laptop doesn't detect cd/dvd drive anywhere

i have a Toshiba Satellite L555-S7001. a couple of days ago my laptop started acting slow. when i'd turn it on it'd sit at the... i don't know what you want to call it but i'm going to say the bios load screen(the first screen that comes up when you turn the computer on)... well it'd sit there for a few minutes and then it'd go to the windows load screen and sit there for longer then it should... then yesterday i noticed in my windows explorer that it wasn't showing my cd/dvd drive. i looked in the drivers and the bios and they aren't showing it ether. i am still able to open the drive and the light flash and i can hear it trying to read the disk. can anyone help me please.

 

Are you running Windows Vista, and are you familiar with "Device Manager"?

This definitely sounds like a hardware issue from the symptoms you describe.

Can you remove the drive yourself?

I did come across an instructional video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMFR-X4UdM

 

i"m running Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 v10.12.27 and i'm a little familiar with the device manager(had 3 year electronic engineering in high school). i tried once before to take my laptop apart, i got all the screws out(didn't feel any hiden screws under the stickers) but the shell wouldn't come apart. i don't think the cd/dvd drive is bad tho, cause like i said it'll still open and if i put a cd in it'll flash and i can hear it reading it. i don't know if it'd be something bigger cause of how slow the boot up process has been going(it's taking way to long).

 

The pause at the Toshiba splash screen definitely sounds like it is having trouble identifying the DVDROM. That it doesn't show the drive in BIOS even after the long pause indicates that the drive is causing the problem.

Follow Mekanic's very helpful video and remove the battery and the one screw on the bottom of the notebook (You only have to remove one screw to remove the DVDROM). Slide out the DVDROM, put the battery back and boot up. If it boots up much faster without the long pause at the Toshiba screen then you have verified it is the DVD that is causing the problem.

Shut down remove the battery, put the DVD back in and boot up. If it again pauses at the screen and the DVD still isn't listed in BIOS then you know it wasn't a bad connection and the drive has to be replaced. (If you replace it yourself, make sure you remove and save the little bracket for use on the new drive as shown later in the video.)

EDIT: Optical drives can get power and open and close and have a light flash but still not be recognized as a proper device by the BIOS and Windows. So just opening and closing doesn't necessarily mean the drive is not bad.

 

ok. i'll try that. i'll message back in a little bit.

 

ok. it did load like it should when i took the drive out. i put it back in and made sure it was in the whole way and it loaded slow again. do you think the drive is bad?

 

It very well may be.

The only thing that might, and I stress MIGHT work is to flash the firmware of the drive. Since it doesn't work at the moment, but you have some audible functionality of the laser, what have you got to lose?

 

and how can i do that?

 

You need to download the firmware, which is sort of like a driver for your CD/DVD drive.

You're going to need the "make and model" of the drive, and obtain the firmware from the manufacturer. Toshiba apparently doesn't have the original firmware avaiable for download.


rolleyes

Post your info, and maybe we can dig it up for you.

 

ok. i'll be back in 5. i got to take it out again. and thank you very much for the help.

 

ok.

Super multi dvd rewriter

model: GT20F
(ATAK7C7)

S/N: BOARGTE372126

 

sorry i didn't notice it's a hitachi-LG.

 

Apparently, LG, or Hitachi no longer have a download page for that model.


Would you consider an upgrade?

You could go Blu-Ray for $100 (USD)...

 

idk. i'll think about it. i need something.

 

Well, I'm pretty sure this should mount up no problem, and it's 1/4 the price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151242

-OR-

The same one:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BLK-GT20F-DO-NP&cat=DVD

 

Hi there i hawe problem whit my aspire 3050 laptop
it does not reconize my hdd or dvd drive in bios (both working condition)

specifications
(http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/notebook/0000/Acer/Aspire3050/Aspire3050sp2.shtml)


1 hdd spins when computer turned on
2 dvd drive spins when disk is in
3 reconizes and boots windows mini xp from my usb flash drive
5 tried to flash bios on MINI windows xp but it does not alow to do that
4 iv took out cmos battery didnt help



IS there any posabilities to fix this problem or itS bye bye to my motherboard?:cry