How to Troubleshoot a Phillips DVDRW 8631

Clean the shiny CD side if your Philips drive cannot read it.

Philips, a long-time consumer electronics company, invented many key items such as the compact disc in 1983, which changed the way we listed to music. In 2000, Philips released the DVD+R discs, which provided a way to store store text, video and audio files at up to seven times the capacity of a CD-ROM. Compatible with Windows XP, a Philips DVD8631 drive enables you to read and burn CDs and DVDs at high speeds. Troubleshooting your Philips drive when problems arise in most cased just takes a few minutes (See Reference 5).

Things You'll Need

• CD or DVD disc
• Wire paper clip
• Soft cloth
• Rubbing alcohol
• Water (optional)

Instructions

1. Look at the disc format Phillips drive will not read it. Your drive only supports discs with the following formats: CD-DA, CD-Text, CD-ROM, CD-ROM + CD-DA, CD-ROM XA, Video CD, CD-1, Photo CD, CD-Extra, CD-G, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video ROM, DVD+-RW for video and data and DVD +-R for video and data (See Reference 3).

2. Replace the disc with a new one if your drive cannot write to it due to scratches.

3. Turn off the power to your disc drive and locate the emergency eject hole on the front of the drive in the middle, just underneath the front door of the drive. Use this if you must manually eject a disc in an emergency situation. Insert a fine-tipped object such as the straightened end of a wire paper clip into the emergency eject hole. This will pop open the front door, allowing the disc tray to release partially. Open the front door completely, then carefully pull the disc tray straight out with your thumb and forefinger. Only insert an object into your drive over 45 mm long and less than 1.5 mm in diameter. Use this technique only in emergency situations, such as a power outage or if your disc drive will not work properly. If your disc drive does not work properly, contact customer service at Dell. The drive might have an internal problem such as trouble with the engagement of the gears. (See Reference 1 #3 and Emergency Eject)

4. Clean fingerprints or dirt off the disc if the Phillips drive cannot read or play a disc. Using a soft cloth, rubbing alcohol or water, wipe on the shiny side without print, from the inside of the disc to the edge across the grain. Use this method to avoid scratching the disc surface. Check to ensure you did not place the CD or DVD upside down in the drive if it will not play. Do not place a scratched disc into your Philips drive. (See Reference 1 #2 Reference 4)

5. Turn off your computer system and reinsert your Philips drive if your system will not recognize the drive. Make certain you insert the drive completely as described by your computer system's directions.

References

• Dell: Troubleshooting: Philips DVD8631 DVD±RW Drive User's Guide
• Dell: Setup: Philips DVD8631 DVD±RW Drive User's Guide
• Dell: Specifications: Philips DVD8631 DVD±RW Drive User's Guide
• Indiana University: Knowledge Base Why Did My CD or DVD Fail?
• Philips: Key Inventions

Resources

• Driver Updater: Philips DVD8631 ATA Device Driver