[Flint]

I'm running an HP Pavillion a350n, and for the longest time my CD Rom drive has been having trouble. Whenever I press the button to open it, it tries to open but doesn't. (It's not like the button isn't working, no. The tray acts like it's trying to come out) It acts like something is causing it to jam or stick. I press the button repeatedly and eventually it opens up. I put in or take out whatever, and then when I go to close the tray, it works fine.

Later, the tray always seems to open up with no trouble at all if i've just recently opened it or have been using the CD that was in the drive. But if I go any particular amount of time without using the drive, I have this trouble the next time I try to open the tray.

Any advice?

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Hi and welcome go Geeks to Go. I think I would replace the drive.

[austin_o]

Hi and welcome go Geeks to Go. I think I would replace the drive.

[jkklau]

Hi and welcome go Geeks to Go.  I think I would replace the drive.

hi, do u know where i can find a step by step guide to replace my drive?

I have a NEC notebook, a Matshita UJDA710, Panasonic.

When I click my E CD drive, the message say please insert your drive.



pls assists, thank u.

[austin_o]

Do you have an owners manual for your laptop? Procedure for changing the drive may be in there. If not, go to the manufacturers web page and look for a guide there. I suspect there support page has a knowledge base of some sort that you can search.

[jkklau]

Do you have an owners manual for your laptop?  Procedure for changing the drive may be in there.  If not, go to the manufacturers web page and look for a guide there.  I suspect there support page has a knowledge base of some sort that you can search.

hi, unfortunately my ancient note book NEC Lavie L LL800R/8 manual is in Japanese, and I have misplaced it.

When u said, manufacturer webpage, do u mean my Notebook Manufacturer, in this case NEC? or are u refering to the CD drive manufacturer, whihc is Pananosonic Matshihta?

Thank you for your time and patience.

[austin_o]

I would go to the web page of the computer manufacturer. They probably have a manual you can download as well as a knowledge base of usefull information.

[NightWolfx03]

Flint: Does it open ok when there is a cd in the drive and have a hard time opening with nothing in it? If So I have an idea you can use if it's out of warrenty and your mechnically inclined. I had a similair problem with another drive an I found a way to remedy it, It has worked twice so far for me. But I mean if it's under warrenty I would say get it replaced and there was one time this did not help. mostly becuase the drive did not have the same problem.

Edited by NightWolfx03, 15 June 2005 - 08:38 AM.

[Flint]

Yes, that's usually the case. But it will still sometimes have a hard time opening even with a CD in the drive if I haven't used the CD that's in there recently. And if i've just recently opened the tray, it wont have any trouble the next time I try to open it.

It's weird that it seems to be time-related. It's as if letting the tray sit still and empty for too long causes it to stick or something. I'm not totally sure about the warranty, but i've had the computer for only a little over a year now.

[NightWolfx03]

well in my experince the ones i have had stick either needed some lubrication on the gearing, or, there's a magnet that is on a small round thing that basically hangs in the cd drive, when you put a cd in and close it, there is a corresponding magnet on the cd spindle motor, this is used to create enough friction / hold the cd so the motor can spin it, sometimes these magnets are too powerful and will hold the drive closed. I can take some pictures of what i am talking about and a few remedies if you want to try that.

[TwiztidNinja]

get a new drive if you are a smart shoper and its just a dvd rom drive you can bick one up for easily 30 dollars or less