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    Trouble with CF-29 CD/DVD drive

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by ert01, Jan 19, 2015.

  1. ert01

    ert01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm looking to erase my hdd and start with a totally fresh installation of windows xp...

    My CF-29 is a mk2 so afaik, booting from USB is not an option. (Unless theres a BIOS update or something that I'm not aware of?)

    First off, I want to use DBAN to wipe the drive, then install windows XP. Both of which I need to do via the CD/DVD drive... which would normally not a problem but now whenever I go to use it, I get an error that pops up that says: "The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error."

    The drive used to work fine, but the last time I used it was well over a year ago...

    I can eject the DVD tray fine by right clicking it in My Computer and going "eject", and when I remove the caddy, the E:\ drive disappears so the computer is seeing the DVD drive and has some control over it but nothing I try makes it read properly.

    Every once in a while, if I pop a music CD in, it will start to play, but other times it gives the same error message.

    Where do I start to troubleshoot this thing? Is it likely in the drive itself or something to do with the caddy, or something inside the laptop or...?

    Any help is appreciated.
    Thanks in advance!


    Device Manager lists the drive as a Maa DVD-RAM UJ-820S
     
    ert01, Jan 19, 2015
    #1
  2. safn1949

    safn1949 I'm sure I'm on the wrong planet

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    Most likely the drive,its old as dirt. You can remove it from the caddy and install a newer drive in it's place,not that hard to do.
     
    safn1949, Jan 20, 2015
    #2
  3. CWB32

    CWB32 Need parts for my flying saucer.

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    yeah ... i agree .
    you might try cleaning the laser optical assembly lens with a drop of "windex" on a q-tip and very gently (did i mention gently ?) clean the lens in a small circular motion .
    follow up by flipping the q-tip and repeat to dry/buff .

    if this fails to rectify the problem ...
    remove the old drive from the carrier and place it in the *file13* receptacle ...
    replace the drive with a new unit .
     
    CWB32, Jan 20, 2015
    #3
  4. ert01

    ert01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Tried cleaning it, and no luck.

    Replaced it with a new drive (well... a used "new to me" drive... IDE optical drives are hard to find!). Works like a dream now.

    Thanks!
     
    ert01, Jan 24, 2015
    #4
  5. Shawn

    Shawn Crackpot Search Ninja and Options Whore

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    Thanks for the follow up....:thumbsup:
     
    Shawn, Jan 24, 2015
    #5