Windows Media Player - not working

[Lucy123]

I am running Vista home OS and have not opened the media player in some time. Now I want to play a music CD and rip it.

I get a message to insert a disc in my drive E, and it does not see it. The disc drawer simply opens as if to ask for a CD.

Any assistance appreciated

[Midknyte]

So it's a drive problem or a WMP problem?

Does the WMP application run at all? Did you try playing mp3s or other media files from the hard drive?

Can you open other CD, like application or data CDs?

[Lucy123]

Well, I believe it must be a drive problem, as you suggest. I tried some backed up word docs, photo CDs and my printer instruction CD and it asks for me to insert a CD in each case.

I've had this computer system since 2009. Now I need to decide if I should replace it all or just the CDR drive. What do they run and what do you suggest? I do not want to have the new 'touch screen' computers that I have read about. Just give me a keyboard and a mouse and I'm happy.

I also have a new video card I was going to have someone install for me, so I need to consider that expense when deciding.

Is there anything else I should do to test it to see if it is the drive?

Thanks again,

[fink]

New optical DVD/CD read/write drives are not expensive. ~20-25 dollars for a pretty decent one (more if you want Blueray). I prefer LG. I've never had one die.

[Midknyte]

If you already tried multiple CDs and none of them read, then it's probably a bad drive.

You can check Device Manager to see if there are any errors, just in case.

If you replace the drive, get a DVDRW drive.

[Lucy123]

Fink/Midknyte ~

I purchased an HP pavilion a6750t PC, and it came with a LightScribe 16XmaxDVD+/-R/RWSuperMultidrv. I assume this the the DVDRW (re-write) drive you suggest. It's a mystery to me why it failed since I seldom use it; mainly for installation CDs. At any rate, Device Manager shows Optiarc DVD RW AD-7201S6, and when I double click it - it states 'this device is working properly". Could it be not plugged in properly or have a loose connection since device mgr says it is ok?

Will I have the same issues when I get a new drive that I had with the video card? Meaning, keep the same name brand so that the drivers with work ok with my system? Do drives have drivers (funny huh? come on it was!)

Thank you both, I will check back before putting it in the shop. I'll make sure they have a DVDRW, and if not get an LG online before taking it in.

Thanks guys, have a great weekend.

[Lucy123]

The repair shop just opened and I asked him about the CDRW drive. He does not have any until next week, so I said I might check around to buy one and bring it in. Then he told me I would need to know if it was a SATA or IDE drive, and that information is only inside the CPU. My documentation (which I keep everything) says I have a 320GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive.

Is he full of it, or should I just wait and let him put whatever he has in my PC? He said $24 for the drive.

thanks again,

[fink]

It is a SATA drive.

Optiarc AD-7201S6 DVD(+/-)R/RW (+/-)DL RAM LightScribe SATA drive

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/sit...tem=pv_65614_1

[Lucy123]

Thanks for the quick reply Fink ~ Going shopping now.

Best buy has an HP for $40 and an LG for $60.

[Lucy123]

Fink ~ The link you sent me in your last post was for an HP update to my CDRW drive, correct? Did you send it simply to confirm that I had a SATA drive (which is what I thought), or were you suggesting I download the update? At any rate I got the HP at Best Buy. They did not have the LG after all.

While there, I overheard a salesman telling a customer that Microsoft is now charging an annual fee of $100 to USE the MS Office suite. That is crazy. I may need to discuss with you gentlemen the possibility of going with an Apple when I need a new PC.

Thanks again,

[fink]

I just linked to that to show it was a sata drive, not to suggest any type of download or fix. I assume the LG was BlueRay capable which is why it was relatively more expensive. That's not something I need in my PC.

I'm still using Office 2010 and will stick with that as long as I can. If I can't get future versions of Office at a reasonable price I'll just use Open Office or Libre Office.

[Midknyte]

Meaning, keep the same name brand so that the drivers with work ok with my system? Do drives have drivers (funny huh? come on it was!)

You don't need to install drivers for cd/dvd drives.

While there, I overheard a salesman telling a customer that Microsoft is now charging an annual fee of $100 to USE the MS Office suite.

That's if you buy Office 365. You can continue to use older versions of Office without extra fees.

Going to Apple would be an expensive change.

[Train]

I prefer LibeOffice. Just my thoughts.

[Lucy123]

Midknyte ~

The salesman said you could only use old disc versions on one PC only and that MSoft has the serial numbers for the original PC assigned to make sure you don't use it twice. Is this correct?

Train ~ Thank you for sharing your software preference. I have noted Libre Office on my MS Office Suite disc.

Once again, I believe you gentlemen have solved my dilemma.

Thank you all.

[Midknyte]

The salesman said you could only use old disc versions on one PC only and that MSoft has the serial numbers for the original PC assigned to make sure you don't use it twice. Is this correct?

Which version of Office do you have? Normally, licenses are for one computer. If you get a new computer, you should be able to uninstall it from your old computer.