[GRLUG] Fussy Optical Drive [probably hardware]

[JD Walsh III]

Raymond--

It sounds like you're right (as are all the others who suggested this). 
My natural tendency is to want to diagnose and fix the problem, but 
sometimes it's a more effective use of my time (and money, since my time 
is valuable) to simply let it go and replace the parts.

Still, it's good to confirm that it probably is hardware, as I thought. 
Thanks.

--jd

Raymond McLaughlin wrote:
> JD Walsh III wrote:
>   
>> 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. 
>>     
>
> Checking the cable was a good idea. Getting a new one would be better. I
> could cry at the amount of time I've spent trying to fix problems that
> turned out to be because of bad data cables. But of course crying would
> be a further waste of time :)
> If that doesn't work a new drive (on your new cable) would probably be
> the route of least resistance.