[weyland-yutani]

my dell pc generic dvd/cd drive has stopped reading dvds, audio cds and data discs. the only thing it will play is cd-roms. i have reinstalled the powerdvd disc that came with the pc and the device driver says the device is working properly(it's not, so it can f-off for start.) any ideas on what the problem is?

thanks.

[maf1970]

Given that a standard DVD writer can be got for £20 its hardly worth bothering about,easier to just replace it.
If you have Blu-Rays it may be time to move up to a combo drive(DVD writer/Blu-Ray reader)

[weyland-yutani]

and what if the dvd/cd drive is fine and the problem lies elsewhere? it's rather presumptuous to just ditch it and buy a new one.

[maf1970]

No it is not. Given the cost of a replacement it is a trait of the throw away culture of today. It just isn't viable to spend the time trying to determine what exactly is wrong.

As a point - I'll bet the disks that don't work spin up when you put them in but nothing happens. When before they would autoboot or open a window with a list of choices. Do you get any error messages ?

[weyland-yutani]

no error messages. and yes, they no longer spin up. so, it's unlikely to be any problem with the pc, just the drive?