DVD Drive opening and closing

[leofox]

So here's the thing:
often, my DVD drive will just open or close at random, without me or anyone else pushing the button. This seems to always happen during startup (when checking for a boot drive iirc) and randomly when using the system.

I have a fancy cover in front of the dvd drive (HP PC and stuff), but the problem also occurs when I remove it completely. I did a complete virusscan, but as said you'd think it's not a virus because it also happens when not even Windows is loaded yet.

I can't send new firmware for some reason. Also, it happened after my dad tried to play a bad downloaded copy of some movie (for the record, just assume that movie was copyright-free, like Creative Commons or w/e). That DVD also upset his standalone DVD player.

Stats:
Windows XP (latest SP2 etc)
MacAfee antivirus
HP DVD writer 630c - OEM BENQ DW1620 (Double Layer, 16x)
AMD64 3400+
1GB DDR
nVidia Geforce FX5500 with 256 VRAM (no i'm not getting a new vidcard, i know it sucks)

Thanks in advance.

[Newbie]

Do you have more than one drive? I know a problem like this can occur if a drive isn't set to master or you have two master drives.

[NETWizz]

I have seen this problem at work on professionally built Dell Systems.

Essentially, it was of no fault of Dell. The solution I employed was to simply replace the drive. The solution worked.

Do you have another drive to see if the problem goes away?

[DigiTan]

I'll need a young priest and an old priest.

What do you do for a veery loud DVD-ROM?

[leofox]

[NETWizz]

Master and Slave should have nothing to do with it. Heck most professionally built computers are jumpered Cable Select.

Sometimes it is the plastic insert part of the case that causes the problem.

[leofox]

Do you mean the fancy plastic cover or the part of the actual drive? Because it's not the cover.

[Arcane Wizard]

If you can't make it open when it shouldn't on purpose (persistently recreate the problem) then it's really random and I'd open it up and see if there's nothing getting in the way of the plastic tray closing fully. A vibration might then cause it to pass the point where it ejects by itself.

[leofox]

It seems to always open at boot.

[DigiTan]

Gah! My DVD is so loud, no one heard my question!

[DarkerLine]

You mean the somewhat squeaky sound of a DVD being read is very loud?

[DigiTan]

I dunno. It's a really loud "motory" noise that sounds like a regular drive might with x100 hearing. It's a lot like a garbage disposal or kitchen exhaust fan; and quite noticeable from the next room. The DVDs play okay.

[Arcane Wizard]

Hah, I typed up a whole response about drive noise but then, just before I hit add reply, I got confused and thought nobody had spoken about drive noise in this topic but only about the tray ejecting randomly and I only thought people had because I'm wierd.

Anyways..

My external dvd writer does the same thing. Not a smooth loud case fan noise, more of a lawnmower imitation. Basically, if the stars are aligned properly and it's perfectly horizontally balanced, it works fine. Otherwise, it´s like some kind of full-on noise mix at 96kbps. I think the layer of plastic the disk is actually on is a mm or two too wide and the tray is a bit too flexible for my liking, and there are none of those keep-the-drisk-from-exploding-the-drive clips.