Now it sounds even more like a hardware fault. Do you use DVD-R or DVD-RW?
USB works, not DVD
2 Likes
i don’t know specifically what that message means. i was just noting the difference between my system which plays dvd’s without issue and yours where you seem to be having issues. the word “Attached” would seem to suggest that the drive was at some point not attached. this could be from a cabling/hardware issue or possibly reboot or suspend, but i am not sure. i don’t have time just now to try a reboot to see if that generates a similar message. suspend and waking from suspend does not generate that message on my system.
1 Like
DVD-R
I understand. But when put that DVD in drive and then use Nautilus, everything works fine. It simply does not boot. That is where I am confused.
Showing files in Nautilus is a comparatively high level operation, whereas booting off a medium is super low level and not dependent on any OS whatsoever, as it depends on the motherboard’s software. So maybe you can read data off the DVDs, but that does not mean that the low level BIOS or UEFI can boot off that. Since the likeliness of a bug of this type in this low level software is pretty much 0, you can only assume a hardware fault, now. So you really need to try a different SATA connector (not really possible on a Laptop, without being a pro), try the method with inserting an additional HDD, I mentioned or the best and safest way would be using an external USB connected DVD player. It has already higher chances, because it is technically a “USB device” so if USB sticks work, this should work, as well.
2 Likes
A doubt, USB boot works fine. What is the point of using a USB powered DVD drive then ?
PS : Neutral tone
Tried Windows Insider, Aoemi Rescue CD and 18.04 on desktop
-
Not detected among boot options
-
Windows 10 File Explorer shows no indication of a DVD drive
-
Ubuntu dual boot shows no indication of a mounted DVD
I am not sure what to make out of it. Perhaps the DVD drive is not working on it at all. I am run out of options.
1 Like
Good morning!
The show went on while I was away.
If I try to summarize, what I think I know at the moment:
- its about laptop
- laptop can’t boot from any cd/dvd
- discs that worked befor OK, don’t work now.
Did you make a BIOS update since when you last booted from ODD?
I think we need to ignore the desktop result, as it shows there works absolutely nothing regarding ODD, the drive there is either completely dead, or not connected to the MoBo.
Feb 12 19:03:06 my_PC kernel: sr 4:0:0:0: [sr0] scsi3-mmc drive: 24x/24x writer dvd-ram cd/rw xa/form2 cdda tray
Feb 12 19:03:06 my_PC kernel: sr 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
And then again 4 min utes later:
Feb 12 19:07:21 my_PC kernel: sr 4:0:0:0: [sr0] scsi3-mmc drive: 24x/24x writer dvd-ram cd/rw xa/form2 cdda tray
Feb 12 19:07:21 my_PC kernel: sr 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
Did you reboot inbetween?
2 Likes
It’d be at least something you didn’t try before. As I explained, it would be optimal if you connected a different DVD player to the same slot. Theoretically, you could get a functioning DVD player from an old Laptop and put it into your current one, replacing the original DVD player of this Laptop. However, all this is not so easy to do, so you could at least try with a USB connected one, as a start.
3 Likes
Many thanks for rejoining the discussion
I am not sure from which post you took this data. If it was from the commands you and @cordx gave, the outputs were around 10 minutes apart in the same login.
I have never did any BIOS update ever on this machine.
Is there any settings in BIOS which prevents boot from ODD ?
Precisely
1 Like
From this one:
Replace an ODD in a laptop is usually easy. There is probably one screw you need to unscrew, and then pull the drive out. I don’k know the exact type of your laptop, but chances are you can get help from youtube. Search for your $laptop_name+" disassembly" 
Removing ODD will be in the first steps.
If you get a replacement drive, take care of it being the same size: there are 2 sizes, 12.7mm and 9.5mm. I assume your current drive is SATA, if it’s PATA, I don’t know if that type is still available anywhere.
Just an example:
2 Likes
Depends on the person doing it, their perception of it and mostly on the Laptop model.
Usually people say, it’s “easy”, then they look at actual instruction and notice how it is way harder than they expected. Especially with many laptops, where you have to disassemble pretty much everything to get to a common part of it, in the first place. Therefore I rather tend to describe it as harder, because if it gets easier than expected, the mood is all fine. But if you tell someone it’s easy and it’s actually really hard for them, then it’s not only disappointment clouding their mood…
2 Likes
i think another thing to keep in mind is that even if you were to be able to replace the dvd player itself, there are other parts at play like the sata connector that can also be at fault. if the question is just about why the dvd doesn’t work instead of absolutely needing to boot from a dvd, it is possible (as with most all troubleshooting whether hard- or software) to go through all of that work and possibly (no matter how small or not) expense just to end up at the same place.
2 Likes
@cordx, @Akito you both are right.
I just meant it is usually easy, not always. The nice exception is right under my hands, a Lenovo Z51-70 laptop. When I changed my ODD to a caddy I had to remove the keyboard in order to access the screw that holds the ODD tight. 
And yes, other parts may be fauty too, so there’s no guarantee that a replacement will work flawlessly.
@meetdilip, forget my advice (unless you feel brave enough to take the risk 
)
2 Likes
whereas the thinkpad T430s i am typing on has a simple lock switch and another switch quickly disengages and ejects the entire odd. there is plenty of variety to be certain 
2 Likes
No reboot between your command and this command. In a single session, a matter of 3-4 minutes.
–
I am not a hardware guy. I would take it to the service centre. But it will cost me much less to buy a pen drive and forget about this. I will try all options, but all of this sounds strange to me.
Thank you all good people for you help
1 Like
i’m not much of a hardware guy either. i just find looking through logs interesting. purchasing a pen drive definitely sounds like it will save time 
and headache 
1 Like
Wanted to post an update. Tried the in-question 18.04 DVD with another desktop. It got detected and booted into a live session.
2 Likes
In BIOS I noted that for SATA Operation it is set as AHCI. There is another option which ATA . It has been AHCI all this time. When I tried to change just to test, it warns about OS might not boot and are you sure ?
Should I try ATA and see ?
Also, I found another option. Boot Disable, it is set as Disable.
Hoping these 2 has something to do with DVD boot.
Edit :
BIOS detects SATA ODD as HL -DT -ST DVD ± RW GT50N
1 Like
If you set to ATA, some SATA specific things will not work. So if you use an SSD as well, TRIM will stop to work for example. If you change this setting, it will definitely hurt your SSD in long run.
Another problem may arise if your OS on the HDD/SSD is strictly configured to boot from an AHCI device.
For example, you installed Windows 7 in AHCI mode, and later set this ATA-compatibility mode, Windows won’t boot, but gives BSOD bcause of “inaccessible boot device”.
However, there’s not much risk in changing this setting just to see if you can boot from the ODD afterwards? You can safely change it, and evaluate if that setting had any effect regarding ODD boot capability. Just remember to turn it back for everyday use, especially if you use SSD in you system.
That’s quite self explanatory I’d try to change this first, before you start to play with the AHCI/ATA game.
2 Likes
I just wanted to ask.
A technician tried that. When Boot Disable enabled, there is no option other than HDD to choose from.
2 Likes