Table of contents 1 Identifying installed drives 2 Handling drives 3 Using an optical drive Identifying the installed optical drive ..................... 3 Using optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs) ..................4 Selecting the right disc (CDs, DVDs, and BDs) ..................5 CD-R discs ...........................
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A CD, DVD, or BD does not play automatically .................. 26 The process of burning a disc does not begin, or it stops before completion ........26 A DVD or BD playing in Windows Media Player produces no sound or display ........ 26 A device driver must be reinstalled ....................
Identifying installed drives Your computer includes a hard drive (with a rotating disc) or a solid state drive (SSD) with solid-state memory. Because it has no moving parts, an SSD does not generate as much heat as a hard drive. To view the drives installed on the computer, select Start >...
Handling drives Drives are fragile computer components that must be handled with care. Refer to the following cautions before handling drives. Additional cautions are included with the procedures to which they apply. CAUTION: To reduce the risk of damage to the computer, damage to a drive, or loss of information, observe these precautions: Before you move a computer that is connected to an external hard drive, initiate Sleep and allow the screen to clear, or properly disconnect the external hard drive.
Using an optical drive Your computer includes an optical drive that expands the functionality of the computer. Identify what kind of device is installed in your computer to see its capabilities. The optical drive allows you to read data discs, play music, and watch movies. If your computer includes a Blu-ray Disc, also known as BD, drive, then you can also watch high-definition video from disc.
Using optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs) An optical drive, such as a DVD-ROM drive, supports optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs). These discs store information, such as music, photos, and movies. DVDs and BDs have a higher storage capacity than CDs.
Selecting the right disc (CDs, DVDs, and BDs) An optical drive supports optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs). CDs, used to store digital data, are also used for commercial audio recordings and are convenient for your personal storage needs. DVDs and BDs are used primarily for movies, software, and data backup purposes.
Blu-ray Disc (BD) BD is a high-density optical disc format for the storage of digital information, including high-definition video. A single-layer BD can store 25 GB, over five times the size of a single-layer DVD at 4.7 GB. A dual-layer BD can store 50 GB, almost 6 times the size of a dual-layer DVD at 8.5 GB. Typical uses include the following: ●...
Playing a CD, DVD, or BD Turn on the computer. Press the release button (1) on the drive bezel to release the disc tray. Pull out the tray (2). Hold the disc by the edges to avoid touching the flat surfaces and position the disc label-side up over the tray spindle.
Configuring AutoPlay Select Start > Default Programs > Change AutoPlay settings. Confirm that the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices check box is selected. Click Choose a default, and then select one of the available options for each media type listed. NOTE: Choose HP MediaSmart to play DVDs.
Changing DVD region settings Most DVDs that contain copyrighted files also contain region codes. The region codes help protect copyrights internationally. You can play a DVD containing a region code only if the region code on the DVD matches the region setting on your DVD drive.
Observing the copyright warning It is a criminal offense, under applicable copyright laws, to make unauthorized copies of copyright- protected material, including computer programs, films, broadcasts, and sound recordings. Do not use this computer for such purposes. CAUTION: To prevent loss of information or damage to a disc, observe the following guidelines: Before writing to a disc, connect the computer to a reliable external power source.
Copying a CD, DVD, or BD Select Start > All Programs > CyberLink DVD Suite > Power2Go. Insert the disc you want to copy into the optical drive. Click Copy at the bottom right of the screen. Power2Go reads the source disc and copies the data to a temporary folder on your hard drive. When prompted, remove the source disc from the optical drive and insert a blank disc into the drive.
Creating (burning) a CD, DVD, or BD CAUTION: Observe the copyright warning. It is a criminal offense, under applicable copyright laws, to make unauthorized copies of copyright-protected material, including computer programs, films, broadcasts, and sound recordings. Do not use this computer for such purposes. If your computer includes a CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD±RW, or BD R/RE optical drive, you can use software such as Windows Media Player or CyberLink Power2Go to burn data and audio files, including MP3 and WAV music files.
