dvd doesnt work properly anymore

[Jang]

hello all

i am not very familiar with my dvd drive. here is my problem:

when i insert a cd or dvd, it first needs some minutes to recognise the cd or dvd. then again a few minutes to show me its content. and when i want to install something using cd, it doesnt work at all or very very slowly.
i dont know what i could have done to my dvd drive. device manager says drivers are ok. i even did a format c: but it didnt help. i cannot tell you which kind of dvd drive it is because device manager says only: IDE dvd-rom 16X
and as i bought a complete cd, its package only says dvd drive.
i would like to solve this problem
thanks in advance

[jokostel]

How long ago did this happen?
What Os?
What model & or what parts did you use to build it?
The drive may be shot from the sound of it....
But First you may want to try to simply go and buy a high quality laser cleaner disc for dvd. you can normally find those at a walmart,target,fry,best buy..... pretty much anywhere... gonna run you around 20 bones. follow the directions on that and see if it helps you our with the drive... Oops... didnt notice until after i posted you bought the dvd drive. If the cleaner dosent work... Im sorry that drive went the way of the dodo. Time to purchase a new drive. shouldnt run but maybe 50$.

[Bovon]

I will agree with most of what jokostel said...except paying $20 bucks for a lens cleaner...a good one (soft bristles) does cost more, but a new DVD drive is around $28 to $35 bucks at NewEgg.

What you are describing is laser failure to read the disk. This is caused by one of 3 things. #1) the disk is dirty or scratched..clean the disk surface with mild soap and water..dry good (squeaky clean) very important. #2) the laser lens is dirty...dust can get inside and settle on the lens, or if you (or someone who is in the computer room regularly smoking) the nicotine will get inside the DVD case and settle on the lens...(no lens cleaner will get nicotine off the lens). #3) the laser itself is weak (computer power supplies have been known to cause burners to not work..maybe a DVD?...donno, but possible.) The lasers as used with CD Rs and CDRWs DVDs etc. are cheap!!..and are diodes... they will not last a very long time...depending on how much one is used will determine if the drive will last 1, 2 or maybe 3 years. (yeah.. I know, some of us get lucky and have drives that lasts 5 years..but thats an exception).

[Jang]

oh no broken, i dont hope so.... i will try a cleaning disc and tell you any news.