Laptop CD/DVD drive help

[adwebb16]

I wonder if anyone can lend me a helping hand! I have a Dell Inspiron 6400, working really well for me had next to no problems until recently with my DVD/CD drive.

Whenever I insert a CD or DVD into my laptops CD/DVD drive it really gets going, spinning the disc very fast by the sounds of it. It fails to read the disc, the autorun facility doesn't pop up. When I try to access the CD via 'My Computer' through explore of open it either recognises it as a blank disc or gives me a whole list of files on the disc.

I have a funny feeling that the drive is buggered, if it is do I just simply get it replaced?

Any help appreciated!

Thank you!

[adwebb16]

Bumping for some much needed help!

[Pubey]

have you tried cleaning it? get a CD that has a special brush built on it, it only takes a speck of dirt on your laser to screw your whole drive. if that doesn't work then it's probably screwed and needs replacing (which is no biggie, in fact less of a fiddle than replacing a PC drive IMO).

[Pubey]

oh and as usual, make sure your drivers are updated!

[pringlejon]

what discs are u putting in? if you don't have a dvd drive, but have a cd drive, then recent games etc will not autorun.

[adwebb16]

what discs are u putting in? if you don't have a dvd drive, but have a cd drive, then recent games etc will not autorun.

It's a recent one and has all worked before! I will get hold of a cleaning disk and see if that works! Thanks for the advice, if not will get it down a shop to replace it.