a CD/DVD/CDRW/DVDRW drive will typically function or not. If the drive does not show in My Computer, it may be faulty or not connected. If you recently had work done to the machine, a disconnected drive could be the case. If not, chances are that you have a bad drive. I would verify this with a few different, legitimate copy, discs of the proper type. For example, a DVD will not be recognized in a CD rom or CDRW drive. However, a music CD should be recognized in any drive. Try the data disc in another computer or a music disc in another music cd player.
Another test you could use is a bootable CD, ex Windows Installation Disc. Most computers have the ability to boot to CD. If you do not have a floppy drive installed in the machine, chances are that it is setup to boot from CD. If you use your Windows Installation Disc, you could use this disc to start the machine. This eliminates any Windows interference that could occur and focuses on the hardware involved. A failure to start the machine could indicate that you have a faulty drive.
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