Laptop DVD-RW Issue: "The disk structure is corrupted and unreadable"

Laptop DVD-RW Issue: "The disk structure is corrupted and unreadable"

I am working on someones laptop with the complaint that the DVD drive stopped working. It was working last night. Running W7 32 bit.

I tried to play some CDs and DVDs in Windows. Tried to boot a Linux disk, a Partition Wizard Disk, an Acronis Boot disk, a Windows 7 Disk. No play, no boot.

In Windows Explorer, with a Sims disk in the drive, double click brings up the error message: E:\ is not accessible. The disk structure is corrupted and unreadable.

In Disk Management the CD-ROM drive shows. I can change the drive letter. It shows "383.58GB RAW"

In Device Manager: very strange. The
"Optiarc DVD-RW AD-7530B"
device (as I recorded when I installed the OS over a year ago) no shows up as
"Oxtiazc (D^D(R_ID-7=38B"

I ran the Microsoft Mr Fix It - Mats/DVD.RUN and it found no issues.

I Removed the Drive from Device Manager and restarted. It installed the same garbled device. There is no Roll Back Driver. There is no Update driver.

The only thing that she thinks was changed was she installed 3 Windows Updates that came through today. But I did a System Restore to before that install and no change.
An hour ago there were the 3 updates available again. Just now there is only one. ???

I've run out of ideas. Anyone seen this one before? Dead Drive?

Hi,

Is there any chance the firmware has thrown a "wobbly"? Is it possible to update the firmware?

Regards,
Golden

Hey Golden.
Good idea. I'll definitely look into that in the morning. It's bed time here now.

If anyone has other ideas, I'll try em all in the morning.

Yeah a firmware update may alleviate the problem.

A sudden component failure cannot be ruled out. But do all that you can before giving up. A gentle wipe of the lense with a microfiber cloth, a firmware flash. Also try an external optical drive and check whether it works.

Well, I did due diligence and checked more things:

Checked for Errors in Event Viewer: Nothing obvious (but more issues for another day)
Tried the drive in Safe Mode: The drive appears at first, but when the disk spins up it disappears.
Checked for Upperfilters and Lowerfilters: Nope.
Ran SFC: Nothing found.
Physically removed the drive from the laptop and reinstalled it.
Checked for firmware update: nothing on Sony's website for the AD-7530B. Found one on a third party site but it would not download (not a good sign anyway).

So I guess I have to admit defeat and call it a dead drive.
Why does this happen on a Saturday night?
On a holiday weekend?
12 hours before she flies out?
Gremlins!

Does your client do clay-pigeon shooting? It might make a good clay.....

It sounds borked to me.

Regards,
Golden

I must agree!
Just found and tried firmware update - NX09. "Applicable Device Not Found".
That ices it.