Yes i did install the PowerDVD software and also the Sonic DVD burning software. Non of which reading DVDs nor burning.

Run the Dell Diagnostics on the drive.  At start up, press the F12
key, the one time boot menu will come up.  Arrow down to the Utility
Partition, select Custom Test, and then choose the CDROM. Make sure
you have a data CD in the drive you are going to test.  If it passes with

a data CD, run it again and try it with a data DVD.

 

Also, please post the brand and model of the drive.

 

Does the drive show in My Computer?

 

Does the drive show in the Device Manager?

 

Does the drive read CDs?

Its the Sony DVD+-RW   DW-Q58A dual layer drive. I also see a Hitachi disk drive. In addition under, the sony DVD +-RW drive properties says working ok but location is saying 0. does that mean the computer is not finding the drive?

Thanks for the suggestion but I did that more than twice and each time i inserted a DVD it says please insert a disc in drive and i dont hear or feel the dvd disc picking up speed as it normally do. This is rather strange because that started happening when the files got corrupt and I had to format and reinstalled OS and dell utilities and drivers. Not even the dell media direct DVD is reading when i run the self diagnostic mode.

yes the drive shows in my computer and device manager and it does read cds and burn cds too

You might want to give this Firmware a try, otherwise, I
suspect that the DVD laser may have failed ............

 

I did and same problem. I highly doubt that the dvd laser fail since this only start happening from when i formatted and reinstall windows xp and dell utilities. The drive also read the DVD with the dell drivers and utilities installations. Thats the only DVD it reads, so i really dont think the laser fail. Its more of a configuration problem.