I think my CD drive is broken! But it plays DVDs! wtf?!

Geminiwave · Sep 23, 2004, 08:25 AM

Okay so I just got an IBM thinkpad 600x and everything was great at first(this is a used laptop btw) but the CD drive wasnt working. Its actually a CD\DVD drive. Anyway so I was REALLY pissed off and I was gunna contact the seller and give him what for! Then I stuck a DVD in and it works.

I dont get what the problem is. The DVD works fine but no CD.

Basically I put a CD in. I hear some clicking...then a sound like its scanning the CD normally and then another click and then the light stays on like its all hunky doory...except it doesnt register at all. doesnt work at all as far as I can tell.

is this a firmware problem or what? Idunno.

worst thing is that I have no way of getting files onto this computer. I need to update the bios to install XP, and I need drivers to use the USB port or the network card so I can get online to DOWNLOAD the bios. Theres no disk drive...sigh god this sucks.

Can anyone PLEASE help??

PangingJr · Sep 23, 2004, 12:58 PM

ThinkPad 600X system supports Windows XP
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...IGR-39961.html

swimtech · Sep 23, 2004, 01:24 PM

Bummer, looks like a hardware failure if you've tried a couple known good CDs in the unit.

Before you install XP, do you see the CD under the existing OS?

See, a lot of combo drives use two separate lasers to read the pits on the optical media. CDs have much larger pits than DVDs and the wavelength of the laser light needed to read those pits is different - hence the need for two different lasers. So you can have a drive that will read one, and not the other.

I guess the computer didn't come with the floppy drive - all the ones I've seen came with one and a proprietary cable so it can be used as an external drive. The floppy drive will also go into the bay where the optical drive inserts...

Geminiwave · Sep 23, 2004, 05:30 PM

nope no floppy.

I was hoping that cleaning the darn thing could help but I guess not *sigh*

oh yeah and on a side note, the seller told me it had an S-video port. Techincally he wasnt lying but he failed to mention that its a Proprietary port! ::grrrrr::

Shinjikun · Sep 23, 2004, 05:42 PM

If that drive doesn't boot off of a Windows XP (2000, whatever

) CD then I'd say it's hardware failure.

swimtech · Sep 23, 2004, 06:07 PM

Sorry man,

I'd try whatever I could to send it back...

PangingJr · Sep 23, 2004, 08:18 PM

try resetting your Bios to boot from CD before HDD, also make sure the Bios is set to Auto-detect the HDD and save changes upon exiting, then put the XP setup CD in the drive. and then do a cold boot by shutting down and power off the PC, wait about 30 secs before rebooting it. see if it can boot from the CD.

Geminiwave · Sep 23, 2004, 08:23 PM

the real bios is inaccessable on thinkpads. They have this special one that has a pretty gui and shit but you cant do jackshit with it. Thats the unfortunate bit.

btw its already set to boot from the cD before hand but it doesnt matter because it does the same thing on boot as it does in windows. I think the thing is really shot.

my only hope is that using a CD cleaner will fix it.

PangingJr · Sep 23, 2004, 09:11 PM

the system is probably have the Power On Password, maybe also with a Supervisor Password and a password locked HDD.

swimtech · Sep 23, 2004, 10:02 PM

Easy Setup is the bios interface for that Thinkpad - I think there is a test function there too actually (sorry for the vagueness, I haven't seen one in awhile and that bios is a bit unusual).

If you can find a way to use it, here is a link to a version of PC Doctor diagnostics for your Thinkpad:

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview...&cc=us&lang=en

Sep 23, 2004, 08:25 AM	#1
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 64	Help Please! I think my CD drive is broken! But it plays DVDs! wtf?! Okay so I just got an IBM thinkpad 600x and everything was great at first(this is a used laptop btw) but the CD drive wasnt working. Its actually a CD\DVD drive. Anyway so I was REALLY pissed off and I was gunna contact the seller and give him what for! Then I stuck a DVD in and it works. I dont get what the problem is. The DVD works fine but no CD. Basically I put a CD in. I hear some clicking...then a sound like its scanning the CD normally and then another click and then the light stays on like its all hunky doory...except it doesnt register at all. doesnt work at all as far as I can tell. is this a firmware problem or what? Idunno. worst thing is that I have no way of getting files onto this computer. I need to update the bios to install XP, and I need drivers to use the USB port or the network card so I can get online to DOWNLOAD the bios. Theres no disk drive...sigh god this sucks. Can anyone PLEASE help?? __________________ Last edited by Geminiwave; Sep 23, 2004 at 08:46 AM.

Sep 23, 2004, 01:24 PM	#3
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Bummer, looks like a hardware failure if you've tried a couple known good CDs in the unit. Before you install XP, do you see the CD under the existing OS? See, a lot of combo drives use two separate lasers to read the pits on the optical media. CDs have much larger pits than DVDs and the wavelength of the laser light needed to read those pits is different - hence the need for two different lasers. So you can have a drive that will read one, and not the other. I guess the computer didn't come with the floppy drive - all the ones I've seen came with one and a proprietary cable so it can be used as an external drive. The floppy drive will also go into the bay where the optical drive inserts... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Sep 23, 2004, 05:30 PM	Thread Starter #4
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 64	nope no floppy. I was hoping that cleaning the darn thing could help but I guess not sigh oh yeah and on a side note, the seller told me it had an S-video port. Techincally he wasnt lying but he failed to mention that its a Proprietary port! ::grrrrr:: __________________

Sep 23, 2004, 05:42 PM	#5
Shinjikun 第3 子供 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nerv HQ Posts: 1,319 Rep Power: 0	If that drive doesn't boot off of a Windows XP (2000, whatever ) CD then I'd say it's hardware failure. __________________ Xfire: [Shinji1225 \ Status] A7N8X-E Deluxe Athlon XP 2500+ (@ 2.2 GHz 11x200 MHz FSB) Corsair TwinX XMS 1GB PC3200 Dual Channel (2-2-3-5) [color=red]ATi [/color][color=white]Radeon 9500 Pro (@ 330\310) \ [/color][color=white]Omega Catalyst Drivers v2.5.90[/color] [color=white]Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU[/color]

Sep 23, 2004, 06:07 PM	#6
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Sorry man, I'd try whatever I could to send it back... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Sep 23, 2004, 12:58 PM	#2
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 71	ThinkPad 600X system supports Windows XP http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...IGR-39961.html

Sep 23, 2004, 08:18 PM	#7
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 71	try resetting your Bios to boot from CD before HDD, also make sure the Bios is set to Auto-detect the HDD and save changes upon exiting, then put the XP setup CD in the drive. and then do a cold boot by shutting down and power off the PC, wait about 30 secs before rebooting it. see if it can boot from the CD.

Sep 23, 2004, 08:23 PM	Thread Starter #8
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 64	the real bios is inaccessable on thinkpads. They have this special one that has a pretty gui and shit but you cant do jackshit with it. Thats the unfortunate bit. btw its already set to boot from the cD before hand but it doesnt matter because it does the same thing on boot as it does in windows. I think the thing is really shot. my only hope is that using a CD cleaner will fix it. __________________

Sep 23, 2004, 09:11 PM	#9
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 71	the system is probably have the Power On Password, maybe also with a Supervisor Password and a password locked HDD.

Sep 23, 2004, 10:02 PM	#10
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Easy Setup is the bios interface for that Thinkpad - I think there is a test function there too actually (sorry for the vagueness, I haven't seen one in awhile and that bios is a bit unusual). If you can find a way to use it, here is a link to a version of PC Doctor diagnostics for your Thinkpad: http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview...&cc=us&lang=en __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.