CD-rw/DVD disappeared

[Kazbo]

My mates got a laptop, only purchased about 4 months ago. She's had problems with it for a while so I tried taking a look. It seems to have completely lost it's CD drive. ANy one got any ideas where I can find the software from online to re-install it or any ideas how to get it to recognise it again.

I've tried using add new hardware. Switched it off and back on and it still doesn't recognise there is one in. THe CD drive does have power to it and does try to read any disk you add.

THere's no floppy drive with the laptop so I ahve no way of installing anything without it being downloaded, which it sometimes has a problem allowing us to do anyways. :rolleyes:

Help me please!!!!!

[Mr_Wobble]

Something very similar sounding happened to my Dad's works Sony laptop. The DVD/CDRW drive seems to be buggered. It's as if the drive is working (seeking the disks, etc), but not communicating with the rest of the computer. In his case it looks like it's broken. I keep telling him to take it into work and have them look at it. It's a Sony computer, and you can physically remove the drive in seconds, so it would be quick to determine a fault, but he won't take it in. :(

Anyway. First try getting into the BIOS and seeing if it's recognised in there. Most BIOS setups have an autoseek function. If the BIOS can't find it, then there's a good chance the drive is faulty.
But if the BIOS doesn't do that, then there has to be a glitch with Windoze not being able to recognise it. What glitch? Buggered if I know.

As for installing drivers, you could always use one of those USB flash devices to transfer files (they're replacing floppies nowadays). ...Or if you already have an MP3 player you may be able to use that for file transfers.

Mr_Wobble ;)

[JsT]

My normal PC is suffering the same problem. but with a normal CD drive. Its out of warranty sadly so I can't take it back, any idea what the problem could be?

[big_man_with_a_]

my dad's kept doing that... cd rom actually uninstalled it's drivers (cheeky c*nt).

[Mr_Wobble]

I can remember having a problem with an install of Win '98 once. Somehow the computer kept on "uninstalling" the CD-ROM drive. All I had to do was go into the registry, and change one of the keys to stop it - but that was some time ago, so God knows which registry key it was.

Mr_Wobble ;)