SOLVED DVD burner only recognizes CDs, not DVDs

[wegmand]

I haven't used my CD/DVD burner in a while (TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224BB) but today I wanted to burn some files to a blank DVD +R. The drive didn't recognize that the blank DVD disc was installed. The drive also didn't recognize the existence of a movie DVD, nor a previously burned DVD. It's like the drive is 'blind' to DVDs.

When I tried a blank CD, everything worked just fine. It also plays music CDs, both retail CDs and CDRW disks that I created with the drive. It seems to be working just fine as a CD drive.

Thinking it might be the drive gone bad, I hooked up an older drive (TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S202G) from an old computer and got all the same results. No DVD recognition but the CDs played just fine.

Since both drives behave the same, I'm thinking it's a Windows 10 problem. I checked for updated drivers, unintalled/reinstalled the drives from the device manager with computer restarts between changes but so far, no luck.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[davehc]

Have you installed the Media player? I dont think it comes as default now, so you should enable/install it through:
Control panel - Programs and features - Turn windows features on or off - select the "Media features" ....

 

[wegmand]

Have you installed the Media player? I dont think it comes as default now, so you should enable/install it through:
Control panel - Programs and features - Turn windows features on or off - select the "Media features" ....

Yes, it's installed. Both drives play music CDs just fine through Media Player and data CDs work fine too.
A bit more research led me to the possibility of a dirty laser lens. So, following some YT videos, I disassembled the older drive and cleaned the lens with a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol. That worked for one play of a DVD but not again. I might try cleaning again with some glass cleaner to see if that helps, but I now think these drives have just accumulated some lens obscuration over the years that interfere with the sensitivity of the lens. These drives are over 8 years old! I guess DVD discs are more finicky than CDs.

 

[davehc]

You have probably nailed the problem. I did on a regular basis, clean dvd lenses with screen cleaner. Allowing it to accumulate may have caused an extra amount of grimr. I would certainly persist and try again.
A few years ago, I , very slowly, trsnsferred all of my most wanted dvds to cheap, low capacits usb’s. Have had a need for dvd’s now fot quite a while

 

[wegmand]

You have probably nailed the problem. I did on a regular basis, clean dvd lenses with screen cleaner. Allowing it to accumulate may have caused an extra amount of grimr. I would certainly persist and try again.
A few years ago, I , very slowly, trsnsferred all of my most wanted dvds to cheap, low capacits usb’s. Have had a need for dvd’s now fot quite a while

Well, I learned some things but gave up on trying to fix the old drive. I'll keep the one currently in my computer since it still works fine with CDs, but as luck would have it, I found a replacement slim drive ON SALE for only $20. It's an "LG Ultra Slim Portable DVD Writer." It got good reviews and I just finished my test with it, played a CD & DVD and burned a data DVD. It does what I need it to do.