Error code 51 Denon Professional DN-981F Minidisc player

Well, what it means is

TOC errors often mean the recording head/optical block is cooked. A cleaner might work, but often it's the end of the MDR.

Are you sure the battery is correctly (fully) charged? Try removing the battery and running on (only) the charger.

try cleaning the lens with a minidisc lens cleaner.

open the unit and check the laser position - it should be all the way to the left. that's where it should start to read the disk.

TOC errors often mean the recording head/optical block is cooked. A cleaner might work, but often it's the end of the MDR.

Read these:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.audio.minidisc/63uCBegyG8A

http://www.minidisc.org/repair_q2.html
http://forums.sonyinsider.com/topic/21439-fun-with-the-sharp-702-utoc-error-fixed/

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?98358-TOC-Error-on-brand-new-disc!

http://www.borus.de/minidisc/303.htm

What does your owner's manual say?

Have you tried a different disc?

Go here - http://www.minidisc.org/part_Denon_DN-M991R.html . Get the owner's manual. Read it.

The preset mode changes whether you record analog or digital.

Assuming nothing is jamming or is bent, the weak eject is probably why the guy sold it to you. It can't hurt to take the cover off and watch what happens.

You might want to look at your owner's manual and see what ERROR MESSAGE 87 means.

clean the lasers with a damp cotton bud.
take the lid off, unscrew the circut boards, remove carefully some of the connected wire looms 2 get better access, slighly dampen 1 end of a coton bud with plain water, clean the lens through the hole, repeat with the dry end of the cotton bud. re-assemle.

Sorry, but it's around twelve years old and spares are no longer available. The only fix is to trplace it with another used MD deck.

You can see the specs of yours and compare it to others at MiniDisc.org, later models are far better as they have MDLP capability and some even have NetMD functions for digital file transfers onto MD's.

It shouldn't play any CDs as it is a minidisk recorder.
Try to stay on topic.

here u go http://www.minidisc.org/denon_dmd1000_manual/1.html

hope this helpful feel free to rate

go to the Minidisc users website - any Sony minidisc will have almost the same identical features as the Denon, and should be an almost perfect match as far as features. Try like a Sony JE550, etc