ASUS M3A - DVD Player reluctant to eject

I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to eject.

Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three times
and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of several
seconds and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't open. If I
use the Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it always works
the first time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit before it opens. The
issue occurs whether there is a disk in the drive or not.

Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
button work EVERY time?

The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.
--
Rhino

Belt-drive drawer mechanism? (Take a look in there next time it's open).

May just need a cleaning and application of no-slip fluid.

Doug

"Rhino" <> wrote in message
news:j9ecgj$jev$...
> I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
> computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to eject.
>
> Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three times
> and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of several seconds
> and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't open. If I use the
> Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it always works the first
> time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit before it opens. The issue occurs
> whether there is a disk in the drive or not.
>
> Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
> button work EVERY time?
>
> The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.
> --
> Rhino

On 11/9/2011 9:16 AM, Rhino wrote:
> I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
> computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to eject.
>
> Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three
> times and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of
> several seconds and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't
> open. If I use the Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it
> always works the first time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit
> before it opens. The issue occurs whether there is a disk in the drive
> or not.
>
> Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
> button work EVERY time?
>
> The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.

It's most likely an internal problem with the drive. Years ago I might
have spent the time to troubleshoot and fix it, but the replacement cost
is so low that it's faster/cheaper/easier to just jerk the LiteOn out.

About the only thing I'd recommend would be trying a firmware upgrade.
SmartPack - Firmware Auto Upgade Program for Optical Storage Products
<
http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products
>

If that doesn't fix it, bin it.

I don't have any recommendations for a replacement, my own experience
says that consumer-level optical drives are a crapshoot.

--
"**** this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me mother****er?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

What am I looking for? Can you point me to pictures that illustrate what
things should look like so that I can see if anything looks out of place?

Also, what are the steps involved in a cleaning of a DVD drive? Where do I
get no-slip fluid if I actually need it and where do I apply it?

Sorry for the dumb questions but I've never done or seen service applied to
a burner.

--
Rhino

"Doug B" <> wrote in message
news:j9elel$c3c$...
> Belt-drive drawer mechanism? (Take a look in there next time it's open).
>
> May just need a cleaning and application of no-slip fluid.
>
> Doug
>
> "Rhino" <> wrote in message
> news:j9ecgj$jev$...
>> I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
>> computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to
>> eject.
>>
>> Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three
>> times and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of
>> several seconds and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't
>> open. If I use the Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it
>> always works the first time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit before
>> it opens. The issue occurs whether there is a disk in the drive or not.
>>
>> Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
>> button work EVERY time?
>>
>> The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.
>> --
>> Rhino
>
>

"Nobody > (Revisited)" <> wrote in message
news:7VCuq.17017$...
> On 11/9/2011 9:16 AM, Rhino wrote:
>> I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
>> computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to
>> eject.
>>
>> Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three
>> times and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of
>> several seconds and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't
>> open. If I use the Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it
>> always works the first time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit
>> before it opens. The issue occurs whether there is a disk in the drive
>> or not.
>>
>> Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
>> button work EVERY time?
>>
>> The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.
>
> It's most likely an internal problem with the drive. Years ago I might
> have spent the time to troubleshoot and fix it, but the replacement cost
> is so low that it's faster/cheaper/easier to just jerk the LiteOn out.
>
> About the only thing I'd recommend would be trying a firmware upgrade.
> SmartPack - Firmware Auto Upgade Program for Optical Storage Products
> <
> http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products
> >
>
I'll give that a whirl.

> If that doesn't fix it, bin it.
>
> I don't have any recommendations for a replacement, my own experience says
> that consumer-level optical drives are a crapshoot.
>

You're probably right; a replacement is probably cheaper than trying to
repair it. I seem to recall helping a friend out to acquire a DVD burner and
the drive was only about $20. Not the kind of thing that is going to break
the bank....

--
Rhino

On 10/11/2011 00:13, Rhino wrote:
>
> "Nobody > (Revisited)" <> wrote in message news:7VCuq.17017$...
>> On 11/9/2011 9:16 AM, Rhino wrote:
>>> I've been having an odd problem for a while now. The DVD player in my
>>> computer, which uses an ASUS M3A motherboard, is often reluctant to eject.
>>>
>>> Basically, I can push the eject button on the drive as many as three
>>> times and not have it open. It clunks a few times over the space of
>>> several seconds and I can hear the drive spin but the drive itself won't
>>> open. If I use the Eject option on the drive in Windows/My Computer, it
>>> always works the first time, although sometimes it hesitates a bit
>>> before it opens. The issue occurs whether there is a disk in the drive
>>> or not.
>>>
>>> Any idea why that would be happening or what I can do to make the eject
>>> button work EVERY time?
>>>
>>> The drive is a Liteon DH20A4H. I'm running Windows XP SP2.
>>
>> It's most likely an internal problem with the drive. Years ago I might have spent the time to troubleshoot and fix it, but the replacement cost is so low that it's faster/cheaper/easier to just jerk the LiteOn out.
>>
>> About the only thing I'd recommend would be trying a firmware upgrade.
>> SmartPack - Firmware Auto Upgade Program for Optical Storage Products
>> < http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products
>> >
>>
> I'll give that a whirl.
>
>> If that doesn't fix it, bin it.
>>
>> I don't have any recommendations for a replacement, my own experience says that consumer-level optical drives are a crapshoot.
>>
>
> You're probably right; a replacement is probably cheaper than trying to repair it. I seem to recall helping a friend out to acquire a DVD burner and the drive was only about $20. Not the kind of thing that is going to break the bank....
>
> --
> Rhino

Absolutely, and is what I do every time these days. Keep the old
drive as a backup; IME, optical drives aren't the most reliable
things, which is probably down to them being made so cheaply!..
Same with keyboards - I used to disassemble and clean them, but
new ones are under UK£10 around here - the price of 3 beers.
--
Rob

For what it's worth, I installed the Firmware Auto Upgrade Program that you
suggested -

http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products

- and the drive has opened the first time every time since then. Mind you,
I've only opened it two or three times so I can't be 100% sure that this
isn't just a fluke. However, I'm cautiously optimistic that this did the
trick....

Thank you!
--
Rhino

Rhino wrote:
> For what it's worth, I installed the Firmware Auto Upgrade Program
> that you suggested -
>
> http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products
>
> - and the drive has opened the first time every time since then. Mind
> you, I've only opened it two or three times so I can't be 100% sure
> that this isn't just a fluke. However, I'm cautiously optimistic that
> this did the trick....
>

I hope that works for you. When I've had this problem, it has generally been
mechanical problems, such as broken tabs, pins, etc that keep all the parts
working together.

On 11/10/2011 6:22 AM, Rhino wrote:
> For what it's worth, I installed the Firmware Auto Upgrade Program that
> you suggested -
>
> http://us.liteonit.com/us/service-su...orage-products
>
>
> - and the drive has opened the first time every time since then. Mind
> you, I've only opened it two or three times so I can't be 100% sure that
> this isn't just a fluke. However, I'm cautiously optimistic that this
> did the trick....
>
> Thank you!
> --
> Rhino


Not a problem, glad it worked.

I mentioned it for two reasons:

1) Your existing firmware may have been buggy in the eject button area.
You'd be surprised at how much stuff is done by the processor in newer
stuff.

2) I have no clue why, but "bit rot" still exists. Reflashing BIOS/
firmware (even with the same version) has always been one of those
tricks to try when you are in "It's already broke, what do you have to
lose by trying" mode.


--
"**** this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me mother****er?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum