DVD not detected?

[jesuisbenjamin]

When I insert a DVD in my laptop, the DVD is not detected.

• I use a Dell Vostro 1510 with Kubuntu 12.04, which used to read and mount the same DVDs just fine a week ago.
  
• The drive takes the DVD, I can hear it munching on it for a while, and then nothing.
  
• Even ejecting the DVD becomes a hassle, I need to eject at boot time otherwise the OS won't allow me to.
  
• Since I am able to boot from CD, I am assuming the issue is not a hardware issue.

How can I fix this? Thanks!

Here below is some information that may help solve the problem:

1. wodim
wodim --devices returns:

wodim: Overview of accessible drives (1 found) :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 0  dev='/dev/sg1'      rwrw-- : 'Optiarc' 'DVD+-RW AD-7640A'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. lshw
sudo lshw -class disk returns:

  *-cdrom                 
       description: DVD-RAM writer
       product: DVD+-RW AD-7640A
       vendor: Optiarc
       physical id: 0.0.0
       bus info: scsi@3:0.0.0
       logical name: /dev/cdrom2
       logical name: /dev/cdrw2
       logical name: /dev/dvd2
       logical name: /dev/dvdrw2
       logical name: /dev/sr0
       version: JD06
       capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
       configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open

3.lspci
lspci returns:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)                                                               
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (primary) (rev 0c)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (secondary) (rev 0c)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)
07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)
08:05.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): O2 Micro, Inc. Firewire (IEEE 1394) (rev 02)
08:05.2 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MMC/SD Controller (rev 02)
08:05.3 Mass storage controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MS/xD Controller (rev 01)

4. lsusb
and lsusb:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0c45:63e0 Microdia Sonix Integrated Webcam
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader

5. blacklist
The /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf contains:

# This file lists those modules which we don't want to be loaded by
# alias expansion, usually so some other driver will be loaded for the
# device instead.

# evbug is a debug tool that should be loaded explicitly
blacklist evbug

# these drivers are very simple, the HID drivers are usually preferred
blacklist usbmouse
blacklist usbkbd

# replaced by e100
blacklist eepro100

# replaced by tulip
blacklist de4x5

# causes no end of confusion by creating unexpected network interfaces
blacklist eth1394

# snd_intel8x0m can interfere with snd_intel8x0, doesn't seem to support much
# hardware on its own (Ubuntu bug #2011, #6810)
blacklist snd_intel8x0m

# Conflicts with dvb driver (which is better for handling this device)
blacklist snd_aw2

# causes failure to suspend on HP compaq nc6000 (Ubuntu: #10306)
blacklist i2c_i801

# replaced by p54pci
blacklist prism54

# replaced by b43 and ssb.
blacklist bcm43xx

[daslinkard]

This sounds like a failing optical drive to me.

[jesuisbenjamin]

This sounds like a failing optical drive to me.

Which means?

[Deepak A]

It can be a problem with your DVD Drive. Drives using Laser's with different wave lengths for CD's and DVD's. Have you tried any other DVD? If it is working fine then problem is with your DVD which worked before. Also try Lens Cleaner CD if available.

[jesuisbenjamin]

It can be a problem with your DVD Drive. Drives using Laser's with different wave lengths for CD's and DVD's. Have you tried any other DVD? If it is working fine then problem is with your DVD which worked before. Also try Lens Cleaner CD if available.

I am not able to read any DVD indeed while I can read CDs (I assumed both were the same). I don't understand what would have caused the defect: I've hardly ever read a DVD before with this laptop (having always used internet as a source of videos).

I don't know if I can get a lens cleaner where I am now (Kathmandu).

Is there no way to test out what's really going on?

[Deepak A]

I am not able to read any DVD indeed while I can read CDs (I assumed both were the same). I don't understand what would have caused the defect: I've hardly ever read a DVD before with this laptop (having always used internet as a source of videos).

I don't know if I can get a lens cleaner where I am now (Kathmandu).

Is there no way to test out what's really going on?

Any other OS in your machine? If it is a problem with your drive, you need to do Calibration process.

Anyways, try with other OS also, if the problem persists u need to repair your DVD drive.

One last thing you can do is, try mounting it manually via command line.
And add the entry in /etc/fstab also.

[jesuisbenjamin]

Any other OS in your machine?

Nope.

If it is a problem with your drive, you need to do Calibration process.

Can't I do that with Ubuntu?

Anyways, try with other OS also, if the problem persists u need to repair your DVD drive.

I can't really afford re-installing an entire other OS right now--my laptop is my main work tool. Besides, I've been using Ubuntu on this machine for the past 5 years and it always worked fine with regard to the CD/DVD drive.

One last thing you can do is, try mounting it manually via command line.
And add the entry in /etc/fstab also.

How?

[Deepak A]

Calibration is a hardware process. You cant do that using any software. Lens cleaner CD perhaps does it.

For mounting it manually, insert the DVD

1. Make a folder
$mkdir /media/cdrom

2. Add the mount point to /etc/fstab
$vi /etc/fstab

The these contents:
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom auto rw,noauto,user,exec 0 0

(See the spaces and apply them properly).

[newb85]

More info on editing fstab can be found at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fstab.

[daslinkard]

I can't really afford re-installing an entire other OS right now--my laptop is my main work tool. Besides, I've been using Ubuntu on this machine for the past 5 years and it always worked fine with regard to the CD/DVD drive.

So what about downloading Ubuntu to a CD an installing that route as opposed to using a DVD?