DVD drive will play CDs but not DVDs

[cybertechelpand]

Thanks for taking a look.

Using a Hewlett Packard model p6710f running Win 7 Home 64.

Device manager lists the DVD/CD-ROM drive as "hp CDDVDW TS-H653T ATA Device"

DVD drive will play music CDs, but will no longer play DVDs.
Whenever a DVD is inserted, it is soon popped out and the message "insert a DVD" appears. DVD drive will burn music CDs, but will no longer burn DVDs. It perpetually says, "Insert Recordable Media" when there is already a valid blank in the drive.

Microsoft Fix utility did nothing.

Updating DVD drivers did nothing.

Removing and reinstalling drive did nothing.

Tried to use a restore point, all restore points have mysteriously vanished.
(update: the issue is a few weeks old. When issue appeared, this was true. Now, there is ONE restore point. I don't remember creating it.)

I tried editing the registry, as per microsoft website
Article ID: 314060. Did nothing.

Malwarebytes and AVG both find me clean. (I always update before running)

Warranty expired 20 days ago. Of course.

sfc/scannow said "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

It may be worth mentioning that my Verizon DSL has been disconnecting almost daily,
often several times a day, sometimes I have to reboot the entire computer to get connected again.

I went through several weeks of the HP printer (All In One PSC 1710) failing to print; the item would
go into the que, and never print. No amount of rebooting or reinstallation helped. Mysteriously, yesterday, it
started responding again.

[Murf]

Welcome to CTH

Try checking the DVD Region setting of the drive.

Right click "My Computer" then to "Properties" then to Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-Rom Drives, highlight your DVD then to peoperties.

DVD Region TAB USA is Region 1

[cybertechelpand]

Originally Posted by Murf

Welcome to CTH

Try checking the DVD Region setting of the drive.

Right click "My Computer" then to "Properties" then to Device Manager, expand DVD/CD-Rom Drives, highlight your DVD then to peoperties.

DVD Region TAB USA is Region 1

I set the region to USA 1. Again inserted a valid, readable commercial DVD.
Again it ejected. Again got an error message saying
Please insert a disc into drive E

But, this time, there is some kind of green progress bar filling up across the top of the screen where it says Computer.

****
I also tried Microsoft Support here:

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/cd...problems/en-us

"Fix problems with CD or DVD drives that can’t read or write media"

Results: "We detected some problems with your system and were able to successfully apply the fixes. However, our verification shows that the problem
still exists. Click Next for otehr options you can try to troubleshoot the problem."

"Issues found: Media in CD/DVD drive is not readable (hp CDDVDW TS-H653T ATA Device)."

Well, the DVD is perfectly fine, and plays okay in the DVD attached to the TV, so what the heck?

[Murf]

If your inserting a DVD movie, then you may not have the right codecs, or if using Windows Media Player (WMP) to view it could be the problem. If a movie try this program it's free and if it plays it, then the problem may be WMP.

VLC

[cybertechelpand]

I have used VLC player before, and hate it. Nevertheless, I'm anxious enough to get
this working that I was willing to download it again.
Are you aware that it attempts to ram virus-like crapware down your throat, such as "
funmods toolbar
freeworkz
shop to win
I unchecked the pre-checked permission boxes, and VLC installled the ANYWAY.

Heinous, heinous crap. I'm surprised you would reccomend it!

***

VLC says: "Errors Your input can't be opened: VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd://E\'. Check the log for details.

Naturally, this passive-agressive hunk-of-crap program doesn't tell you WHERE the logs are.....

***

[Murf]

Just to use as a test to see if WMP is the culprit.

http://www.windows7codecs.com/

[cybertechelpand]

Originally Posted by Murf

Just to use as a test to see if WMP is the culprit.

http://www.windows7codecs.com/

VLC says: "Errors Your input can't be opened: VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd://E\'. Check the log for details.

As for the codecs....oboy. This makes me nervous.
Back with the old computer, every time someone told me I needed
a Codec, and I downloaded one, I spent WEEKS trying to untangle the
huge virus-like problems these "updates" or "necessary" things caused.

Still, I'm having to trust you, so here goes....

[Murf]

Uninstall VLC.

[cybertechelpand]

Okay, Codec pack installed, reboot and long Chkdsk ran.

Problem is still exactly the same. Insert DVD a premade commercially purchased movie (have tried several)
Ejects out, and says, "Insert a disc".

WMP 12 installed, BTW.

[Murf]

I would then run the troubleshooter, if you haven't;

Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter that checks for common issues, such as making sure you have both a DVD drive and the correct DVD decoder installed on your computer.

1. Open the Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel.

2. In the search box, type troubleshooter, and then click Troubleshooting. Click View all, and then click Windows Media Player DVD

Also check you Event Viewer may be a clue as to what is causing the problem.

1. Open Event Viewer by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Event Viewer.*

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. Click an event log in the left pane.

3. Double-click an event to view the details of the event and let us know if it shows the faulty module that is causing the issue.

[cybertechelpand]

Originally Posted by Murf

I would then run the troubleshooter, if you haven't;

Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter that checks for common issues, such as making sure you have both a DVD drive and the correct DVD decoder installed on your computer.

