Morning folks,

I have a rather perplexing issue with my DVD-RW drive in my laptop, which is now just over four years old.

The DVD-RW drive seems to not like reading certain disks, for instance last year I upgraded to windows 7 from Vista (that came with the machine). The drive refused to read the DVD that Windows 7 came on, I ended up having to copy the disk in my parents machine and install from the copy. It also refuses to read MS Flightsim X and Flightsim X Accelerator DVD's unless I use the same technique as I used to install windows 7.

Curiously it will read anything else, pukka and copied DVD's, games, music CD's and all the backup CD/DVD's that I have ever made - going back to the early 2000's i.e. apart from this one issue it functions perfectly.

Normally with things like this it is a driver issue but I have checked and they are up to date.

I am wondering if the collective minds of PH know of this issue and if it is a non-driver related software rather than hardware issue. Or should I go to the local computer shop buy a new DVD-RW drive and get my screwdrivers out?

Thanks in advance.

I would replace it. It is usually just a screw and it slides out. Some even have a slide button to allow removal. Chances are the laser is shot or out of line.