Audio CDs not recognised

[WE Branch Fanatic]

My pc has a combined CD and DVD reader/writer. I've used CD ROMs to install stuff, and used/red/written DVDs, but it won't recognise an audio CD.

Windows Media Player just says "insert audio CD" even though there's one there.....and it does the same with different CDs.

Need to reinstall?

[goates]

Does the CD play fine in a home stereo? Is there anything on the audio CD that says it is a copy protected disc? Some of these don't work in computers very well.

Which OS are you using, and what version of Windows Media Player do you have? What model CD/DVD drive is it?

goates

[WE Branch Fanatic]

CDs work fine on normal players. Seems normal.

OS = Windows XP Home Edition. Media Player version 9.

I have just tried using the RTFM mthodology - and found that something called MatchMusic Jukebox is missing (from the music folder, a search suggests that no file containing the term Jukebox is present on the hard drive(s)).......

Eh..?

How do I (a) obtain it and (b) install it? Maybe its time to contact HP?

[goates]

I think you are talking about MusicMatch Jukebox, which you can obtain here (http://www.musicmatch.com/). I know the external HP CD burner my family bought a few years ago came with a HP edition of the program. If you go to the HP website or check any CD's that came with your computer, you should be able to find it. Or you could go to the site above and get the most recent version.

You shouldn't need that program to play the CD though, and I suspect that the CD has some sort of copy protection on it. Does anything on the CD packaging indicate if it is copy protected?

goates

[Mishandled]

WE Branch Fanatic

Have you tried looking at the data on the cd in explorer/my computer. Often the copy protected cds will play fine on "normal" cd players i.e. not computers, but are actually data disks as well, which actually have a player included on the disk that needs to be run in order to listen to the disk on a computer. this normally autoplays on insertion of the disk, but will not play through a player such as mediaplayer.

If you look at the cd and there is an application there this is normally the player, double click and hey presto music, but no ability to rip and include in your library. (boo hiss copy protection)

THere are ways round this, but seeing as they involve breaking the copy protection I wont detail how to here.

Cheers

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

WE Branch Fanatic,

Have you tried to burn a new CD and then try to read it after?

Take Care,

Richard

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Richard

Further investigations have revealed it won't read CD ROM now. I tried a CD with software I used a couple of months ago to reinstall the printer. Nothing. Going to "My Computer showed that it could see nothing in the drive....

Hmm. Time to contact HP (I prefer to e-mail them so I have any instructions in writing). Tried using an online form yesterday but I don't think it worked.........no acknowledgement or replies.

I filled the screen out wrong doh! Resent now!!

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

WE Branch Fanatic,

Let us know what HP has to say.

Take Care,

Richard

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Various things which I will briefly dscribe later - sufice to say they all seem ok (like resetting BIOS defaults and checking that the driver is recognised by the BIOS)......but haven't cleaned lens. Must get lens cleaners CD.....

but.........

Sorry for being thick, but as the CD drive and DVD drive are the same thing, would they use the same laser and detector (and optics) for both types of media and the electronics/software differ?

I know very little (nothing) about DVD technology....... I know how a CD is read with a laser and phase shifts etc, but is a DVD simply an enhancement? It does use more expensive disk - so just how does it differ?

Different lens?

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

WE Branch Fanatic,

DVD uses a smaller wavelength of laser to allow smaller pits in tracks that are closer together then a CD. The DVD laser must also focus more tightly and at a different level. In fact, a disc made on a current CD-R writer may not be readable by a DVD-ROM drive. (DVD player or drive use two lasers at different wavelengths: one for reading DVDs and the other for reading CDs and CD-Rs.) It's unlikely there will be "upgrades" to convert CD-R drives to DVD-R, since this would probably cost more than purchasing a new DVD-R drive.

Take Care,

Richard

[WE Branch Fanatic]

They suggested

1. Restore Defaults in BIOS.
2. Reset Configuration Data in BIOS.
3. If the CD is detected in BIOS or not,
4. If Yes, can you list the directory in DOS mode, and
5. Cleaning the lens of the CD drive.
6. Reinstalling the drive
7. Updating drivers using windows Update.

Done all that - although not in that order. Still doesn't work.

Sent new e-mail to HP telling them. I think that it's still under warranty - so perhaps they can do something like replace the drive....?

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

WE Branch Fanatic,

I would first make sure you have the latest Firmware for the Drive. If you still have the problem, try the Drive in another comp just to make sure the problem is actually the Drive itself.

If it is, then RMA the Drive. :(

Take Care,

Richard