Removing an optical disc (CD, DVD, or BD) Press the release button (1) on the drive bezel to release the disc tray, and then gently pull out the tray (2) until it stops. Remove the disc (3) from the tray by gently pressing down on the spindle while lifting the outer edges of the disc.
Improving hard drive performance Using Disk Defragmenter As you use the computer, files on the hard drive become fragmented. Disk Defragmenter consolidates the fragmented files and folders on the hard drive so that the system can run more efficiently. After you start Disk Defragmenter, it works without supervision. Depending on the size of your hard drive and the number of fragmented files, Disk Defragmenter may take more than an hour to complete.
Using HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection protects the hard drive by parking the drive and halting I/O requests under either of the following conditions: ● You drop the computer. ● You move the computer with the display closed while the computer is running on battery power. A short time after the end of one of these events, HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection returns the hard drive to normal operation.
Identifying HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection status The drive light on the computer changes to an amber color to show that a drive in the primary hard drive bay or a drive in the secondary hard drive bay (select models only) is parked. To determine which drives are currently protected, select Start >...
Managing power with a parked hard drive If HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection has parked the drive, the computer will behave in the following ways: ● The computer will not shut down. ● The computer will not initiate Sleep or Hibernation, except as described in the following Note. NOTE: If the computer is running on battery power and reaches a critical battery level, HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection allows the computer to initiate Hibernation.
Using HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection software The HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection software enables you to perform the following tasks: ● Enable and disable HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection. NOTE: Permission to enable or disable HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection is dependent on certain user privileges.
Replacing the hard drive CAUTION: To prevent information loss or an unresponsive system: Shut down the computer before removing the hard drive from the hard drive bay. Do not remove the hard drive while the computer is on, in the Sleep state, or in Hibernation. If you are not sure whether the computer is off or in Hibernation, turn the computer on by pressing the power button.
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Disconnect the hard drive connector. Pull the hard drive tab to the left (1), and then lift the hard drive away from the computer (2). To install a hard drive: Insert the hard drive into the hard drive bay (1). Chapter 6 Replacing the hard drive...
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Slide the hard drive to the right until it snaps into place (2). Reconnect the hard drive connector. Align the tabs (1) on the hard drive cover with the notches on the computer. Close the cover (2).
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Tighten the 5 hard drive cover screws (3). Chapter 6 Replacing the hard drive...
Troubleshooting The following sections describe several common issues and resolutions. The optical disc tray does not open for removal of a CD, DVD, or BD Insert the end of a paper clip (1) into the release access in the front bezel of the drive. Press in gently on the paper clip until the tray is released, and then pull out the tray (2) until it stops.
The computer does not detect the CD, DVD, or BD drive If Windows does not detect an installed device, the device driver software may be missing or corrupted. If you suspect that the optical drive is not being detected, verify that the optical drive is listed in the Device Manager utility.
A CD, DVD, or BD does not play ● Save your work and close all open programs before playing a CD, DVD, or BD. ● Log off the Internet before playing a disc. ● Be sure that you insert the disc properly. ●...
A CD, DVD, or BD does not play automatically Click Start > Default Programs > Change AutoPlay settings. Confirm that the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices check box is selected. Click Save. A disc should now start automatically when it is inserted into the optical drive. The process of burning a disc does not begin, or it stops before completion ●...
A device driver must be reinstalled Remove any discs from the optical drive. Select Start > Control Panel > System and Security. Then in the System area, click Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, click the arrow next to the type of driver you want to uninstall and reinstall (for example, DVD/CD-ROMs, Modems, and so on).
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When the list of drivers is displayed, click an updated driver to open a window containing additional information. Click Install now to install the updated driver without downloading the file. – or – Click Download only to save the file to your computer. When prompted, click Save and then select a storage location on your hard drive.