[GRLUG] Fussy Optical Drive [probably hardware]

[JD Walsh III]

Since I moved one of my computers to a new case, I have an issue where I 
will insert a CD or DVD into the main optical drive, and it will reject 
it. Specifically, the tray slides in, it thinks for a moment, and then 
the tray slides back out. No messages at all in Linux (unless they're 
hidden in a log file somewhere). Sometimes the disc stays in the first 
time, but usually it takes two or three tries before the drive accepts 
it. Once the drive accepts the disc, though, everything seems to work 
just fine.

As I can use the drive with a minimum of inconvenience, this is a 
low-priority problem, but I would really like to know why it's 
happening. I've checked the cable connections from the drive to the 
motherboard (twice), and they seem snug. I suppose it's possible that 
there's a linux-related problem here somewhere, but my money says that 
the drive is going bad. Anyone have any thoughts?

--jd