Pioneer BDR-207D dead, or just Windows 11?

[wlaci]

Hi Folks,

Thought I'd just ask, before I go ahead and buy myself a new drive.
So I have this old Pioneer BDR-207D with FW 1.35, which used to be working perfectly back when I had Windows 10, until end of 2023 or so.
Now, eversince I switched to Windows 11, I never put ANY sort of media into this drive, frankly I stashed away all my DVDs and Blu-Rays in a box, when moving, and for the life of me, I don't seem to be able to find them
So, after almost 3 years I bought myself some new Blu-Ray discs, and to my greatest dismay I can't even get them to be read by Windows 11. The drive just keeps spinning them for a while - much longer, than it normally would - and when the little green line turns off, it doesn't recognize any of the disks at all, as if there was no disk in the drive. I don't have anything else to try with, but I'm 100% sure the disks are okay, I mean there are 10 of them, all of them printed in 2025 by the studio. Took apart the drive, cleaned the lense, but didn't help.
So does this suggest, that the drive is dead, or is it Windows 11 incompatiblity, or something else, that I could try fixing?

Thanks.

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi Folks,

Thought I'd just ask, before I go ahead and buy myself a new drive.
So I have this old Pioneer BDR-207D with FW 1.35, which used to be working perfectly back when I had Windows 10, until end of 2023 or so.
Now, eversince I switched to Windows 11, I never put ANY sort of media into this drive, frankly I stashed away all my DVDs and Blu-Rays in a box, when moving, and for the life of me, I don't seem to be able to find them
So, after almost 3 years I bought myself some new Blu-Ray discs, and to my greatest dismay I can't even get them to be read by Windows 11. The drive just keeps spinning them for a while - much longer, than it normally would - and when the little green line turns off, it doesn't recognize any of the disks at all, as if there was no disk in the drive. I don't have anything else to try with, but I'm 100% sure the disks are okay, I mean there are 10 of them, all of them printed in 2025 by the studio. Took apart the drive, cleaned the lense, but didn't help.
So does this suggest, that the drive is dead, or is it Windows 11 incompatiblity, or something else, that I could try fixing?

Thanks.

Could be a dead blue laser. Try a CD or DVD and see if they work as they use the red laser.

[wlaci]

thanks, appreciate the quick response. got a DVD in there, that's being kept spinning just as long as the blu-ray disk, and getting the same "no disk in drive" result, so I guess I'll be parting from the drive, next time they do the annual electronic waste collection in my neighborhood again.
so, do I get a used BDR-209D or a used LG BH16NS55, please? I'm using Windows 11. what are the pros and cons please? I know the Pioneers come more expensive, but I'm okay with paying 10 EUR more for a Pioneer, if they beat the LG in every possible way. also it would be nice if I were able to rip disks regardless of region, and possibly UHDs as well, though at this point, I don't have a 4k display, nor any UHD movies.
thanks.