What Has Happened To My Computer?

[Rab2140]

Hi all, i need some majour help with my computer. Early this morning i decided to move some files i had on an old written dvd to my pc and i inserted the dvd into my drive and i got a pop up saying the dvd was a blank cd.

So i went to my computer and my dvd ram drive was being labled as a cd drive so i tried a few more of my dvd that i have written files on and it comes up as a blank cd and i cannot access the files on it. it wont boot any of my written dvd either.

Here is the puzzler, the drive recognises orginal dvd's like my games crysis and gears of war and my asus sriker 2 dvd and i can install and play from them dvd's and the drive boots and plays cds. its just seems to be dvd's that i have written.

I have not had any problem using these dvds before with this drive so i have no idea what is wrong.

The only thing that i could think was wrong that i recently upgraded the bios and never tested the drive with a copied dvd just orginals. So i rolled back to a previouse version of the bios and just to be safe i hit the "clear bios switch" on my mobo.

And what happens? the computer does not boot. My lcd poster was stuck on the dect dram. So i knew there was something wrong with the ram. I pulled out my ram and tested them 1 by 1 and what do i find has happened? one of my ram sticks has some how stopped working for no reason.

So i am sitting here with a messed up dvd drive that reads everything but dvd's that i have written on. And a messed ram stick that some how blows because i clear the cmos.

I have got a funny feeling my board has shorted and ruiend my drive and ram. But everything else works fine , hdd, Graphics card, and cpu all work perfect.

What has happened to my computer?

 

[nickc]

Rap2140, most likely u just have a ram stick go bad and the DVD is fine, although they are cheap these days, (DVD drives). and both could be bad. if u know what kind of ram u need go to the online store of u're choice and replace it and as far as the DVD, do the same. as far as the ram if u do not know what u need go to: http://www.crucial.com/ download their tool to check what mem. u need then u can go where ever u want and buy it.

 

[Tedster]

http://74.55.96.66/vb/topic75555.html

 

[Rab2140]

Thanks for the reply guys i have ordered new ram and dvd drive and i found out what was wrong. I did not put the correct size of screw in my motherboard and it has got loose and fallen on my board.

This explains the ram. but not the dvd drive. As i see it nothing else is wrong with any other of my components except for the two stated above, so would it be safe to say my board has had a lucky escape from a short circuit or is there any lasting damage that i should worry about?

Is there anything i should look for on the board when i take it out of my comp soon?

I looked on Asus's website and they have a 3 year warranty on their boards but i bouth this of ebay so, i dont know what i will do if i have to replace it.

Cheers for the reply

 

[k.jacko]

If you 'have' shorted the board, then i don't think you can recover from it easily, and they can degenerate after damage like that, so personally i wouldn't risk it taking out the rest of the components.
Strictly speaking you aren't under warranty as its your fault it shorted, but you could try it on with Asus i suppose and make up a story.
i would suspect this 'short' has fried the ram and possibly the controller that the dvd-drive is on, but not the drive itself. Having said that they are peanuts to replace if it has.

 

[kimsland]

i suppose and make up a story

You don't need to be a hardware technician, and make up stories

The Motherboard (if faulty) doesn't work (that's all you know)
Maybe it's the surface mount transistor, who knows!

 

[Rab2140]

Yea but if the board shorted why did it just do the ram and ide controller? why not my gfx card and all that and the drive does read some dvds.

My new dvd drive and ram should be here in a few days and lets hope it works i know the ram works still because only one of my ram sticks got fried so its just the dvd drive now.

Though i have been going around the net and all of people seem to have the same prob with the same dvd drive (sony aw-g170a). They say it reads some dvds and does not play others .

lets just hope i have had an escape and be grateful.

i will lets you all know what happens, Thanks.

 

[raybay]

DVD drives wear out quickly... 7 months to a year if heavily used... quicker if used for burning more DVDs. They go out of alignment. Lasers burn out or go dim.
The can then burn DVD's while ever so slightly out of alignment so they cannot be read in other drives.
Replace the drive to test it... if it has a lot of use or age.