CD drive won't eject - Probably needs new belt

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CalcProgrammer1

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My CD-RW drive in my Compaq PC just started acting up. It wouldn't eject the disk but maybe once in 10 tries or more. When I pressed the eject button, the drive would make a thud sound and then the motor would run, but the tray wouldn't come out. The CD would read OK, but it wouldn't eject the disk.

I just took it apart and tried ejecting it without the cover on. When the top is removed, the tray ejects fine. When I set the top back on, it stopped ejecting. I found that the holder piece on the top connects with the spinning motor when the drive is shut, and I'm assuming it uses magnets to do this. When it tries to eject, the motor piece wouldn't pull away from the top piece, and the tray wouldn't be able to move, because the drive hardware (laser and motor assembly) lowers when the tray moves out. I think the problem is a slipping belt on the motor that drives the tray, which in turn drives the drive assembly up and down.

If that is the problem, where might I find a new belt cheap? I have replaced the drive with a DVD burner, but I still would like to use the CD-RW in an old PC.
 
Use a paper clip to insert it in the hole and see if the rubber band fell off or something else clogging it
 
The belt is still in one piece and in the proper place, I think it just stretched too much and now won't transfer enough power to the drive mechanism. I'll try a small rubber band if I can find one, else I'll take the belt to RadioShack or some place that might sell them.
 
The belt is still in one piece and in the proper place, I think it just stretched too much and now won't transfer enough power to the drive mechanism. I'll try a small rubber band if I can find one, else I'll take the belt to RadioShack or some place that might sell them.

I don't understand why you'd want to fix a old broken down CD rom drive. As soon as my CD Rom drive dies, I buy a new one (and I'm poor).. ex:
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!
For $20 bucks
 
I did buy a new drive (DVD+/-R/RW/RAM/CD-R/RW Lightscribe for $30 on Newegg), but I want to use the old CD-RW in an old PC, one that I got for free and don't feel like spending any money on.

Mack said:
Jobs
Full-time electrician
Freelance programmer/webdesigner
Gamer :)

^ If you have one of those, then you're not poor. I'm in high school, I don't have time for one of those yet :) When I do get one, I'll buy new drives as I feel like it.
 
I did buy a new drive (DVD+/-R/RW/RAM/CD-R/RW Lightscribe for $30 on Newegg), but I want to use the old CD-RW in an old PC, one that I got for free and don't feel like spending any money on.



^ If you have one of those, then you're not poor. I'm in high school, I don't have time for one of those yet :) When I do get one, I'll buy new drives as I feel like it.

Ah I see, you could always nab one off of Ebay for even cheaper. I just threw one away that worked good enough for a crap PC. I wish I knew I would of gave it to you, hehe

Well, I might not LOOK poor but I am. I'm driving around in a '08 Wrangler 4DR Sahara, it isn't cheap.. lets just say I don't carry money in my pockets very often. If I do it's not over $5 bucks ;)
 
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