The "no disc" problem.

[AlecWest]

I've done DVD backups on both my desktop and laptop systems. And, backups on the desktop work just fine. But my laptop has recently begun to act strangely. When I put my original DVDs into the drive, I get "no disc" messages with DVDdecrypter, DVDshrink, and DVDfab. And most of my original DVDs are of "old" movies (example, "The Big Country"). However, when I put in the backup copies I've already made, they read just fine. It's almost as if some utility I can't recognize is singling out all of my store-bought DVDs and giving "no disc" warnings.

Anybody have any clue as to what's going on here? I could understand it if it "couldn't copy" a particular disc - but it just gives me the "no disc" message all the time ... old DVDs or new.

P.S. FWIW, the DVD burner still burns DVDs OK. And it still reads all my backup copies. Just not the originals. Weird.

Regards,
J. Alec West

[AlanHK]

It does sound like the burner (or more precisely, the reader part of the burner) is starting to fail.

Pressed discs are different to burned, but likely it will get progressively worse and you won't be able to read burnt ones soon.

That was my experience with an aging burner -- I was clicking "load" dozens of times in Imgburn to get it to recognise a disc towards the end.

But try a cleaning disc (with the little brush on it) if you have one, may help, can't hurt.

[dannyboy48888]

it is proboably the drive failing, but I have had the exact same problem before with certain discs and anydvd enabled, try disableing it and see if the disc shows up, its a long shot but possible

[lowellriggsiam]

Although your burner may be failing, I did have one commercial DVD that would not play on my Panasonic es40v. I got it from a bargain bin at walmart and it was twice as thick as a normal DVD, I made a copy of it and the copy played fine. I guess my unit didn't like that particular DVD.

[freebird73717]

Agree it's probably a failing drive. I had a burner that did the same thing. Quit reading pressed discs but read burnt discs just fine. Eventually it quit reading those burnt ones as well and I had to replace it.

[AlecWest]

Thanks to all for the advice. The drive has been around the block more than once (grin) ... so it's probably just time to replace it. New drives are a lot cheaper than they were a couple of years ago so I'll probably just buy two of them and keep a "spare" in a closet for the future.

Again, thanks.

Regards,
J. Alec West

[turk690]

Although your burner may be failing, I did have one commercial DVD that would not play on my Panasonic es40v. I got it from a bargain bin at walmart and it was twice as thick as a normal DVD, I made a copy of it and the copy played fine. I guess my unit didn't like that particular DVD.

CDs, DVDs, & BDs ARE all the same thickness, which is exactly 1.2mm (give or take a few microns). This thickness is a standard that is set in stone. I don't think even those who made that which ended in the bargain bin at walmart will ever allow themselves to be caught dead with a 2.4mm thick DVD. You're an Amtrak mooner, right? Go get a caliper and see.

[lordsmurf]

CD tends to be thinner, due to single platter design.
Not a sandwich like the other two.