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Help With DVD Drive In My Dell

nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
I bought a Dell Inspiron 5000e laptop, used, but in nice shape, and got a good deal on it. It came with a CD/ROM drive. I found a seller on Ebay with some DVD/ROM drives for this computer and bought one.

It won't run. The Fleabay seller is no help. I found a software download on Dell Support that is either only a patch for the DVD or else I installed it wrong.

Anyway, when I put in a DVD, the light on the front of the drive lights up and I can hear the disk spin, and that is all that happens.

If I put in a CD/ROM, some it will read and some it won't. I just tried Encarta 98 and it came up. I tried Bookshelf and it did not.

Crazy?


Any help?

Editing: Thought more information might be useful.

Model number: SD-C2402

Serial number: 0ZED207599

Number on paper tag: 3892A925

Ver. No. 000

ROM Ver. 1009

Made December 2000, but was new when I got it. Made by Toshiba.

Dell part number 022FK.




SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net

Edited by - nunn on 07/20/2002 18:27:15
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Comments

  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a similar problem with an IBM laptop. The DVD drive would not read certain protected DVDs. Have you tried a non-protected DVD? I have one that came with the video card for my desktop computer. Typically, an unprotected DVD would be one that the creator doesn't care if you copy, for example an advertisement DVD, as opposed to a feature movie DVD.

    BTW, I never resolved the problem, even after installing the latest drivers. It would work with some movie DVDs but not others. Apparently, the driver I had could handle some DVD protection schemes but not others. I was only borrowing the laptop and I had to return it about a month ago.
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  • E.WilliamsE.Williams Member Posts: 1,101 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Go to http://www.envytech.co.uk/5000e It is the Dell inspiron 5000e faq page it has so much info I wouldnt know where to start.You might try pressing FN+F8 and reset your monitor but this site should cover you.

    Eric S. Williams

    Edited by - E.Williams on 07/20/2002 19:34:25
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    What does it mean to reset the monitor?

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • E.WilliamsE.Williams Member Posts: 1,101 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It said on the faq page that the monitor will get "confused" sometmes with the resolution and resetting straightens it out.Im guessing it blanks out what the monitor is interpreting and redesignates the resolution.Kind of like a monitor brain fart.

    Eric S. Williams

    Edited by - E.Williams on 07/20/2002 20:12:58
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    Nothing I tried, including a downloaded driver from Dell, worked. I figure the drive is defective, and am going to send it back. No more Fleabay computer parts for me!

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    nunn--
    Hard to say; could be the drive, could be the driver, could be Toshiba has another driver, could be your version of Windows multimedia needs updating, or it could be a different DVD playing software product like PowerDVD would play the DVDs that your current software won't play. Before you give up, go to www.windowsupdate.com and do a Product update check. Update to the latest versions of Windows' multimedia products for your operating system. Also, try another DVD player software package. I imagine you can download something off download.com. Also, when you load the driver(s), let the Windows installer do it by rebooting and letting it ask you for the location of the new hardware driver.

    Anyway, that's what I'd try. If you go into your Control Panel and check under System, there will be a list of your hardware including CD-ROM drives and their drivers. If any of the current drivers for that drive has an X or a line through it or an exclamation point by it, the install was faulty. Delete that entry and reboot your computer to run your driver install again.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106 ✭
    edited November -1
    David -

    I have no experience with that particular machine, but I do have a question... Any chance the BIOS isn't able to accept the DVD?

    If that's the case, then you should be able to flash it with an upgraded edition with little trouble.

    Anyway, it's worth the thought.



    Nord
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  • 96harley96harley Member Posts: 3,992 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Go find the Dell kid at his next comercial set. Use your 1911 to pursuade him to follow you home and fix the problem. "YOU GOT A DELL".
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    Thanks guys. I am no geek, that's for sure.

    The drive is boxed and ready to go out in tomorrow's mail. The vendor agreed to give me a refund.

    I found that Dell sells the drives for only a few dollars more than I paid on Fleabay, and guarantees them for a year. If I decide to buy another one, it will be from Dell.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    BTW, the old Sony laptop with the busted hinge, remember that one?

    It sold on Fleabay for $350, and it is ready to mail tomorrow, too.

    I thought I came out OK on that deal. I paid $700 for it and used it for a year and a half.



    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I see. Instead of 'plug and play,' it's a case of 'repay or get plugged.'

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • MercuryMercury Member Posts: 7,842 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nunn,
    I have the same exact setup as you describe. I've used it for 2 years now as my main computer. I have the monitor, keyboard, and mouse hooked up all the time. It is on 24/7.

    When I travel, I just unplug those things and the network and off I go. It is great.......I have ALL the files I need ALL the time.

    I have no problems with the dvd drive, but it does sound like yours is bad.

    If you have a problem, call Dell. They've always been GREAT help to me. Also, they *may* let you buy an extended warranty on that machine......or it possibly could have one already. I don't think they are 3 years old yet......call and ask.

    Merc



    NO! You may not have my guns! Now go crawl back into your hole!

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