1. Open the Windows Media Player DVD troubleshooter by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel.

2. In the search box, type troubleshooter, and then click Troubleshooting. Click View all, and then click Windows Media Player DVD

Also check you Event Viewer may be a clue as to what is causing the problem.

1. Open Event Viewer by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Event Viewer.*

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. Click an event log in the left pane.

3. Double-click an event to view the details of the event and let us know if it shows the faulty module that is causing the issue.

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. I have never seen ANY of these sections/screens before,
so if your words do not EXACTLY match the words Windows uses, I will be immediately and completely lost.

I AM making an effort here, and I do appreciate your help. But.

For example, Windows does not call it "System and Maintenance", it calls it
"System and Security". Not a big deal to YOU, maybe, but since I have no idea I will see "System and Security" and
have to wonder, in frustration, whether or not I have made a mistake, again, or have gotten lost, again.

You lost me at Step 2. There is nothing in the left pane named "Event Log".

The left panel contains this list:

Event Viewer (Local)
Custom Views
Windows Logs
Subscriptions

Which are all utterly meaningless terms to me.


At step 3 you ask me to double-click an event. I would not know what an "event" looked like, even if I found one.
Much less would I know WHAT it shows at all, and I certainly would not know if it "showed" a "faulty module",
whatever that is.

[Murf]

Open Control Panel (Start | Control Panel)

Now in control panel in the upper right hand corner you will see SEARCH,

Type in there.

Troubleshooter

Now click on Troubleshooting (Find and Fix problems)

Left Pane click on VIEW ALL

Towards the bottom you will see Windows Media Player DVD

Click on it

Now hit NEXT

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event Viewer

1. Right click "My Computer" then to MANAGE
2. Left Pane click on Event Viewer

This opens up logs that Windows keeps and if there was an error it will show in one of the logs.

• Application
• Security
• Setup
• System
• Forwarded Events

Applications and Services Logs

Hardware Events
Internet Explorer
Key Management Service
Media Center
Microsoft
Microsoft Office Alerts
Windows Power Shell

Look thru the Application one and also the Media Center one.

You just click on them to open. If there was an error will tell you.

[MaDef]

Sorry I'm late to the party, and I don't want to pull you off track Murf, but every time I've come across this issue with an HP cd/dvd combo drive it turns out that the drive needs replaced. What happens is there are 2 different lasers inside the unit one for cd and one for dvd, the internal parts are plastic and what happens is that the heat generated can "warp" the plastic part/s and throw the focus from the dvd laser off. thats why you can read cds but not dvds.

[cybertechelpand]

My responses are bracketed with *********


Open Control Panel (Start | Control Panel)

Now in control panel in the upper right hand corner you will see SEARCH,

Type in there.

Troubleshooter

Now click on Troubleshooting (Find and Fix problems)

Left Pane click on VIEW ALL

Towards the bottom you will see Windows Media Player DVD

Click on it

Now hit NEXT


************

OK, this creates a window that says
Windows Media Player DVD Troubleshooting couldn't identify the problem.

***************

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event Viewer

1. Right click "My Computer" then to MANAGE
2. Left Pane click on Event Viewer

This opens up logs that Windows keeps and if there was an error it will show in one of the logs.

Application
Security
Setup
System
Forwarded Events

Applications and Services Logs

Hardware Events
Internet Explorer
Key Management Service
Media Center
Microsoft
Microsoft Office Alerts
Windows Power Shell

Look thru the Application one and also the Media Center one.

You just click on them to open. If there was an error will tell you.

***********

"Look thru the Application one and also the Media Center one" is pretty vague. This opens up a page of what is, to me, complete gibberish. I don't know what to look for, I don't know what I am looking at.

I am seeing a screen that says Overview and Summary. There are some things named "Error", but I am not able to cut and paste them. WHY, precisely, does Microsoft make the most-crucial information, such as the contents of an error message, impossible to copy and paste?

****************

Now, not even music CDs will play. Whatever I put in the machine, it ejects and an error message comes up saying "Insert a disc".

This machine is very new, there is no reason to expect any of the parts to have worn out. I feel raped.

*****
It appears as if MS has made it hugely complex and non-intuitive to get the information....no copy and paste, ***. Why?
But, it seems as if there is a "copy" feature hidden / buried on the side in the most non-intuitive place possible. There are a HUGE number of
things called Errors.....how in heck do I know what I am looking for ??? !! This is only one:

Log Name: Application
Source: CVHSVC
Date: 5/7/2012 5:32:26 PM
Event ID: 100
Task Category: Client Virtualization Handler
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: blanche
Description:
Information only. (Patch task for {90140011-0066-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}): DownloadLatest Failed: HTTP status 304: The server's response was not valid. The server was not following the defined protocol. Resume the job, and then Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) will try again.

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="CVHSVC" />
<EventID Qualifiers="16384">100</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>1</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-05-07T21:32:26.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>17584</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>blanche</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>(Patch task for {90140011-0066-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}): DownloadLatest Failed: HTTP status 304: The server's response was not valid. The server was not following the defined protocol. Resume the job, and then Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) will try again.
</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

[Murf]

CVHSVC belongs to Microsoft Office.

Right click on "My Computer" then to "Properties" now in the left pane click on "Device Manager"

In Device Manager click on the + sign next to DVD/CD-ROM drives

Do you see any yellow or red marks next to the entry?