Vista CD Detection issue....

Hey guys I just got a new HP Pavillion dv2700 laptop and it comes with Vista Home Premium. I have an authentic Vista Upgrade DVD (Business Edition) that I want to use but for some strange reason my laptop doesn't even read the dvd. When I pop it in while I'm using Vista, it'll make some strange sounds and my D: won't even see a dvd in there. Also, when I try to boot from it while starting the computer, it makes the same beeping noises from the dvd drive and just gets stuck at a black screen. The same laptop reads all my other dvds and cds just fine.

I have another HP Pavillion laptop and a Compaq in the house and they both detect and boot from the Vista cd.

I called HP's technical support and I told them the issue. They just asked if I wanted to buy the Vista Business Upgrade. I was like uhhh....I already have it.

Does HP build a lock into their system to not allow me to install my own operating system? If so, that's really stupid. I just want to do a clean Vista install that doesn't have all their crappy software on it. I also have the full XP cd but I don't know if that will fix the issue with my computer not reading the Vista DVD. It seems like more of a hardware issue rather than software.

Anyone know what's up?

 

I think it might be a media issue.Did you try it in a different reader?

 

Yeah, I tried it in another new HP laptop and another old Compaq laptop and they both read the dvd just fine.

 

Time to RMA the drive.

 

I JUST bought the notebook a week ago. All the other cds/dvds work correctly besides this Vista DVD (which works in other notebooks). I don't understand. It's like they installed a block on it.

 

Well, I know what I would try first since it doesn't require any purchases or repairs. I would put the Upgrade DVD in one of the other computers that can read it and make a COPY of the DVD. You should easily be able to do this. Then I would try the COPY in the new notebook and see if it works.

Sometimes a reader just has problems reading a particular DVD, usually an old DVD/CD which may have slight scratches.

 

I dunno, it's strange. The business version I'm using also has a version of Office that came with it and it doesn't seem to be reading THAT cd either. It's just odd that my laptop is the only one that can't read these. It's like HP wants to lock you into their version of Windows with their bulkware.

They shouldn't have the right to prevent you from installing your own clean copy of Windows Vista right?

 

You did set the optical drive as the first boot priority in the BIOS right?

 

Well, I believe you answered your own question about HP and blocking (they wouldn't do that in this case). The fact you can't install from a MS Office disk either, which has nothing to do with the Vista Upgrade, indicates either a problem with the install set (I assume it is an authentic MS original disk set) or DVD reader.

If you are confident about the quality of the disk set and since your notebook is a NEW, one week old, I would return the notebook and request a new replacement, don't accept a repair. In light of the fact that the disks work in another HP and Compaq notebook this would be MY only option.

You could try deleting the DVD device in device manager and let your system re-discover it and reinstall the drivers or restore your notebook to factory software with the recovery disks you created (I assume) or F11 to try to fix the problem. If it were me I would return it for another.

 

Firstly, the conspiracy theories really need to go. It's ridiculous.

As for the drive, it sounds to me like it could be a combination of the DVD disc and the drive. In the olden days of floppy disks, sometimes one drive could not read a disc because another drive that wrote to it was out of alignment. It's possible that the DVD drive you have is somehow out of alignment, and is able to read some discs, but not others. Seems like a long shot though.

I agree with the recommendation that you take the disc to another computer and make a copy of it (the free "ISO Recorder" can do this for you), and see if the copy works in the new laptop.

To make a copy using ISO recorder, put the source disc in the drive, right-click on it, then select "Copy to ISO image". Then put the blank DVD in the drive, right click on the ISO file and choose "burn image to cd".

 

Ya you guys might be right. I have another vista cd that I borrowed which is the same business upgrade but a 64 bit version and it reads it just fine. Very odd. I really don't want to go through the hassle of getting another laptop. I am pleased with this one except for this issue.

Also, I'm just running Ubuntu alone now, it installed in about half an hour (versus the Vista HP recovery disk that took 3-4 hours) and it detects all my hardware. They did a good job on the new one. Thanks for the help guys!

 

Oh and I might just do that reburning of the cd and try it again just for the hell of it. What do you all recommend for burning ISOs as good free software?

 

orev already mentioned one. "ISO Recorder". You can get it here http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

 

Oh I didn't know that's what it was called, I thought he just meant any ISO recorder.

So I tried it and it worked! My laptop now sees the newly burned Vista DVD. So now seeing as how the new burned ISO dvd works, what's your take on my cd drive? Was it the cd that had a problem or just that cd combined with my cd drive?

 

That is a hard call. If the software you were trying to install was on NEW factory 'Pressed' disks (from MS) as opposed to copies of the disks made by someone else and the surface of the disks was in pristine condition, I would suspect your drive as having an alignment problem since two out of two disks you say were unreadable.

You mentioned in a previous post that "ALL" other disks read correctly. How many program disks are we talking about here? You always can send your notebook in for repair at a later date if the problem gets worse or try for a new notebook now as HP should replace it if only 1 week old. It truly is your call.

Glad the copy worked, I have used this technique before with the very, very few problem disks I have encountered.

 

Well I put various other retail dvd movies and it runs them just fine. The only ones that don't work are the cds/dvds that came in a retail Microsoft Vista Business pack. Those Vista Business cds work in other laptops in the same household though. I have a legit Windows XP professional and home version which both run just fine.

Either way I'm installing the Vista Upgrade now but I used the cd key under my laptop and it sees it as a full version of home premium. So I take it every version of Vista you purchase is the same cd just with a different cd key? So the cd key you place in there will have an identity that tells the computer which version it is or if it's an upgrade/full version? I think I read that on the FAQ on this board. Is this correct?

 

Correct. Although you shouldn't have used the key on the bottom of the PC. You will have to call Microsoft to activate your installation, no problem just the wrong key to use. Read this sticky completely, courtesy of orev, the info about the key is near the bottom of the guide: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

You should have used the Product Key for your retail version of Vista Business if you wanted to install it. Future questions about installing Vista should be addressed in a new thread.

I don't have anything to add about your drive reading issue. I would imagine you have some more software to install, see how your drive reacts to those program disks and then evaluate your course of action.

 

"Shouldn't" is a bit strong here. There's nothing inherently wrong with using the key on the bottom of the laptop, it just doesn't allow you to use ABR to backup the activation. That's not a huge deal if you don't care about calling Microsoft to activate.

 

It's strange cuz it's not asking me to activate the copy anymore. I think it did it just fine already with the key under my laptop.