# optical drive (dvd) randomly making boot up / trying to 'read' noise - whilst empty



## revodr (Jan 28, 2013)

apologies if this is in the wrong section. 

I've just got a new build (not built by myself) with a fresh install of win7 on it.

All working fine aside from every so often (quite frequently infact) the optical drive randomly makes the 'buzzing' / boot noise, and the green light flickers, as if its trying to read some thing or something is trying to access it.

I can't seem to work out whats causing it and the noise is quite irritating. There doesnt seem to be a pattern to it and it's happened 4 times so far whilst im typing this. Some times it happens twice within a few seconds other times a minute or 2 might pass.

I'm quite certain it is not meant to be happening. The drive itself isn't showing up as faulty in device manager. It works fine, i've run a couple of disks in it. The build is completely new so there is literally nothing installed yet (so no new programs that would interfere with it) aside from mobo driver install disk and what ever programs win7 is running by default. 
All cables appear to be securely in place. If it's relevant at all, the power cable it is attached to, also has the cases inbuilt fan controller attached.

Oh and disabling the drive through device manager seems to stop it from happening. So that would lead me to assume something in windows is trying to access it (but again, fresh install, nothing new installed aside from mobo utility /driver disk and graphics card). I obviously don't want to have to leave it disabled, plus I'd also be curious what might be causing it to happen in the first place if some thing is running in the background that i could turn off.

any thoughts as to why it keeps making this boot/scan noise (like it would do when at the initial boot up).
Cold it just be a faulty drive? despite it working fine otherwise.

help appreciated, thanks.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

If there is no disc in the drive, then nothing should be able to try and access it. The drive shouldn't spin up or make any noise without a disc inserted (and there is a sensor which checks for a disc before it attempts to spin up). So the drive would appear to be faulty, or the drive isn't what is making the noise.


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## revodr (Jan 28, 2013)

JimE said:


> If there is no disc in the drive, then nothing should be able to try and access it. The drive shouldn't spin up or make any noise without a disc inserted (and there is a sensor which checks for a disc before it attempts to spin up). So the drive would appear to be faulty, or the drive isn't what is making the noise.


thanks for the response.

it's definitely the drive making the noise. I've been right next to it when it happens as well as the 'activity' light on the drive flashing as it happens.

you think it's just a faulty drive? given that it still actually functions and there is noissue with it being shown in device manager.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Boot into* Setup* (Bios) go to the *Boot* tab and move the CD/DVD rom drive to the bottom of the boot devices so HDD is first Boot Device or remove it totally from the Boot selection.


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## revodr (Jan 28, 2013)

spunk.funk said:


> Boot into* Setup* (Bios) go to the *Boot* tab and move the CD/DVD rom drive to the bottom of the boot devices so HDD is first Boot Device or remove it totally from the Boot selection.


I'll give that a go when i get a chance tomorrow. I believe it's listed as the 2nd priority at the moment. Bit confussed as to why this would be having an affect whilst im already booted up and in windows but will see what happens.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

I've never seen a CD/DVD make any noise with no disc inserted. When the drive makes noise, it's caused by the actual spinning of the disc so that it can be read. No disc = nothing to spin.

Maybe someone else has different experience, and can explain how a drive makes noise with no disc inserted or why it's even trying to spin with no disc inserted.

So yes, I think it's a faulty drive.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If the CD/DVD rom drive is one of the first boot devices, when the computer restarts, it will access the Optical Drive looking for a boot disc, the drive light will come on and even may make a noise, it will not spin because there is no disc.
During Windows, If there is a program or game that is looking for a CD to run, it may access the optical drive. The lights come on and it may make a noise as it is being accessed.


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## revodr (Jan 28, 2013)

spunk.funk said:


> If the CD/DVD rom drive is one of the first boot devices, when the computer restarts, it will access the Optical Drive looking for a boot disc, the drive light will come on and even may make a noise, it will not spin because there is no disc.
> During Windows, If there is a program or game that is looking for a CD to run, it may access the optical drive. The lights come on and it may make a noise as it is being accessed.



yeah thats not whats happening. If i didn't currently hae it disabled in device manager, if it was enabled...whilst i type this it would of made the noise and had the activity light flash about 2 - 4 times just whilst i was typing this (thats with no other program open that might be trying toa ccess it...to my knowledge. Thats why i wondered off of a clean install of win 7 (along with mobo drivers etc) would there of been some thing installed thats running in the background trying to access it / causing the activity light and churning noise to occur.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

download Autoruns or the whole Sysinternals suite. Run Autoruns to see what starts with Windows and is running in the background that might be accessing the CD drive.


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