If you are into the gaming world, there is a high chance that you have an Xbox console at your home, and you play it regularly. It is not unusual. With the increased demand for console games, the demand for Xbox is increasing likewise. The popularity of Xbox has now surpassed the PS4, its competitor. So, it is not unnatural to assume you, too, have got an Xbox.
With this soaring popularity, a rise in different issues about the Xbox is also seen. People are coming up with many complaints about different issues about the Xbox. Xbox, after all, is an electronic device and is subject to such issues. As an Xbox user, you must have faced some sort of problem. One of the most major problems is that the Xbox cannot read the disc inserted.
So, what should you do when your Xbox One not reading disc? Using the physical copy in playing any console game is still the most popular method of playing. So, Xbox not reading the disc is a common problem. Here are some reasons why Xbox shows the mentioned error.
Worn Out
The issue of Xbox not reading the disc can occur when the console is old. When the device gets old, the laser inside the disc also gets worn out. As a result, the laser cannot detect the disc properly or at all.
Due to the decrease in efficiency of the laser, the device shows the message indicating the Xbox cannot read the disc.
Alien Materials
With the term alien materials, we mean the materials which should not be in the disc. Such materials include dust, debris, and even hair. It is very common to have these materials stuck inside the disc. If it is not cleaned regularly with care, these materials will be deposited in larger amounts and disrupt the console’s activity.
Also, if you put the dirty disc in, it carries the dust inside the disc. Hairs can get tangled inside the disc and prevent the disc from acting properly. Other materials such as clips, coins, notes, etc., may get into your disc drive by mistake. These objects may permanently damage the disc drive.
So, you should be very careful so that these alien materials do not enter into your drive. Also, make sure you clean your drive appropriately and regularly.
Internal Components
The drive of Xbox, like any other drive, has got internal components. These component must work in harmony to each other. These components include levers, screws, rollers, and gears. If any one of this component becomes defective or gets broken, the disc drive will not work properly and will show that it cannot read the drive.
Faulty Disc
Sometimes the reason can be faulty disc itself. The overuse or scratched disc can deliver this problem. In this case, first, to identify the problem, you can cross-check the disc in other devices and see if it works there. If the disc is not read by another device also, you will be certain of its incompatibleness. In this case, you may exchange the disc for a new one or buy a new one.
Power Settings
The Xbox power settings may cause the problem sometimes, though it is not that common. Sometimes, the instant-on power mode can cause this problem. This mode is helpful for voice activation and fast start-up. But, this sometimes interferes with the disc drive activity and causes it to not read the inserted disc properly.
These mentioned reasons might be the root cause of why your Xbox won’t read your inserted disc. Now, if you want to fix it yourself, you may look at the following methods to get rid of the problem.
Change The Power Mode
If the problem exists due to the power mode set in your Xbox, this can help. To change the power mode, do the following.
- Firstly, go to the power mode by pressing the Xbox button.
- Go to power mode and startup by following the route- profile & system > Settings > General > Power mode & startup.
- Select Energy Saving by first selecting Power Mode.
- Now, you need to do a power cycle. To do this, you must hold down the Xbox button. You need to hold it down for 10 seconds.
- After 10 seconds, release the button and again press the button to restart.
- Insert your disc again to check if the disc drive reads the disc now.
You can later get back to instant-on power mode if it works this way.
Clean Thoroughly
As mentioned earlier, alien materials like dust, hairs, sticky notes, papers, etc., are the enemy of the console and can very well disrupt the activity of the disc drive. So, a thorough cleaning is worth considering if a problem occurs. You may follow the following steps or do it as you like to complete the cleaning process.
- You may use a piece of cloth. It will help to remove the dust from the surrounding of the disc.
- With the help of a brush, clean the disc drive tray, which cannot be reached or cleaned with a piece of cloth. It can also be cleaned by compressed air if it is unreachable using the brush.
- Using rubbing alcohol to clean up with a cloth can remove the stubborn spots and dust off the disc.
