(Panda Computers is not responsible for any damage that may occur while you are taking your computer apart. Please seek professional help if you are not comfortable working on your own computer. Do the following at your own risk.)

This article not only covers DVD drives but CD and Blu-Ray drives as well. Most computer drives fail from time to time, and the door won't open for one of several reasons. There are couple ways that this can be fixed, but let's first talk about why this problem exists. By understanding the problem we can learn to prevent it and recognized the real problem we see it.

Drive doors run on a geared tray that is attached to a small motor by a small rubber belt. As time goes on this rubber belt can break, stretch or be worn out due to age and misuse. Never force a drawer open or closed you can help it. Always try and push the button to open and close the door and do not rely upon pushing the tray to close the drive drawer. If you must push on the tray do so gently until it starts to close, there is a sensor that will recognize the drawer closing and close it automatically the rest away. When you force the drawer closed you stretch and wear out the belt prematurely. This will cause the drive to fail way before its time. Other reason's it won't open is due to a jammed disc. Make sure you always put the disc firmly in the bottom of the tray before closing the drawer. Broken, warped or damage discs should never be used.

The easiest way open drawer that won't open is to use the emergency release. The release is a small hole found just below the tray drawer, sometimes the whole may be hidden or hard to find especially on black drives as the color hides the hole in the shadows. The hole can be on one side or the other, even in the middle you just have to look. If you have computer case that has cover over the drive, gentle open the door to find the face of the drive. Use a flashlight and look across the drive until you find a small pinhole, use a paperclip at least 2 inches long and push straight and firmly until the drive door opens. You can do this with the machine on or off it does not matter. When you push the paper in the hole it releases the gear mechanism it pushes the door out slightly so you can pull it out manually and remove the disc.

Notice the small hole in the middle of the red circle - this in the manual/emergency release.

If your drawer tries to open multiple times but just seems to make clicking noises or the door move slightly this is usually caused by worn out or stretched belt. The only option is replace the drive. Belts are not sold as replacement parts for these drives. Replacement drives can be found on our website through newegg.com and cost an average of $20 for DVD drives and between $50 and $100 for Blu-Ray drives. All CD drives should be replaced with DVD drives if possible.

If the drive drawer won't open or makes no noise at all, it could be electrically dead. First try to use emergency release to remove the disc, if the drawer won't open, push the release and hold while gently prying on the tray. If this does not release the disc then you must take the drive apart to remove your disc, only do this if you're sure you know what you're doing as more than likely the drive is damaged and need to be replaced, you don't want to break or damage your disc. If you're not comfortable working on your own hardware please consult a professional or someone you trust for more help.

Drives failing is part of owning a computer, but the solutions can be simple and easy if you take a few minutes think it out and then act accordingly.

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