Dreamcast not playing game discs, but is playing CDS...

[Randal-Lestat]

As the title says, I have a Dreamcast which plays CDs without problem but not games. I am certain that the game discs are in working condition. Sadly I've just got this, so have no idea about its history.

I know very little about the Dreamcast, but nothing seems out of place. The controller doesn't have a VMU, but everything else looks fine.

[fallenangle]

The fact it is reading CDs is a good thing. It might be a more serious laser problem or to do with the laser carriage drive. But I suspect it could be the laser carriage just sticking in it's track. When reading CDs the carriage seems to start close to the centre spindle and then, from the sound of it, travels very little. With games the start position of the laser carriage is right at the edge.

If the carriage is sticking somewhere towards the edge it won't read the disc and you'll get the "insert game" prompt.

You can try pushing the carriage manually out to edge (gently but firmly) before inserting a game. On power up the game should start spinning then you should hear the distinctive sound of the carriage moving, reading the disc.

If it stops try again a few times, it could just be stiff due to age or little recent use. This occassionally happens to my DC, particularly in cold weather.

As the DC warms up the plastic should expand and the laser carriage eventually will run smoothly and work properly. However, if the case is warped or has been inexpertly opened and put back together the misalignment causing the sticking could be more serious. You''ll need to do some DIY to correct it (if it is possible) - I can't advise you on how to do this.

I'd also say that if you find you have to push the carriage to edge every time you load a game it will very likely eventually damage the laser carriage drive.

[anephric]

It could also be the laser is wearing out and the pot(entiometer) on the drive needs a boost to be able to read GD-ROMS.

Guide here: http://nall3k.tripod.com/id7.html (although you're better off using a multimeter rather than just guessing)

If it's a second-hand one it might well have been flogged to death reading backups.

[Randal-Lestat]

Had another look at the game that came inside the Dreamcast. I hadn't paid much attention to it before as it was scratched to hell and so wasn't gonna work, but it says on it that it's an NTSC-J disc, which means that the console probably is as well, which would explain why it plays CDs but not the PAL discs I've been trying.

Thanks for your help anyway guys. Just to be 100% sure, how can I check what region the console is?

[Lyris]

Look at the sticker on the bottom of the console. It'll have a code such as NTSC | U, NTSC | J or PAL | E.

[Randal-Lestat]

Hmm, it says Pal E. I guess I'll persist with trying to get the potentiometer to the right position after all.

[Shinebi]

it's an NTSC-J disc, which means that the console probably is as well

Haha, I guessed this, but didn't post as it was TOO noobish sorry man...

If it's a genuine PAL, make sure you see a blue swirl on top of the casing, at boot-up also, and the fan on the right inside of the casing is black plastic. (it also says 'designed for Windows CE' on the right frontside of the casing on PAL machines)

[J0e Musashi]

It has the Windows CE thing on NTSC/J machines too.

[fallenangle]

Have you actually tried it with a PAL game or used a DC-X with the Jap NTSC game you do have?

[Shinebi]

It has the Windows CE thing on NTSC/J machines too.

yeah, but it says 'compatible with'

[J0e Musashi]

Ahhhh.