Hello everyone, happy new year!


I am having a problem with my Compaq Presario V3018CL notebook that has just recently gotten almost unbearable.

The problem actually has been there ever since I got the laptop last January, but a reboot has always fixed it, so I didnt worry too much.

The problem can best be described as the computer freezing for about 1/4 of a second. Now, its one thing if it just happens once, but when it starts, it happens every 2-3 seconds..enough to make the laptop unuseable. It affects everything it does: watching a movie, listening to music, typing, moving the mouse, playing a game..you get the idea. Recently it has been starting within 10 min of turning it on, so you can see how this is a problem.


I think it may have something to do with the CD/DVD Drive for a few reasons:
1)It makes funny noises a lot, which leads me to believe that it needs replacing anyway.
2)If I am watching a DVD, the problem will often start during the movie. The movie will freeze for 10secs. or so, it will make some funky sounds, and then the weird freezes will start.
3)The Drive only shows up sometimes in My Computer. This is absolutely infuriating as I have to restart half the time just to make a CD work in the first place. Is this a problem with the drive, or is it some bug in XP?


If someone could provide some insight, it would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks a ton,
Connor

Hiya,

Is there anything not related to the DVD drive, that makes the laptop freeze? If there is, then the best way to prove your theory is to either remove the DVD drive physically (if it is modular) or to turn it off in the BIOS. This will at least prove the DVD drive is or isn't at fault. Let us know the results.

Well, I have done some messing with it today (after the power and internet got restored, its crazy up here in Northern California!), and I am now 95% certain that it is the DVD drive that is causing the problems.

I was using it for a few hours today, and whenever the freezes came back, I noticed that the DVD drive was spinning up. I opened the drive, and the freezes stopped. This has happened two times now.

I guess the next step would be to get a new DVD drive. Now, to tell you the truth, this is one area where I am just clueless. Currently, I have a Pioneer DVR- K16, but it appears like it discontinued.

HP has it direct from their parts store, but I dont really want to spend $225:
Plus, I dont want to have the same problems that I am having now.


Could you possibly help me to find a suitable replacement? Specifically, I am looking for something with comparable features, for a pretty cheap price.

Thanks a ton,
Connor


PS: The DVD drive only shows up in My Computer sometimes..it gets really annoying when you have to keep restarting the computer and hope that it show up that time. Will that be fixed with a new drive, or is it some bug in XP?

Thanks