How to Open a Disk Drive On Lenovo

Recently, the use of CD / DVD-ROMs is increasingly becoming a thing of the past, flash drives are usually used as storage media, and many files can simply be dropped via the Internet. In this regard, laptops are increasingly being released without drives. However, on older Lenovo laptops, drives are present and there may always be a need for information from the drive.

Ways to open a drive

There are many ways you can open a drive. Of course, the easiest and most common way is to open the tray using the button located on it.

To open the drive slot, you need to click on this button. The tray extends slightly from the laptop, after which it can be manually pulled out completely.

Also, some models provide the ability to remove the tray using a combination of function keys in the top row of the keyboard and the Fn key. As a rule, the desired function key is indicated by the corresponding icon.

You can open the drive programmatically: to do this, go to “My Computer”, find the drive icon in the list of drives and right-click on it, and then select the “Eject” item.

Laptop software crash

In some situations, the drive does not open due to a software failure. In this case, you can try to solve the problem through the device manager. To do this, you must:

  1. Right-click on “Start” and select “Device Manager”;
  2. Find the string “DVD drives”
  3. Check for a yellow exclamation mark on the drive device;
  4. If there are problems, the system will prompt you to turn on the device or update the drivers by downloading them from the Internet.

Sometimes it happens that the drive used by the system is already in the drive, but the tray cannot be opened, because the program that works with the drive does not allow this. In a similar situation, you should:

  1. Go to the “Task Manager” using the key combination Ctrl, Alt and Delete;
  2. Find the processes that work with the disk (this can be a media player, office program or explorer window);
  3. Right-click on the process and select “Remove task”.

After these steps, the drive should be available for extraction.

If there is a drive, but it does not work, you can use the following methods:

  • If a program is installed on your laptop that works with virtual disks and images, this can also negatively affect the optical drive. In such a situation, you need to uninstall the program, or roll back to the previous version of the system through the Windows recovery service.
  • Some programs or system updates may leave unnecessary marks in the Windows registry, as a result of which drive services do not function correctly. This problem is solved by manually editing the registry.

There are the following ways to edit the registry:

  1. Launch the registry editor. To do this, right-click on the Start button and among the items that appear, select the Run line. In the new window, type regedit and press Ok or Enter.
  2. A two-part registry editor opens. In the left column in the partition tree you need to find the item:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Class \
  3. In the right part of the editor, find the items UpperFilters and LowerFilters. If they are present, they should be removed.
  1. Run the registry editor again.
  2. Find the section:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ atapi \
  3. Create a new item in it Controller0, if it is not there, select the DWORD type and set it to 1.

Finally, you can turn off the laptop, turn off the power and remove the battery. After waiting 10-15 seconds, put the battery back in and start the system. After these steps, Windows should reconnect to the drive.

Drive Damage

Often, the drive cannot be opened because the laptop has suffered any damage. This could happen if the device fell or hit. It is also possible that during the last use, the tray was handled carelessly, as a result of which something jammed or broke in the device.

In this case, there is a special hole in the drive panel. If pressing the button and program methods did not help, then you should take a knitting needle or straightened paper clip and carefully insert it into the hole until it stops. With this action, the tray should extend slightly, after which it can be fully opened with your fingers.

As an aid, you can use a knife with a blunt end. When inserting a paper clip, you should pry the tray with a knife and try to pull it out. It is important to be careful not to damage the drive even further.

In case of more significant damage, for example, a broken cable, cable or damaged contacts, it is better to take the laptop to a service center.

Checking for a drive in a laptop

If you have not worked with disks on this laptop, you need to look to see if there is a thin rectangle with the inscription DVD on the side panel. The eject button can be located not only on the drive itself, but also anywhere in the housing or on the keyboard.

Systemically, you can go to My Computer and see a list of available drives. If there is a drive, then it should be displayed there.

If none of the above tips lead to the desired result, you should contact the service center.

Drives for using the good old optical discs can still be used on laptops. And sometimes problems arise with them, for example, how to open the drive on a laptop without a button or if the button does not work. The solution can be either software or with physical impact on the drive itself.

