strange problem with DVD drive

[memory]

In the computer I am using right now(see sig), there have been two dvd burners in the computer. One of them I added myself. It is a Sony DRU-810A.

The Sony has been acting up on me lately. Everytime I would go to open it, I would have to press the button more than once to get it to open. Sometimes if I tapped on it, it would come open. It was acting like it was caught or there was not enough power to open it. When I did get it to open, it would come open really fast. Now it won't open at all.

So I took it out and put it in another computer to see if it was my computer causing it. While the computer is booting up, it will open and close fine but when Windows loaded, it quit working. Why would it work while the machine is booting up and quit after Windows is loaded? Both of these machines are using Windows XP. The DVD drive is around 2 to 3 years old. Is it just old age?

Also I have been using that drive to burn stuff on there with Nero 8 trial version and when it is done burning, it will open like it should. It has been reading cd's and dvd's fine, just will not open anymore.

 

[atomic tofu]

should not be age though might....
could be the drive mechanism wearing down....if it's a physical issue

sometimes it's a jumper thing on the drive and how it's being set up in a machine...if you are familiar with that, and if the info is readily available either online or a user manual you might have, look into that.

just to check...scrutinize the edges of the tray...see if it's gunky

 

[memory]

Well, I got it working. I moved the jumper to the middle slot. Now I am going to put it back in my machine to see if it works.

I got another problem now. I put it back in my machine and now it will open but will not stay closed. It comes back open. Do you think I need to move the jumper again? I put the jumper in the spot where the book told me to. The jumper is in the middle slot if that helps.

 

[Baez]

Try moving the jumper to the last two pins. If that doesn't work remove it completely and see what happens. If it's still going screwy then it's an internal drive problem.

 

[memory]

It got it working. I had to move the jumper three different times before I found the right spot.

Thanks for the help.