To resolve DVD drive issues after upgradation to 7 from Vista

eagercyber · 11 Dec 2013

Hi,

I have a Lenovo 3000 Y500 Laptop - Intel (R) Core (TM)2 CPU with T5300 @ 1.73 GHz, 2 GB RAM with Matshita DVD RAM UJ-85jS ATA Device. I have authentic Windows 7 Ultimate OS (32 bit). The original laptop (purchased fresh) had Windows Vista Home Basic.

After up-gradation, I have had constant issues with drivers mainly with DVD drive. It doesn't even recognize many of the formats which were fine with Vista Home Basic. Shows discs as blank!

Recently I installed a s/w with an USB based external DVD drive and I started to have BSODs (Blue Screen of Death). I just uninstalled that software and all BSODs stopped! So an external DVD drive is not a solution for me.

I have been suggested that I go for Dual Boot mode with Vista Home Basic additionally (even XP) That can make my DVD drive would recognize and play the discs fine!

Please give me your opinions/suggestions.

If I can get drivers compatible for my HW and Win 7 Ult without any dual mode, please suggest the ways too!

fireberd · 11 Dec 2013

The ONLY drivers for Optical drives (CD/DVD) are the default built in Microsoft drivers. There are no 3rd party drivers.

First suggestion, install the Intel motherboard chipset drivers. The Lenovo supplied driver for Vista is valid for Windows 7, however you may find updated drivers on the Intel site. The chipset drivers identify (define) all the hardware devices on or attached to the motherboard.
Intel® Driver Update Utility

eagercyber · 14 Dec 2013

Thank you, for the hint!

I tried it - no improvement

ComputerGeek · 14 Dec 2013

Try this MS Fixit Fix problems with CD or DVD drives that can?t read or write media

If that doesn't help, we'll check if any third party filter drivers are involved

indianacarnie · 14 Dec 2013

I had roughly the same problem for awhile except that my external worked. After a reinstall everything worked fine. You could try a repair install. WE have many excellent tutorials here at the forums, here's one on how to do that if you haven't before. Just click on the link : Repair Install

eagercyber · 14 Dec 2013

Fixit-tool --- Now the drive is able to recognize more files on the disk, though it is not able to play the disk as a whole. So I am able to play the files individually! Let me see how I can progress more!

Thank you, ComputerGeek!

indianacarnie - Repair Install would be quite risky for me. Let me consider that only later under some expert guidance.

eagercyber · 14 Dec 2013

One more observation.

For DVDs, some are getting opened successfully with PowerDVD but not with VLCPlayer!

Audio - I see the following error (gets repeated in an infinite loop)

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'cdda:///E:\'. Check the log for details.

ComputerGeek · 14 Dec 2013

Can other media players play the same file? If you google that VLC error, seems to be VLC bug.

How does everything else look?

ComputerGeek · 14 Dec 2013

fireberd said:

The ONLY drivers for Optical drives (CD/DVD) are the default built in Microsoft drivers. There are no 3rd party drivers. <snip>

That's kind of true but also kind of not.

Windows drivers are layered (like layers of a cake). The "function driver" is the single layer present in any driver. But 3rd party apps can add upper/lower filter drivers (just like adding more layersto a cake). A bad filter can cause a driver to fail/misbehave (just like any bad layer in a cake makes the whole cake bad)

The function driver for CD/DVD is the Windows generic. But 3rd party apps may add upper/lower filters to the Windows generic CD/DVD driver.

When you uninstall the CD/DVD device in DevMgr, it's only the function driver that gets uninstalled/reinstalled. Any 3rd party driver filters aren't affected

/* EDIT */
p.s. In Device Manager, you can right click Properties, Details tab, use the pull down menu to see if any upper class filters or lower class filters are there