How do I eject a stuck DVD from the disc drive?

Q My desktop PC is running Windows XP Home. When it starts, I can open the DVD-Rom drive by pressing the button at the front, or from within Windows by right-clicking on the drive in My Computer and clicking on Eject.

However, once I put a disc in the drive and it has been read I cannot open the drive using either method. The only way to get the disc out is to reset the PC, which is time consuming. Can I do anything else?
Charles Ferguson

A There should be a tiny circular hole on the front of your DVD-Rom drive. If the drive will not open you can force it to open by inserting a small object, such as a needle or paperclip, into this hole.

It seems the drive is broken though so a long-term fix is to replace it. Before you order a new one you need to find out whether you need a drive with an IDE connector or a newer Sata connector.

To find out, look inside your PC. If you don’t fancy doing this, you can take it to a repair shop or the shop where you bought it. They should offer to replace the drive for you, which for desktop PCs is normally a straightforward procedure, so they should not charge much for labour costs.

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