User:Lynnae/Optical Drive Testing

Optical Drive Testing Draft

 * Optical Drive Teaching Goals
 * Provide a systematic troubleshooting and testing approach for what has been a consistently inefficient and frustrating portion of the build process.
 * Deepen understanding of the use of various bootable devices, importance of BIOS boot order settings
 * Introduce different media types and drive functions


 * Optical Drive Testing Goals
 * Test from low-level functions (mechanical) to high level functions (write capabilities)
 * Ensure mechanical function of the drive tray
 * Ensure proper cabling
 * Verify BIOS boot order settings and drive firmware via live boot
 * Verify read-write capability


 * Optical Drive Troubleshooting Goals
 * Isolate hardware problems (cabling, tray function) from software problems
 * Isolate drive firmware problems from operating system problems
 * Isolate media problems from firmware and/or operating system problems

Optical Drive Testing Introduction
Optical disks are commonly used for several purposes: In order to ensure that the drives installed in our machines are up to snuff, we test that drives:
 * To play movies, music or games
 * As storage devices
 * As bootable 'images' for installing an operating system, or troubleshooting hardware or operating system issues. You boot to the disk like you would a hard drive.
 * Have a smooth-functioning tray.
 * Can recognize and boot from a live disk.
 * Can read files from a disk.
 * Can write files to a disk.


 * Troubleshooting Steps