MX Linux Forum

Google has not been a friend; full of what to do when the OS can't find the drive.

My issue is when a particular CD/DVD suddenly is no longer recognizable as a disc with data. The drive will spin but does not recognize that a disc is in the drive with data on it. I've read of 'disc rot' corrupting data on a disk, but this is a case of where the entire disc is no longer recognizable to the drive or system, while other disks are recognizable & usable. What is going on here? TIA for any info.

The usual reason for this is that the drive's laser lens is dirty and needs to be cleaned. You need to purchase a cleaning disk like this one:
https://www.amazon.ca/Arsvita-Player-Di ... hdGY&psc=1

j2mcgreg wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 1:46 pm The usual reason for this is that the drive's laser lens is dirty and needs to be cleaned. You need to purchase a cleaning disk

On laptops that still have drive trays the lens is usually on the sliding tray itself and can be wiped with a clean, lint-free cloth. The little microfiber swatches that they give you when you buy a pair of eyeglasses are good for this sort of thing.

The fact of the matter is that CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, DVDs, and DVD-ROM discs are an impermanent means of storing data with an approximate lifespan of about 20 years, give or take. There were recent headlines about large quantities of Warner Brothers DVDs from 2006 to 2008 that are unplayable due to manufacturing defects.

If it's just one disc, you can try it in a different machine and see if that helps, but over time a lot of media that has only been preserved on a CD or a DVD is going to get destroyed.

Also oil, fingerprints, dirt and scratches on the CD/DVD could be a problem, and / or have damaged the disc itself. If you look at the writing side of the dvd (ie the bottom of it), if it looks dirty, etc you can clean it with a good microfiber cloth. (Personally I would not use any type of 'cleaner' )

And, I have seen cases where CD/DVD's become ... 'fragile' and problematic based upon the manufacturer of the DVD OR what drive it was written in. It is not uncommon for a DVD to red just fine in a few drives, but not in one particular drive.

And sometimes, the disc just needs to be removed... wait a minute and then reinsert it (and wait until the drive is done spinning up etc.) I have several like this, and usb drives which they will work in.. but you have to do a little dance of in and out before they will spin up and be seen. ( this also happens on my other machine - with a newer dvd drive too )

Thank you all for your responses: I'll clean the drive lens. I understand about the drawbacks of the CD/DVD format. It just strikes me as peculiar that one apparently undamaged and clean DVD out of the same batch will suddenly become completely unrecognizable as a DVD while others of the same manufacturing batch remain mountable, readable and useful.

Another Thought. CD/DvD/BR Platter manufacturing process. A long time ago in a galaxy close and near. This has been even a great scientific concern, at time I learned about this as the greater possibility being then sure a computer geek in progress deep involved career and hobby some. That being Audio file freak and vinyl preservation techniques freaky.
This is apparently a side off as to the process end result via "Age" care storage in a vivid sense. As to such discovered these 'audio file 24k gold mylar cast audio Series all of a sudden came onto the Music Scene for enthusiasts.
( short lived for about 6yr or so maybe not even that long years.). then science explained that during the process of CD mylar layer encased manufacturing introduces some although Minute oxygen as the layers are bonded together. And aluminum on most all CD like platter will eventually over all this time and duration will inertly "Oxidize',
for audio digital to analog conversion produces our sounds from our store bought CD's same for Data Storage of medium "Media" one might not see vividly on the surface yet microscopic Levels may age and appear such contamination.
yet for the Laser to splash upon the CD and reflect this onto the Reader Lens maybe have this ? be Loss of Data, Bit to block "Drop Outs" cause via "Oxidation" as well Error correction (most lacked but some did for improved audio exp).
this was the theory behind producing these "Audio specialist like Production of yes quite expensive. I only purchased one.. ( Guess ) is there really only one to start (my choice was?) and wish I had grabbed over time few other spec release's..

( Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon in 24k Gold CD - Platter ) there where/was not a fantastic selection and think the producers of these type of 24k gold audio series where also by super Cool people to whom All LOVED MUSIC and awesome Audio Dynamics. If many may also consider the production start of Players and the Mash bit players from 8 16 32 and back down to 1 bit sampling as Crystal Clock Frequencies and error correction Circuits became more accurate for both Data and Audio platforms. As it was sure the big then was "Real to Real" been there done that Ferric oxide tape also suffered great deal of magnetic Ferric drop out. For audio the human ear pickles this up in such a sensitive manor. Might that add to the cup of coffee detail. Certainly food for thought and turned my attention to learning. Hopefully a worthy share all in Possibly to explain "Why" as well one other head alignment and tracking tolerances as for players we play racks full of media and how many times falling asleep with "Repeat" Selected. Being a purist for components and some long time savings up for a purchase to 1 elemental component. Choice event! eat or purchase. ( too many times the purchase out won the form to eat ).
interesting method for weight control.

Thank you for your cogent, detailed response. I quite enjoyed Pink Floyd's works.

All of which beside, none of this explains why a blank CD or DVD, recognized, mounted and burned with data on it which, after a time, upon insertion in different drives can suddenly without apparent damage become a "coaster", unrecognized as a CD or DVD (as appropriate) which is not visible in _any_ CD or DVD drive as media. It is as though all of the formatting originally set at the factory is no longer visible to any drive, let alone any data recorded. I do not believe I am alone in having had this happen without explanation.

AltTabDelete wrote: Fri Mar 21, 2025 3:01 pm Thank you for your cogent, detailed response. I quite enjoyed Pink Floyd's works.

All of which beside, none of this explains why a blank CD or DVD, recognized, mounted and burned with data on it which, after a time, upon insertion in different drives can suddenly without apparent damage become a "coaster", unrecognized as a CD or DVD (as appropriate) which is not visible in _any_ CD or DVD drive as media. It is as though all of the formatting originally set at the factory is no longer visible to any drive, let alone any data recorded. I do not believe I am alone in having had this happen without explanation.

The plain and simple is that in any pack of writable DVDs, you are bound to get a few duds. It's just the way it is.

AltTabDelete wrote: Fri Mar 21, 2025 3:01 pm none of this explains why a blank CD or DVD, recognized, mounted and burned with data on it which, after a time, upon insertion in different drives can suddenly without apparent damage become a "coaster"

I do not believe I am alone in having had this happen without explanation.

You're not alone and there is an explanation.

@DukeComposed: Thank you for that reference. I take that to mean that not only data burned to an optical disc, but the factory formatting of that disc that tells the drive & OS "this is an optical storage disc of #capacity" is subject to factory error, bit rot and subsequent damage. I had always associated "bit rot" with data added to an optical disc, never associated it with the factory formatting. I suppose that is all I need to understand about the mechanism associated with the sudden complete failure of optical media to be recognized as such.

Thank you all for your assistance and patience while I learned this new (to me) aspect of the properties of optical media.

AltTabDelete wrote: Sat Mar 22, 2025 2:11 pm I take that to mean that not only data burned to an optical disc, but the factory formatting of that disc

I had always associated "bit rot" with data added to an optical disc, never associated it with the factory formatting.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

A CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM is just a plastic circle. It is a laminated layer of foil designed so that one laser can burn little holes into the plastic and a different laser can scan for those holes. Considering that the dimensions of those little divots on the plastic are smaller than the width of a human hair, it's no surprise when a minute manufacturing defect or environmental factor renders a single disc unusable. They are plastic, not perfect. Durability is a metric, not a guarantee. This is why bathtub curves exist. Most DVDs will last for years. Some DVDs will fail immediately, some will fail over a short period of time, some after a few decades, and eventually every DVD will degrade until it is unusable. They all just take different amounts of time turning into trash.

Blank DVDs can be bought in packs of up to 100 and retail for around 35 cents each or less. All of this is starting to sound like the guy who counts his matches. As the old joke goes:

Dear Acme Matchbox Company,

I have been counting the number of matches in each 60-match box of Acme matches I've purchased for the last 11 years. Sometimes I find there are 58 or 59, sometimes there are 61, and occasionally there are 62 matches in a single box. Are you folks crazy?