CD-ROM Troubleshooting

  • Ok, we'll start with the obvious.. Take the CD/DVD out and verify that there are no significant scratches or any dirt that may be stuck to the disc.  If it's dirty clean the disk with a soft damp cloth (water only).

  • If you're unable to run a CD/DVD it's always a good idea to try another disc so you can figure out if it's the drive or just a bad CD.  If it's a burned CD you should also try different media as some brands will not work correctly with a specific CD-ROM drives. 

  • If it does turn out to be the drive, are you seeing any lights on the front of the drive?  If not, you may need to take the drive to a service facilty so the drive can be replaced.  If you do see lights and the drive opens/closes the most common problem is a driver issue.  You can follow the steps below to resolve this issue. 

  1. Right-click on My Computer, then click on Properties.  Click on the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager button.  Expand DVD / CD-ROM Drives and then you should see your cd-rom drive listed. 
  2. Right click on the drive and then select Uninstall. 
  3. Restart your computer.