Solved DVD drive won't play music, OK for data CDs

[ConfusednotCom]

Good evening All. I'm trying to rip CDs to download them onto an SD card, using Windows Media Player, and my DVD drive can't seem to read them. I get a list of tracks - Track1, Track2 and so on - but they won't play or open, and I don't get the rip option. They won't play in VLC Media Player either,

If I go to the WMP library page, I get the message: 'To begin, insert a disc into the drive'.

I did about a dozen a couple of weeks ago, and it worked fine, but not now. I also have the same problem now with the CDs I ripped then; they won't open or play.

Opening a data CD full of Adobe Acrobat files is fine.

I'm no computer expert, and I've no idea what to do now. Go on, somebody, give us a clue...

 

[mrjimphelps]

You may have a problem with your DVD drive. I suggest trying a different DVD drive. Here are some external drives available on amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_9/147-4463728-5677052?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=external+cd+drive&sprefix=external+%2Caps%2C797&crid=3P06BYYNH9UOH

Any of these drives should work. And they can be used on any computer.

 

[ConfusednotCom]

Thanks for that, but I'm not sure it would solve the problem.

I tried downloading a driver update for the DVD drive (TEAC DV28EV), and it now reads and rips music CDs, but what I then get in the music library is not the tracks, but only links to the tracks on the CD. Does that sound like a drive problem?

 

[mrjimphelps]

It sounds like an incompatibility between WMP and your drive. The driver update that you installed partially fixed the problem you were having, but it didn't completely fix the problem.

All of these products have to work together; all have to follow the same set of rules. It's possible that your drive may be fine, but it's following a rule that WMP doesn't support, and therefore it is incompatible in some way with WMP. If I am right, then it is possible that the driver update you installed partially addressed the problem.

The reason I suggested trying an external DVD drive is because it would be an easy and inexpensive thing to try; the external drive would be a different brand than your internal drive (eliminating possible issues with that brand); and also, you can use the external DVD drive with all of your computers, not just the one in question.

Do you have WMP set to automatically download the music track information from the internet?

 

[ConfusednotCom]

It sounds like an incompatibility between WMP and your drive. The driver update that you installed partially fixed the problem you were having, but it didn't completely fix the problem.

All of these products have to work together; all have to follow the same set of rules. It's possible that your drive may be fine, but it's following a rule that WMP doesn't support, and therefore it is incompatible in some way with WMP. If I am right, then it is possible that the driver update you installed partially addressed the problem.

The reason I suggested trying an external DVD drive is because it would be an easy and inexpensive thing to try; the external drive would be a different brand than your internal drive (eliminating possible issues with that brand); and also, you can use the external DVD drive with all of your computers, not just the one in question.

Do you have WMP set to automatically download the music track information from the internet?

I've ordered an external optical drive; as you say, they're cheap enough. It should arrive tomorrow, so I'll see if that solves the problem.

I only have the one computer; one is more than enough to waste more spare time than I can spare. What did we do to waste time before we had computers? I can't quite recall...

I have WMP set only automatically to retrieve missing information from the internet. I'm afraid I have no idea whether that is a good thing or a bad thing...

Are there any other settings in WMP which might affect/produce the symptoms I'm having?

 

[ConfusednotCom]

I now have an external DVD-RW drive. The symptoms when I try to use it to open and rip a CID are exactly as before.

I don't know if it's significant. but for every disc I put in and try to open, I get a list of numbered tracks, and they're all shown as:

Date Modified 01/01/1995 Type CD Audio Track Size 1KB

A disc came with the new drive - a trial version of Nero 12 Essentials. Is that any use in this situation?

 

[ConfusednotCom]

All I want to do is rip CDs to an SD card to use in my car. The free Nero software won't allow me to do that, so it's worth exactly what I paid for it.

Nothing.

I have to pay for an upgrade to rip. I have a better idea; uninstall and forget Nero, and download a free CD ripper off the internet (Freerip 3, say?) Does anyone have any better suggestions?

 

[mrjimphelps]

Here's something you could try: Create a Linux CD, and reboot the computer, booting to that CD. You will then be running Linux from the CD -- you will not have installed anything on your hard drive.

Here is where you can create the Linux CD:

https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

I like the Xfce desktop - it is a lot like Windows and easy to use.

Now, in Linux, you can use Asunder to rip CDs. Here is more information:

https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/asunder

You will need to install Asunder. I'm not sure how that would work, since you would be running Linux from a CD. Probably you could download it to your hard drive, then install it every time you load Linux from the CD, because whatever you do when running Linux from the CD will disappear when you reboot.

 

[ConfusednotCom]

Too complicated for me...

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Windows Media features; no change.

I've installed Freerip 3; it is easier to use than WMP, and works fine. So does the DVD drive on the computer...

It's sorted now, though; I'm a happy bunny...

 

[mrjimphelps]

Glad you got it fixed.

Well, you know what to try when all else fails...(Linux)

 

[ConfusednotCom]

Freerip is so much better for my (limited) purpose, I wish I'd had it from the start.

That said, I've just put another disc in the drive to rip, and WMP is ripping it as normal... Go figure.

Maybe the problem was a disc compatibility problem right from the start, but whatever it was, one way or another I have it covered. I may even have learned something...

Thanks again

Dennis