Solved DVD writer not working properly after Win 11 upgrade

Winuser said:

If I remember correctly the CD\DVD drives have two lasers. One reads the CDs and the other reads the DVDs. Your laser for the DVDs is probably getting weak.

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See post #5.

Winuser said:

If I remember correctly the CD\DVD drives have two lasers. One reads the CDs and the other reads the DVDs. Your laser for the DVDs is probably getting weak.

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I agree with this, and if it reads poorly, it is possible that Windows gets "crazy" trying to read the disc and just runs in circles forever.

Thanks for all the feedback. I will buy a new drive and try it out. Difficult to pin down exactly what is happening as there are so many variables but I appreciate all the suggestions. Watch this space.

Badblood said:

Thanks for all the feedback. I will buy a new drive and try it out. Difficult to pin down exactly what is happening as there are so many variables but I appreciate all the suggestions. Watch this space.

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I don't know if it will help but you could try using a lens cleaner before buying a new drive. Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Arsvita-Clea...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Winuser said:

I don't know if it will help but you could try using a lens cleaner before buying a new drive. Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Arsvita-Clea...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

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Good shout but new DVD RW drives are £20 so not a major outlay.

Ironically I have another drive of the same model type in the loft but it is an old IDE drive and I couldn't be bothered with the faff. Tried a USB connected drive and no problem. Changed the SATA cables and power leads but no joy. I still do not understand how, if the lens is dirty or the laser failing how it could read a DVD perfectly once only. Mystifying. Drive does a lot of seeking but never appears in File Explorer after the first time.

Seems like this has happened to a few other people and I suspect I may have been a bit cavalier with the Registry. Takes a professional to really screw the Registry!

Badblood said:

Tried a USB connected drive and no problem.

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Way mine is connected no bay in newer case.

Badblood said:

Takes a professional to really screw the Registry!

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Wouldn't screw with that much either.

I become obsessed with issues i have and will keep trying to find out what is causing it, if there is an alternative sometimes just may have to give in.
DVD burners becoming a dying thing, ask yourself if it's worth it or not for yourself.

jds63 said:

Way mine is connected no bay in newer case.

Wouldn't screw with that much either.

I become obsessed with issues i have and will keep trying to find out what is causing it, if there is an alternative sometimes just may have to give in.
DVD burners becoming a dying thing, ask yourself if it's worth it or not for yourself.

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I was going to solve this if it killed me and I still have a Toshiba Libretto with Windows 95 on it that I am trying to get working with mini Linux. ...

Turns out I need to eat some serious humble pie.

I was convinced that the drive was fully functional because every time I fully uninstalled it I could access a DVD. After the comments about the cleaner I bought a cleaning disk which wouldn't work (because it couldn't read a DVD). So bought a new Blu-ray/DVD/CD burner for £60 and to my surprise it worked just fine.

So, no, I didn't need to try and roll back CDROM.SYS. I (probably) didn't need to edit the registry.

I took the opportunity to tidy up my PC and upgrade the graphics (a bit) - RX 6500 XT which is much better than the old HD 6700 but still a bit rubbish.

Driver install added a ton of AMD bloatware and bought up the Test mode watermark - arrgghhh. Rolled back a Windows update, set values with bcdedit, all to no avail.

So, in desperation, uninstalled Catalyst centre and the newly installed AMD Adrenalin suite.

Windows 11 in 1024x768 is not great. Watermark still there - arrrrgggghhh.

Re-installed AMD driver only from Adrenalin... nope - Error 260. Pending Windows update.

Sigh, check, no updates pending. Re-boot.

No go.

Try again, fail again, wait a minute. Didn't I uninstall a Windows update from 10th Jan? Check Windows update...

Re-installs an AMD SMB Bus driver - ah!

Re-install driver. Watermark goes. Hurrah!

Now install the BD/DVD/CD disc. All works.

Transfer caddy attachments, re-cable, cut hands, swear swear swear.

Finish. Phew.

So I now have a fully working upgraded system that can edit Word documents so much faster.... lol.

Can't thank you all enough for the advice. You would think at 56 I might know better but hey, we are all learning something new everyday.

Now, where is that Libretto?

Badblood said:

I took the opportunity to tidy up my PC and upgrade the graphics (a bit) - RX 6500 XT which is much better than the old HD 6700 but still a bit rubbish.

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Badblood said:

Windows 11 in 1024x768 is not great.

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Why is monitor not capable of higher resolutions ? In your system specs it said Monitor(s) Displays 2 x Dell Screen Resolution 2 x 1980x1280
https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/amd-radeon-rx-6500-xt

Badblood said:

So bought a new Blu-ray/DVD/CD burner for £60 and to my surprise it worked just fine.

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Glad sorted that out ! So was the drive.

Badblood said:

Driver install added a ton of AMD bloatware and bought up the Test mode watermark - arrgghhh. Rolled back a Windows update, set values with bcdedit, all to no avail.

So, in desperation, uninstalled Catalyst centre and the newly installed AMD Adrenalin suite.

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I am an Intel and NVIDIA person not too familiar with there Stuff AMD.

Badblood said:

Can't thank you all enough for the advice. You would think at 56 I might know better but hey, we are all learning something new everyday.

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Welcome ! So true not matter age still learn and expand that brain.
Good luck make sure updated on Windows newest version and all system drivers go to motherboard manufacturer's site, even BIOS.
Might of said that before about updates.

If you feel it's all fixed can mark thread solved at top.

Monitor is perfectly capable but if Windows can't find a valid driver it falls back to a crappy default. It is fine now.

Badblood said:

Monitor is perfectly capable but if Windows can't find a valid driver it falls back to a crappy default. It is fine now.

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Okay, meant AMD driver ?

jds63 said:

Okay, meant AMD driver ?

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Yes. When the new graphics card was installed Windows went back to a 'basic adapter'. Fine once the AMD card drivers were installed properly.

Badblood said:

Yes. When the new graphics card was installed Windows went back to a 'basic adapter'. Fine once the AMD card drivers were installed properly.

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Okay, would you consider all is well with your system then ?