FIXED! - Refurbished T61's Multi drive won't eject - FIXED!

[Muse]

The machine arrived 23 hours ago via UPS:

6465CTO
S/N L3-xxxxx 07/07

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ts.vm#main (Note: broke link by removing serial number)

It has a DVD/CDRW Multi drive that won't eject under any circumstances. Is this a for sure defective drive? I swapped it with the DVD/CDRW drive in my T60 and the drive from the T60 is working OK, evidently, in the T61, but the Multi drive likewise will not open in the T60. Windows reports it "working properly" but it doesn't seem to be. I sent this to the seller a few minutes ago:

Hello,

Regrettably, I have to report a problem with the machine, probably a simple matter. The DVDRW/CDRW Multi drive is evidently defective. It will not eject under any circumstances. The device is reported as "working properly" however, it will not open. I have a Lenovo T60 Thinkpad with a DVD/CDRW drive and swapping the drives I find that the DVD/CDRW from my T60 works properly (and opens and reads) when inserted into the T61 you sent me, however the Multi drive likewise does not eject (open) when inserted into my T60 Thinkpad. Therefore, I have to deduce that the Multi drive that came in your T61 is defective.

May I send just the Multi drive back to you for replacement? That would be much simpler and less costly than returning the entire machine. Please advise. Thank you.
- - - -
Am I correct in my analysis of the situation?

Admin edit: Removed serial number from system description and parts link.

[billp117]

Yes...the drive appears bad. Perhaps you can advise how the seller resolves the problem.

Using the forum is helpful but give the seller some time to help remedy the problem to a mutual solution.

Good luck...

[Harryc]

Maybe something is stuck in the drive. On the front of it is a small hole. Insert a paperclip into it and see if you can manually open the drive. Check for anything binding.

[Muse]

Maybe something is stuck in the drive. On the front of it is a small hole. Insert a paperclip into it and see if you can manually open the drive. Check for anything binding.

Good idea. It was partly a thing like this that prompted me to post in the forum, a way I could check on the drive, maybe fix it. I thought maybe there is a disc stuck in it. It's never opened for me, but maybe a disc was left in it. I'll look for that hole and try. In fact the drive is in the T60 (my other Thinkpad) that I'm typing on right now, having put it's optical drive in my refurbished and newly received T61. I'll try the paper clip now...

Still doesn't work:

The drive would not open at first but then the drawer seemed to clamp onto the thick paper clip end (it's one of those big paper clips), and pulling on the wire, the drawer opened. I didn't see evidence of anything stuck in there and no obvious problem. I blew some compressed air on top and on the bottom, and pushed the drawer in, and it seemed to click back nicely. The drive fits back in the machine fine, but it will still not eject by pressing the eject button on the drive. I suppose it's just screwed up.

The seller has so far seemed excellent except that whoever does the ebay listings makes occasional errors. They misstated a Core Duo as a Core 2 Duo in one of their listings, or vis versa, can't remember (I corrected them), and the listing for my item indicated it would include a docking station, which it did not. I emailed the seller yesterday and they said they'd either credit me a return for the whole item with refund or credit me $20 to compensate me for the missing item, and I said I'd take the $20. I sent them a message about the defective optical drive asking them if I could just send the drive back (instead of the whole machine!) and get a replacement and haven't heard back from them yet. I think they are probably not a hole in the wall outfit, almost certainly not a purveyor or other's goods, I think they are a leasing company. They can probably furnish me with an alternative drive, well, that's what I'm hoping.

What seems odd to me is that the drive when inserted in my T60 is listed in Explorer as DVD-RAM Drive. However, Windows reports that it's "working properly." I suppose there's no point in inserting a disc to see if it can be read. To do so would require the paper clip trick twice. The drive is unusable as it is.

[RealBlackStuff]

Next time, use a smaller paper clip.
DVD-RAM is just another option, like CD and DVD. It's a different (old) standard, that your drive can also handle. Nothing to worry about.
I would still insert an old or blank DVD/CD in it. It may trigger the thing back into life (Sleeping Beauty comes to mind ).

[Muse]

Next time, use a smaller paper clip.
DVD-RAM is just another option, like CD and DVD. It's a different (old) standard, that your drive can also handle. Nothing to worry about.
I would still insert an old or blank DVD/CD in it. It may trigger the thing back into life (Sleeping Beauty comes to mind ).

OK, I'll give it a try, what the heck!

Edit: Not Sleeping Beauty, don't have it. The Simpsons, 5th Season Disk 3, episode one. Plays perfectly! However, it didn't eject and had to remove the drive, do the paper clip thing, phooey! Awaiting email from seller.

The tray seems to be properly spring loaded, wants to come out but somehow it never gets started. It makes a little froggy "ribbitt" sound like you hear from a floppy drive, the little light comes on on the front of the drive, but it doesn't pop open. Never!

[RealBlackStuff]

Remove and reinsert the drive.
Maybe there is a screw on the bottom of the laptop, that prevents the whole drive to come out.
If so, that may be screwed in too tight or is too long, and thus prevents the tray from popping?

[Muse]

Remove and reinsert the drive.
Maybe there is a screw on the bottom of the laptop, that prevents the whole drive to come out.
If so, that may be screwed in too tight or is too long, and thus prevents the tray from popping?

The problem appears to be "mechanical." When I press the button on the tray front to initiate the tray popping out I hear a little click, which is the release of the tray retention latch. I have a rather long nail on my right thumb and I can wedge it into the tray top and with some effort get the tray to pop out. It's not something I would want to do every time and I don't always have that thumb nail so long. I keep it that way for guitar playing, but nails aren't dependably there. I suppose I might be able to figure out how to get the tray to succeed in popping out by itself, maybe with a careful small application of graphite. I imagine the seller will accommodate replacement, however.

[Muse]

Remove and reinsert the drive.
Maybe there is a screw on the bottom of the laptop, that prevents the whole drive to come out.
If so, that may be screwed in too tight or is too long, and thus prevents the tray from popping?

The problem appears to be "mechanical." When I press the button on the tray front to initiate the trap popping out I hear a little click, which is the release of the tray retention latch. I have a rather long nail on my right thumb and I can wedge it into the tray top and with some effort get the tray to pop out. It's not something I would want to do every time and I don't always have that thumb nail so long. I keep it that way for guitar playing, but nails aren't dependably there. I suppose I might be able to figure out how to get the tray to succeed in popping out by itself, maybe with a careful small application of graphite. I imagine the seller will accommodate replacement, however.

[Muse]

Aha! I got it working!

Careful inspection of the popped tray (with the drive removed) revealed that the aluminum shell of the tray itself, at the very front-bottom at either side has a small tab-like vertical extension at the edge. On one side that hadn't seated (obviously, when assembled, either when manufactured or more likely when repaired by someone) and was bent weirdly and caused the shell to exceed its acceptable thickness. This caused the tray to jam a bit just at the point where it was fully retracted. Looking at it I could see I was not going to be able to get it in the shape it's supposed to be in but it was easy enough to bend it into a form where the shell isn't sticking out. I used a forceps and tweezers to make the bends. I believe the drive will now function normally and I guess I'll just tell the seller I'm OK with it (saving everyone a lot of trouble).