The folder I386 would have all your primary files needed by SETUP.EXE to install Windows XP on any hard drive, that is where all the .cab files are located that the system needs.

So what I am saying is I do not believe that is your problem, I would try cleaning that laser lens and make sure your Windows XP disk does not have any finger prints on it.
Try cleaning the disk with mild dish detergent and dry it carefully with a very soft towel avoid scratching the disk in the process.
clean the lens being careful not to disrupt the angle the lens is on and try again.

EDIT: To add: Try fogging up the CD with your breath before placing it in the drive, I have seen weird circumstances where disks read better after they were slightly fogged up by water vapor from the human breath.

Bruce.

This post has been edited by MrBruce1959: 14 July 2011 - 03:09 AM

Alright, I cleaned the eye and disk yet it still does not read anything in the bios. Another odd thing is that we got an external OS on a flash drive to boot called slax. We put a disk on the drive at this time and it read it.. Yet it would not read the same disk while in the bios. This is making no sense. Why is it that It cannot boot the install disk and it also cannot boot it when its on a flash drive when we put a mini OS on the flash drive and it works just fine. ????????

Anyone have any more ideas for this lost cause? Id really like to get this thing to boot windows, somehow. =/

Although I am not familiar with slax, I have taken the time to read up on what slax is.

It is a Linux based Live CD which is also designed to be a system boot disk, the disk includes instructions that the BIOS can follow to pass the boot strap over to the slax disk, which then takes control of your computer.

I also find it very odd that the Windows XP installation disk is being ignored by your systems BIOS during the boot process.

You mentioned something about the BIOS setup utility, am I correct to say that you do not see your optical drive showing up in your system BIOS MAIN menu?

If it is being detected, it should be listed as one of the devices besides the hard drive.

I realize this is a laptop computer and I realize there is a possibility that the optical drive was replaced with a CD ROM drive over the original CD/DVD burner drive.
You or someone else bought this drive used perhaps? If so, there is a possibility the drive was defective in some way, which is why the previous owner got rid of it.

If you have money on hand and really want to get Windows XP on this laptop, please try this: Get your self a USB external DVD\CD Burner or ROM drive from a shop or store that allows returns with no obligations or restrictions, such as restocking fees or only getting store credit for the return.
Attach the drive to your laptop through the USB port, boot up the system and enter the BIOS setup utility. While the laptop is powered up, eject the external drive and insert your Windows XP installation disk into the tray and close the drive with the disk in it.
Setup your BIOS to boot to the new device before it looks for a hard drive, hopefully your BIOS will recognize the drive, then you can set the drive as the first boot device under the BIOS BOOT menu so your system can boot to it.

Make sure you save the changes, then exit the BIOS setup utility and allow a re-boot.
It is my hope, the setup splash screen for Windows XP will show up once the BIOS passes control onto the external optical drive.
If this does happen, remember, once the required files have been copied to your hard drive and a reboot takes place, the XP CD is no longer needed and should not be booted to again at this point, so ignore the option on the screen to boot to CD or DVD disk again when the re-boot takes place. Let the computer by-pass the CD and boot directly to the hard drive.

Now if this is successful and you decide you do not want the optical drive, you can simply return it to the store for a full refund, that is if the store you chose allows this.
Just make sure you pack the drive back into its box just as it was when you opened the box, you will have a better chance of returning it for a full refund. Then again, you might be better off keeping it in place of an internal drive.

If an external drive is not in your best interest, you can purchase an internal drive and replace the one you presently have.

Bruce.

This post has been edited by MrBruce1959: 15 July 2011 - 02:13 PM

NuckenFutz, on 14 July 2011 - 03:42 AM, said:

While you are in the system BIOS you arent supposed to be able to read any cd. Nor can you read any files from your hard drive. Basically the BIOS identifies devices attached to the system only and can not read any of them.

Personally, I think you have a bad drive but you might try reseating it just in case it might be a tad loose.

I think we are just going to try to flash the bios. I know this isn't very safe but what other options do we really have? I found a guy with the exact same problem and he even tried a external DVD drive.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/289765-30-refusing-boot
His problem wasn't solved either...