Paul Shippert asked:

Is the "firmware" up to date?  This is a 'hardware-level' version of the OS driver.  If it is not up to date, you'll need to search for a firmware driver for your specific make and model of the optical drive, and install it, in order for the OS driver to work with the hardware you have.

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As I understand it, the DVD drive is the original drive and Carl managed to restore the system to the factory setup so we must (?) assume that it can't be a firmware issue and it is not likely be a driver issue either.

That leaves us with the DVD drive itself: dirty laser, loose connections or other defects. 

After elimination those areas I would buy a portable DVD drive which is relatively cheap.

Best regards,
Mogens

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