T42 DVD/CD-RW Connecting / Disconnecting

[Callahan]

This just started happening less than an hour ago ... it has never happened before with any of my ThinkPads since I got them 13 years ago. The CD/DVD rom is disconnecting on it own and then it will connect again maybe a minute later on its own, sometimes less than a minute. I restarted the computer twice thinking maybe that might help in a reset. It has continued fairly steady until now as I type this post. When I was logging in it was connecting and disconnecting. So for about six minutes now 'all is well' and 'normal'.

After I post this I am going to shut everything down and take out the DVD drive and sweep it with my small sweeper in case some dust has gotten inside the unit. I usually sweep the outside all around the computer once a week and clean the screen if needed. Now it 's been almost 20 minutes and everything is just fine ... working OK. Maybe this is just a fluke with some dust somewhere. Is anyone familiar with this just out of nowhere happening. As I said earlier ... this has never happened before. Could this be a warning of something going wrong inside the computer.

Just a short time ago (April 15) I posted about my flash drives disconnecting / connecting. I felt the USB cables were the problem in the end. I had two new USB cables left out of the six that I purchased from that eBay seller and so far the flash drives are working just fine for the three weeks or so I have been using the new cable. OK, just now the DVD burner has disconnected and connected again ... around 25 minutes has passed since the last disconnect.

So the problem is still there. I do have a recent backup and I will put that on later after I move some files to safe storage. DVD just went off again.
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[Callahan]

A small update to my earlier post. The 'on and off' thing went on for several days. I swapped the CD-DVD burner with another one and the 'on and off' kept happening with that one installed ... so I put the old CD-DVD burner back into the T42. The Disconnect/Connect kept happening for another day or two and I had decided to take the CD-DVD burner out to stop the annoyance. I didn't do it right away and when I had the computer on again, I noticed that whole 'on / off' thing wasn't happening.

So it's been five days now and there has been nothing going on. I suppose it could start up again but for now everything is back to normal. A fluke of some kind I guess or maybe after I post this reply it will return ... I hope not.
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[axur-delmeria]

It's a bad sign TBH. It could be a power issue (voltage to the DVD drive fluctuates causing the disconnection), or it's the IDE data lines (which is could be a sign of a dying southbridge chip).

[Callahan]

Ok ... thanks for the 'heads-up' of what might be going on with the computer. I guess will go a day at a time and hope for another year or two with this machine.

When the 'on and off' would happen I would hear a faint click or something in the middle of the computer underneath the keyboard. Then the DVD player would start.

Thanks for the reply.
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[RealBlackStuff]

If you need a CD/DVD regularly, just get an external USB2.0 one, they are cheap and just work.

[axur-delmeria]

If you need a CD/DVD regularly, just get an external USB2.0 one, they are cheap and just work.

Get one with s Y-splitter cable (extra USB-A plug to get extra power from a 2nd USB port). I've seen a few external DVD drives shut down when they drew more current than the USB port could supply-- it's especially infuriating when it happens while burning a disc.

[TPFanatic]

I hope OP is lucky and the behavior is optical behavior is not due to Southbridge detachment, or I wouldn't count on the USB ports lasting long either.

[axur-delmeria]

I hope OP is lucky and the behavior is optical behavior is not due to Southbridge detachment, or I wouldn't count on the USB ports lasting long either.

The clicking sound OP mentions makes me think of a bad capacitor. Given its age, it's not unusual.

[Callahan]

Quite a lot of replies with all kinds of information. So far another day of the computer working OK. I had bought a USB DVD burner over 10 years ago when I bought my three used ThinkPads. None of the ThinkPads came with a built in DVD burner, just CD burners. So I have this USB DVD burner packed away ... it's like a big box CD-DVD burner with a power supply, what there was back then ... not a slim down model like today. After I got the ThinkPads I just decided to buy the DVD burner modules to fit inside the ThinkPads to always be ready to go.

Just checking at Amazon I see a LG slim model of today's kind for sale.

LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 Super Multi Ultra Slim Portable DVD Writer Drive +/-RW External Drive with M-DISC Support (Black) GP65NB60 for $24.99 ... Of course it's one penny short of 'free shipping' for $25, always hate that ... also another one for $29.92:

LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 Super Multi Ultra Slim Portable DVD Rewriter External Drive with M-DISC Support for PC and Mac, Black (GP60NB50)

I will try the old one I have first, if I need to go that route with an external burner ... maybe it will work OK. I used to burn a lot of DVDs for storage but not so much now. Mostly use 64 GB flash drives now. I still like to store computer backups on a DVD.

I will be more careful in how I pick-up or move the T42s around. Usually have the lid closed but I have moved it when it is on and the lid is not closed, a few times to another room. I always have four 1/2 in lids under the four corners for good air circulation. Just this week in one of Kim Komando's emails ... she mentioned keeping the computer cooler with this cooling pad. Anybody use one of these or something similar to help with the bottom heat? It should help with heat on the inside of an older computer, I would think.

havit HV-F2056 15.6"-17" Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad - Slim Portable USB Powered (3 Fans), Black/Blue #1 Best Seller in Laptop Cooling Pads / -30% $27.99

Again thanks for this information from everyone ... going to be more careful with how I handle my two remaining T42 ThinkPads. I would like them to keep running with some luck. They still do everything I need to do in 2023.

The 'bad capacitor' thing I don't know much about, will read up on that. I guess maybe they just dry out or go bad with age.
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