Hi guys (and gals!)..thanks for taking the time to read my post

Have posted before asking if anyone knows how to install XP onto my laptop without a floppy disk drive or working cd.dvd drive or usb flash disk bios support, but nobody could help me,so now i want to try and fix my internal cd drive myself.

There is obviously power going to the drive as it is recognised in the bios,the tray ejects and the led flashes when something is first inserted but that is it. It does not spin,and no disc can be detected.

I have googled this search and even downloaded a supposed factory repair guide for this model but it does not show how to diagnose and take apart an internal optical drive.

So if there is anyone with experience of fixing these or know where i can get an in depth guide even if it's not specifically meant for the 5100, I would be most grateful.

There are plenty of refurbished cd drives out there,so someone must be able to fix this common type of problem, or at least have the knowledge to do so that they can pass on. I know a new drive doesn't cost the earth,but if it can be fixed then it doesn't get thrown away,i learn something and save a few bucks!

Thanks again all in advance!

P.S. If nobody can solve this then I would also accept a full in-depth guide on how I can network my laptop without any OS installed if poss..so I can do a network installation off my desktop..cheers!

First of all, just buy a new drive. You're going to need equipment and tools to repair that drive that cost 100x what a brand spanking new one would cost. And in order to get your Laptop to boot from the network you're going to need a Floppy disc or Bootable CD or PXE server software (which is quite expensive last I checked).

thanks for your reply. though you didn't really suggest to solve my problem that I didnt already know..I realise that I can go and buy a new drive, but want to attempt to fix it myself,so if you do have the knowledge of how or can direct me to somewhere that does,then I would be grateful

do you know specifically what the problem is with my drive from the information i have given?..what sort of tools do you invision i will need?

Well, just assuming that the spindle motor is bad (and not any of the logic circuits or the LASER is bad) You're looking at $60 for a decent soldering iron, solder, precision soldering iron tip, and a desoldering pump. That's assuming you could get a motor that'd actually work with the drive and that you don't screw it up when you're repairing it. If the logic circuits that control the motor and laser are bad you're going to need a signal generator and a logic probe to figure out which IC is bad. I don't know how much a signal generator is. But Logic probes range from $50 to $300 easy. Like I said, the neccessary tools to repair the drive yourself are going to be alot more than it'd cost to buy a new drive.

On my mom's I8000 the 32x reader went bad after around 3 years. The motor that moved the laser up and down the cd was dirty and would jam. It would make clicking noises, and the laser would burn a line into the cd since it couldn't move. I took the whole drive apart and cleaned off some gears and now it works perfectly. Taking it apart is simple; if you see a screw, take it out.