Resetting The Xbox
Software problems can occasionally occur on Xbox. To solve it, you can reset the Xbox. To begin with, resetting the Xbox will reset the software and fix the problem if the problem was with the software. To reset the Xbox, you can do the following steps.
- Go to Profile and System on your device by pressing the Xbox button.
- Click Console Info from settings>System
- Click the Reset Console by checking Reset and keep my games & apps.
Why your Xbox One won’t read discs:
Xbox One won’t read discs because of an issue with the optical drive. This problem is caused by a firmware update that Microsoft released on December 12, 2017. The update was supposed to fix some issues with the console, but it caused the optical drive to stop working.
So if you’re experiencing this problem, your only option is to replace the optical drive. Unfortunately, this isn’t an easy task and requires a lot of expertise. So if you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, you’ll need to take your Xbox One to a repair shop. They’ll be able to replace the optical drive for you and get it back up and running as quickly as possible.
Why Your Xbox One Won’t Read Discs and How to Fix It:
So if your Xbox One won’t read discs, there’s a good chance that the disc is dirty or scratched. You’ll need to clean the disc and update your Xbox One’s firmware to fix this problem.
To clean the disc:
- Firstly remove the disc from the Xbox One.
- Wipe any dirt, dust, or fingerprints with a dry cloth.
- Use a mild cleaning solution (like soap and water) to remove debris further.
- Replace the disc and try to play it again.
Why Is Your Xbox One Not Reading the Disc?:
There could be several reasons your Xbox One is not reading the disc. Here are some of the most common ones:
- The disc may be dirty or scratched.
- The Xbox One may not have enough power to read the disc.
- The Xbox One may not have the correct DVD drive installed.
- Operating system might not support DVD reading.
Reposition your console:
So if your Xbox One isn’t reading discs, you can do a few things to try and solve the problem. First, make sure that you’re using the correct types of discs. The Xbox One supports Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, but it won’t read CD ROMs or digital downloads.
You can also try replacing the disc drive with a newer one if you’re sure it’s not the issue. Make sure to get the correct type of drive for your Xbox One – an internal disc drive will only work with Blu-ray Discs, while an external disc drive will work with both Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.
Finally, if all these solutions have failed, you may need to send your console in for repairs.
Possible Causes for Xbox One Not Reading Disc Error:
There are a few possible reasons why your Xbox One may not be able to read discs, and one of the most common is that the disc is dirty or scratched. If you’re still having trouble reading your discs even after following the instructions in this article, it might be time to take your Xbox One in for repairs.
To clean a disc:
- Wet the disc with water.
- Apply pressure to the disc with your hand.
- Rinse off the water and dry the disc.
- So if necessary, apply a thin layer of CD/DVD adhesive to the back of the disc.
- Place the disc in your Xbox One console’s drive.
- Press A to start playing it.
Updating Xbox
If resetting does not work, your Xbox may need updating. Before updates, make sure your device has sufficient storage left for the update.
Many times, you will find that the update is already being downloaded on your device. In that case, installing the updates is necessary.
Other times you may need to check the available updates to download and then install the update later.
- Access guide from the controller by pressing the Xbox button.
- Go to Profile and System.
- Go to updates from the system of settings. Install the updates if it is already downloaded. If not, download first and then install.
Reposition Your Xbox
Sometimes, oddly enough, repositioning your device can help. It can help to increase the functioning of your disc drive. You can reposition your device from vertical position to horizontal position or vice versa depending on the current position of your Xbox.
Try A Different Disc
While addressing the possible problems, it was mentioned that the problem might be in the disc, not on the device. So, it is advised to check another disc on your console. If another playable disc on your console works, you can be assured that the problem was on the disc and not your device. You can exchange the disc by adding some money or buy a new disc instead.
Replacing The Disc Drive
It may ultimately be necessary to replace the disc drive if the other process does not work. Consult the experts beforehand. You may also do it yourself at home if you like to. In that case, you may follow the following steps.
- By placing your disc drive upside down, pop open the hook with the help of some sort of opening device.
- Open the green screws that are leveled as F1 to F6. Then you need to remove the interior case.
- By removing the metal cover, access the fan.
