Help with DVD Drive

[kit444]

A desperate problem, need help anyone, please.
I need to reinstall my OS. So, put the disc in the cd drive, closed it down, started it up again and pressed F12.The computer just ignored me and went straight into windows. So I tried it a few times more and the same thing happened. I then went looking for solutions. I found out about the boot order and how to change it. Still does not work.

Now here's a mystery, with the OS disc in the drive and the computer on, I went into Windows Explorer,My Computer,clicked on DVD-RW Drive(E) and it was just blank. So I inserted the disc in another old laptop and did the same thing, everything is there, so I know the disc is OK. The thing is, other discs work. In device manager the DVD-RW Drive is there and it says it is working properly.

Now I am stuck as I can't reinstall. Any ideas anyone? Just one more thing, I made a copy of the OS Disc to see if that would work. It doesnt (but again, it does work on the old laptop).

 

[SNGX1275]

If you just copied the files and not actually cloning the disk it won't work because it isn't bootable.

Does the drive read other disks? You can't rely on device manager to tell your your hardware is ok. I'm not sure I've ever seen it say the hardware is broke and I've had dead cd drives and dead network cards (all reporting fine in device manager).

If you can read other disks, then I'd say you either have a bad/scratched Windows disk (if its stamped), or you have a copy that was written on media your drive doesn't like.

If it can't read other disks, then there is your problem.

 

[kit444]

Yes, the drive does read other discs. The O.S. Disc is read on my other older laptop perfectly. I had to buy it from HP themselves, so I know its a genuine,O.S Disc to go with my HP computer.

 

[SNGX1275]

Ok, well that doesn't make any sense.