SONY DVD RW DW-D56A will not read disc

[maratha]

My sister bought a new Sony Vaio laptop just 1 month ago. In that laptop the dvd writer worked fine but at times it wont read any disc? I have tried reinstalling the drivers for it again but it still has the same problem. I have checked Device Manager and it said that it is working fine? What could be the reason, is it a faulty drive, should I ask for a replacement? Thank you

[T.J.]

First, Inspect the disc
Inspect the disc for visible deformation or substantial scratches. If the disc is damaged, see the section "Obtaining a Replacement Disc" below.

If you experience problems with a DVD disc, make sure that you insert the DVD into a DVD drive instead of a CD-ROM drive.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Secondly, Clean the disc
Clean the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. To do this, use a disc cleaning kit, or gently wipe the silver side of the disc with a soft, lint-free cotton cloth. Do not use paper cloth which can scratch the plastic and leave streaks. When you clean the disc, wipe from the center of the disc outward. Do not use a circular motion.

If the issue continues to occur, clean the disc with a damp cloth or a commercial CD or DVD cleaning solution. Dry the disc thoroughly before you insert it into the drive. If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

More information here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q218617/

[ApPy10]

Have you tried updating the firmware for SONY DVD RW DW-D56A? What burning software is installed (Alcohol, Daemon Tools etc)? What operating system you are using? You can ask for replacement if your laptop is under warranty.

[T.J.]

Apart from replacement you can first try to update the firmware. Have you tried searching for the firmware on the Sony site (you can get that quite easily), or you can get it at this link. You have to extract the package and start the PFS3 package, this will update the firmware and after you restart, test the drive again. Let me know what happens.