It happens that the drive is still in the laptop, but the open button is on the case in another place, and it is indicated as follows:

Another possible case is that the drive open button is located among the function keys of the laptop and works in combination with the Fn key. Such a function key should also be indicated by:

Software Opening Methods

  1. Go to “My Computer” and find the sign of your DVD-drive. Click on it with the right mouse button and select “Extract” in the drop-down menu.

How to Open a Disk Drive On Lenovo

  • If this fails, log out and turn off the laptop to reset all software and hardware control commands. Then turn it on again.
  • If it does not open, then see which application does not give what the drive is currently busy with. This can be viewed in the task manager. In the task manager, you remove all tasks that use the DVD drive and try to open it again.
  • If some processes do not want to close, or maybe you did not see what the drive is blocking, then install the Unlocker program for yourself. The program will insert its shortcut into the context menu, so by clicking the right mouse button on the drive you will see the Unlocker icon. By clicking on this sign you will see that the drive is blocking and with the help of the program you will close all this.
  • They believe that such drives are already obsolete and there is no need to display them. The situation can be corrected by making an entry in the registry of the operating system. How to do this is described on Microsoft.com.

    Mechanical ways to open a laptop drive

    1. Press the button on the drive cover.
    2. If the button does not work, try turning off the laptop for a few minutes, just turn off the power completely. After switching on, repeat the operation. You can try even during power-on before loading the system, as soon as the power supply is turned on, press the open button on the drive itself.
    3. Use any thin object, best of all, a paper clip. Insert the paper clip into the special hole until it stops and press a little (the latch should work inside) and the lid will open a little. Then you open it to the end with your hands.
      Just do not confuse this hole with the LED on the drive, they are located there nearby.
    4. An extreme case: by pressing the open button, you help the lid to open with any sharp object, for example, a knife. Insert the blade of the knife into the slots around the cover and apply a little pressure. Be careful not to damage the drive. This method will help if the lid is slightly jammed or the disc is warped inside. If you are not sure, it is better not to use this method at all.

    Check for DVD drive in device manager

    The presence of a DVD drive in a laptop can be checked through the device manager. You can enter the device manager either through the control panel or through the “my computer” context menu.

    To enter the control panel on both 7-ke and 10-ke press the “start” button and there we find the item “control panel”. There, for viewing, select large or small icons. Find the device manager and are already looking for your DVD drive.

    Often, laptop users have a seemingly banal problem. They can’t open the drive on the device. There may be several reasons. Perhaps the laptop does not have an optical drive at all, or there is no special button. It also happens that there is an open key, but for some reason it does not work. So let’s try to figure out all the nuances and understand how to open the drive on a laptop in a variety of ways.

    Using button

    By pressing the button, you can open the drive on most laptop models. And from different manufacturers. Lenovo, Asus, Acer, HP, Samsung, Packard bell, Dexp and many others. Etc. The button is usually located either next to the side or on the cover of the disk drive itself. And we recommend that you first make sure that there is a disk drive on the laptop at all.

    To do this, you can see the documentation of the laptop. The exact specifications of the device are listed there. Of course, there will be information about the availability of CD / DVD Rom. Another option is to carefully inspect the laptop case. Especially from the side. You need to check if there is a rectangle with the inscription DVD. The task manager will also indicate the model of the drive.

    If you found a disk drive, then it’s time to move on to the search button for opening the tray. As we said, it can be:

    • On either side of the laptop (usually on the right, like the drive itself);
    • On the cover of the optical drive;
    • Near the drawer.

    The key is designated by a special symbol. A dash and an arrow on top. Just click on it (sometimes several times) and wait for the drive to open. This usually happens after 1-3 seconds.

    What to do if the drive is without an open button? This happens. For example, it is not available on the asus x555s, x553m, x551m, etc. (but on the asus x556u already exists). Then you can try another way. On some laptops, the ability to open an optical drive from the keyboard is implemented. Therefore, we carefully look at the function keys (at the very top). Perhaps one of them has an “Extract” icon. Then click on it in combination with “Fn”.

