# Off-Topic Discussion > The Lounge > Tech Talk >  >  Ubuntu wont mount DVD+R or DVD-R...

## magical mike

I use Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy.
And I bought some DVD+R's yesterday, and I popped on in, and it did not mount, so I took it out, and put it back in a few times, and it still did not mount.
And I could not find it any wear. Under my computer. or desktop or any wear.
(There maxell). So I called the company, and spoke to some dude.
And he said my driver probably did not work with a DVD"+"R. And I needed to get the "-" R's..
I explained to him, that my driver will take both + and - . I also told him I use Ubuntu.
He did not know what that was.
I told him it was linux. He then said. "OH well buy the "-" Rs.. So I did, and it dose not work, I now have 30 -R and 30 +R...
now what?

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## Ynot

Can you read anything at all, or is it just a problem with blank discs?

What is the DVD drive (IDE / SATA / USB) ?
also, if you know it, post the make & model

*edit*
also useful to know the contents of /etc/fstab

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## magical mike

I can read my USB, and a cd just like it! (But it has pics on it)
Its a Maxell DVD+R And it can mount that and see the pictures on it.

i think its only with blank disk.
I am not sure what you mean by




> What is the DVD drive (IDE / SATA / USB) ?



here is the fstab





> # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
> #
> # <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
> proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
> # /dev/sda1
> UUID=c53ec32a-c55f-4db0-9c74-2f0c178d28d6 /               ext3    relatime,errors=remount-ro 0       1
> # /dev/sda5
> UUID=1960dadb-a7ae-4e6d-b3b0-b8a7f7c2ff05 none            swap    sw              0       0
> /dev/hdc        /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

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## Ynot

well, your DVD drive is there in fstab
and you say you can read stuff, just not blank disks

sounds like a problem with the actual drive, unfortunately
the laser lenses are very sensitive to dust settling on them

I don't think there's a lot you can do, short of getting another drive....
you may get lucky by spraying a can of compressed air into the drive

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## magical mike

Ok, thanks Ynot!
I will get my moms computer duster and dust it out real good and tell you how it goes.
So some dust can effect blank disks compared to ones that aren't blank?

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## Ynot

no no,
dust inside the dvd drive itself (most likely falling off of a dusty disk as it spins) obscuring the laser lenses

recordable drives have 2 lasers
1 to read, the other to write
The reading lens won't read anything on a blank disk (cause it's blank)
so, if the writing laser is covered with dust, it won't detect any disk at all

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## magical mike

Well dang it dint work..
So Theres no way to dust the inside lens?
here is what I see when I pop in the DVD, and and go to computer and try to open the cd or whatever..\

http://i40.tinypic.com/2n8a3de.png
So I need a new driver then?

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## Ynot

you should *never* physically touch the lenses inside the drive
they are extremely fragile, mounted on even more fragile servo-motors (to move the lense) and depend on being positioned enormously accurately

as the screenshot shows, it can't detect the blank disc
so I'm almost positive your writing laser has either given up the ghost (mechanically), or can't properly shine the laser through debris on sitting on top of the lens

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## magical mike

ok, so I blew it out (Hope that was ok).
And it still dose not work.
So the lens is probably damaged from being hit or something?
Oh well.
I am about to buy custom parts to build one of those bare boens computer.
(I think thats what it is)..
I am getting
-Some video card that is not ATI!! lol 
-And the latest disc driver.
that should solve my current problems lol

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## Ynot

just out of interest.....

does the drive have anything written on the tray (where the eject button is)?

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## magical mike

CD writter DVD -ROM Combo (on the outside flap)

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## Ynot

> CD writter DVD -ROM Combo (on the outside flap)



aha,
and coupled with the screenshot (showing exactly that - CD-RW/DVD-ROM)

we have secret answer #3
it's not a DVD writer

CD writer, DVD reader

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## magical mike

oh....
Dang..
I fell retarded. Thanks for the help Ynot  ::D: 
And they guy on the phone couldn't even tell me that.
He just recamended I buy some more DVD's..
(I am burning them on my sisters Ubuntu computer with DeVeDe now. SO I am happy  ::D: 
Thanks again Ynot!)

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## Ynot

> He just recamended I buy some more DVD's..



like a good little salesman

never believe salesmen
If they were any good, they'd not be salesmen

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