- After that, you need to get to the hard drive by removing the screws that hold it.
- Remove all the wires from the disc drive. Before that, you need to unscrew the screw on the optical drive.
- Now, place your newly bought disc in place by attaching all the required wires and screws.
The new disc should just work fine, and you can again enjoy the desired gaming experience.
Help From Microsoft
If you are clueless about what to do, you may consult Microsoft themselves. Getting the opinion of the professional in this case is an intelligent decision and is very much recommended. They are going to ask your problem systematically and try to understand the root of the problem. They will provide detailed solutions which will help you.
You may also send your console to Microsoft to get it checked and fixed. It will be more assured as professionals will handle it.
Checking The Region
Check if the region is compatible with the Xbox. It will not be an issue with the game itself, but it can be an issue for DVDs and Blu-rays in the case of movies and TV series. Movies and TV series are often region-locked in many areas. So, this also may cause the disc not to work.
Restarting The Device
Restarting the device can be the first hunch that comes to mind when such a problem arises. It is honestly not the worst decision as well. Sometimes the software gets jammed and does not work properly. All the software needs is a little resetting. In this case, a simple restarting may suffice. You may also consider ejecting the disc and inserting it again.
Manufacturer’s Error
The manufacturer’s error is another reason why the disc may not be acting properly. This is especially seen in the case of the new games. To check it, it’s the case, contact with other users. You can get such updates on the official website or official Twitter page as well. If that’s the case, wait for the update and act according to what the official pages recommend.
Blu Ray App Installation
If the blu ray app is not being installed, you cannot run the CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. You can run games, but you must have a Blu-ray app installed to run Blu-rays Cds and DVDs. So, in this case, simply install a blu ray app and enjoy movies and TV series.
Fix The Damaged Disc
Discs are very sensitive and are subject to scratches and grinds. A scratched disc often shows the problem of not reading the disc properly. You can fix such discs. Some companies copy the original disc into a readable new one. You may apply to such a company that will clone the original data into another ordinary playable disc.
Check The Game Generation
Many times, people use the disc of Xbox360 or the disc of other generations into Xbox one. This sometimes causes the problem because discs of all generations and all games do not support Xbox1. So, before using the disc, you must check if the generation of the disc matches your Xbox one.
How to Fix Xbox Disc Errors:
So if your Xbox One is not reading discs, you can take a few steps to try and fix the problem. First, ensure that the drive in question is correctly inserted into the console. If it’s not, then the Xbox One will not be able to read discs.
Next, try formatting the disc using the system menu. This should solve most problems with discs not being readable. If all else fails, you can try reinstalling the Xbox dashboard software. This should restore basic functionality to the console.
Ejecting Stuck Disc
Sometimes along with not reading the disc, the disc drive gets stuck itself. The eject button seems not to work. In this case, it becomes essential to get the disc out manually. You can find a hole on the left side of the Xbox. A pin or paperclip can be used to pinch at the hole to manually eject the disc.
In case of using the paperclip, simply straighten out the paperclip with the help of your hands and insert it into the hole. This should do the trick, ejecting the disc from the Xbox.
Inspection Of Xbox
To determine the root cause, you might need to thoroughly inspect the Xbox. If you find anything broken or require repairmen, you should take care of that. When inspecting, you should keep in mind the following things.
- Does your disc drive have some broken parts
- Does your console have some torn or burnt cables
- Does your console is showing some sort of abnormal damage
Cleaning The Disc
As mentioned earlier, the disc is prone to damages such as scratches or having dirt and fingerprint all over the backside of the disc. These conditions make the disc unreadable even if the disc drive and the console itself are all okay. So, in this case, you must clean the disc. To clean the disc, take a piece of clean cloth.
Rub on the underside of the disc by holding onto the sides of the disc. You may need to continue the rubbing process multiple times to get the whole area.
Power Cycle
You may perform a power cycle to get the disc drive to read the disc. To perform it, you may follow the following steps.
- Keep pressing the Xbox button on the console until it turns off.
- To turn it on, press the Xbox button.