    At the same time, do not forget that the drive on the laptop may be completely absent. Still, now the “era” of CDs and DVDs is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Therefore, manufacturers produce models without a drive. For example, the popular acer es 15, 17 or lenovo ideapad 100, 110, 300, 310 laptop series, etc. Are generally not equipped with drives.

    Often, users confuse the drive tray and the conventional access panel on the side. Yes, it looks like a capacity for disks, but there are no buttons or signs on it. Take, for example, the same Lenovo b50 laptop. On the side of the device’s case there is a plug resembling a drive cover. If desired, you can remove it and install the device for reading CD and DVD.

    Software Methods for Opening a Drive

    Using standard software, you can open the drive on a laptop without a button. This method includes only a few steps:

    1. We go to “My computer”. If Windows OS 8 and 10, then “This computer.”
    2. Find the drive icon. We click on it with the right mouse button.
    3. In the window that appears, select “Extract.” Usually this item is displayed somewhere in the middle.
    4. Then the drive tray should come out a little. If nothing happens, we reboot the laptop and repeat it all over again.

    Sometimes the drive does not appear in the “My / this computer” section. Often in Windows 8 and 10. What to do in this case?

    1. Auxiliary click on the Start button.
    2. Select the item “Command line (administrator)”.
    3. We paste in the line “reg.Exe add” HKLM \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ atapi \ Controller0 “/ f / v EnumDevice1 / t REG_DWORD / d 0x00000001” and press the enter button.
    4. Reboot the laptop.

    Now the CD or DVD drive should appear in the “This computer” directory. So, you can try to open it programmatically.

    Why the drive does not open on the laptop and what to do in this case?

    Drive found. We press the button, but in response nothing. The drive does not want to open. Even the software methods listed above do not help. This problem is quite frequent. Although the reasons for its appearance are only two:

    • Mechanical breakdown;
    • Software level malfunction.

    You can determine for yourself why the drive does not open. For example, it is possible to pull out the tray programmatically, but not through the button. So, most likely, it was the key that failed.

    If you tried all sorts of options, but still the drive does not open on the laptop, we recommend that you follow the following procedure:

    1. The first thing to do is turn off or restart the laptop. Thus, you can reset all software and hardware control commands, because of which the device sometimes does not open.
    2. Did not work out? We check if the optical drive is involved in some program. Some software may simply block the device. We call the Task Manager by pressing the keys Ctrl, Alt and Del. You can use the program and Unlocker. In any case, you need to find applications running from the disk and disable them. Then we try to open the drive. If all else fails, then move on to the next step.
    3. In some cases, malware will block the drive. Therefore, we update the antivirus and check the system. To no avail? Then there is another option.
    4. Sometimes windows loses connection with the drive. Most likely due to various system errors. Even a reboot does not help. You need to disconnect the laptop from the network and remove the battery for a couple of minutes. Then we return the battery to its place and turn on the device. Already at boot time, we try to open the drive.

    If all these steps do not help, then you can reinstall or update windows. But, most likely, the reason why the laptop drive does not open is more serious.

    Mechanical opening methods

    It also happens that the optical drive does not work. However, you need to get a disk with important information from the device. What to do in this case? It remains only to resort to mechanical opening, which can also help if the tray is jammed or skewed. True, do not forget that this is quite risky. One awkward movement and disc reader will have to be changed.

    Use a sharp object to pry off the drive cover. Then you need to try to pull out the tray. But if the drive is sitting tight, then you can’t pull it out by force! Most likely, the cause of the malfunction is a hardware failure associated with damage to the cables, cables, contacts, etc. There is no need to do without professional repair.

    The easiest way to open the drive is on a Lenovo laptop. This manufacturer equips many models of optical drives with a special emergency hole. In this case, the user needs to do the following:

    1. Take a thin wire or paper clip.
    2. Carefully insert its end into the holes. Just do not confuse it with the LED on the drive, which is often located nearby.
    3. Slightly push. The latch should work.
    4. After that, the cover opens slightly and the drive tray can be pulled out.

    By the way, before you try the mechanical opening methods, restart your laptop. Then, during the boot process, repeatedly press the drive open button. Sometimes such simple actions help to eject the disc without resorting to manipulations with a paper clip, knife, etc. Objects.