If you want to do the job with the help of the controller, you can try the following steps.
- Hold down the Xbox button on the controller.
- A screen will pop up, “What do you want to do?”
- Select turn off console from the screen.
- Now, you can turn on the Xbox by pressing the Xbox button.
Changing Parental Control Settings
Many times, the disc won’t read because of the parental control settings. It may be possible that the parental control settings have been set so that it is blocking a particular disc. In this case, the settings need to be changed. You have to follow the following steps to accomplish the task.
- Get access to Family from the settings.
- Now, you have to choose the specific game tag you cannot play on the console.
- Select “Privacy and Online Settings” from there.
- Go to “Change settings.”
- The following process will be very self-explanatory.
By changing the parental control settings and allowing the game to play, you will run the disc again.
Clearing Storage And MAC Address
Many contents are being downloaded automatically. Most of them come with blue-ray discs. These contents can sometimes cause a problem in reading the disc. To eliminate these contents, the following steps should be followed.
- Go to “Disc and Blue Ray” from the settings.
- Get access to “Persistent Storage” from Blu Ray.
- Select the option marked “Clear.”
To clear the MAC address, you can
- Access to network settings from settings
- Go to advanced settings and then MAC address.
- Select clear to do the job.
After that, you have to turn off your console for 5 minutes, unplugging all external wires into it.
Conclusion
Finding out the disc is not reading the disc is really frustrating, especially if you were anticipating a relaxed time with your Xbox after the end of the day. You might consider the above-mentioned methods to try to fix the problem. You might need to try multiple of these methods before you hit your jackpot.
So, identification of the problem is key. By identifying appropriately and taking the appropriate steps, you should be able to solve the problem. I hope now you know what should you do when your Xbox One not reading disc.
FAQs
1.What Could Be Why My Xbox One Is Not Reading Discs?
Ans. There could be a few reasons your Xbox One is not reading discs. Maybe the disc is dirty or scratched, or the Xbox One’s optical drive may be broken. If you’re using an external hard drive to store games, ensure that it’s properly connected and has enough space to hold all of your games.
Additionally, if you’re experiencing problems with game downloads (for example, being told there are no more updates available), try resetting your Xbox One by following these steps:
- From the Home screen, click Settings (not Menu).
- Under System and Network, click Reset Settings.
- On the Reset Settings screen, select Advanced Options.
- Under System Restore, choose Factory Default settings.
- Click OK to reset your Xbox One. Please get in touch with our customer service team for assistance if you still experience problems loading or playing games.
2.Are There Any Fixes Or Remedies That I Can Try To Fix This Problem Myself?
Ans. There are a few things that you can try on your own to fix this problem. First, ensure the disc is clean and free of dirt or scratches. If that doesn’t help, you could try using an external hard drive instead of storing games on the Xbox One’s internal memory. Finally, resetting your Xbox One may temporarily resolve the issue if you’re experiencing problems downloading or playing games.
3.Could It Be A Defective Disc Or Blu-Ray Movie I’m Using?
Ans. There’s a chance that a defective disc or Blu-ray movie causes the problem you’re experiencing. So if you’ve tried cleaning the disc and using an external hard drive, and the problem persists, it may be worth checking to see if your Xbox One supports Booker DRM protection. If that doesn’t help, please get in touch with our customer service team for assistance.
4.Do I Need To Take My Xbox One To An Authorized Service Center For Repairs?
Ans. There’s no need to take your Xbox One to an authorized service center for repairs. So if you’re experiencing problems loading or playing games, resetting your Xbox One may resolve the issue temporarily. If that doesn’t help, please get in touch with our customer service team for assistance.
5.Is There Anything Else So I Can Do To Troubleshoot And Resolve This Issue?
Ans. If you’re still experiencing problems loading or playing games, there are a few things that you can try. First, make sure your internet connection is working correctly. If that doesn’t help, try restarting your Xbox One and then trying to load or play the game again. Finally, if you’re using an older Xbox One-model console and are having trouble connecting to the internet, please check our blog for tips on securing your console to the internet wirelessly.
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