Can't read any removable media

I am trying to help a neighbor. CD drives were working
fine last week. Now the system is unable to access any
removable media (CDs, Floppy, USB "thumb" drive). The CD
drives will boot up Knoppix and the WinXP setup disk. The
floppy will boot DOS and see the CDs. So the hardware is
OK. He has auto update set to download and install
updates. Was there an update last week that could have
caused this.

His system is a Dell 2350. I have searched the Dell
forums and noticed that this is happening to other Dell
owners. The problem seems to have started somewhere
around Aug 20.

I have tried deleting the upper and lower limit in the
Register Keys as per suggestion on Dell Forum with no
luck.

Any other suggestions. Don't want to reformat as I am
unable to backup any data files.

Thanks,
Marc

Norton Autoprotect interfering perhaps?

Marc wrote:

> I am trying to help a neighbor. CD drives were working
> fine last week. Now the system is unable to access any
> removable media (CDs, Floppy, USB "thumb" drive). The CD
> drives will boot up Knoppix and the WinXP setup disk. The
> floppy will boot DOS and see the CDs. So the hardware is
> OK. He has auto update set to download and install
> updates. Was there an update last week that could have
> caused this.
>
> His system is a Dell 2350. I have searched the Dell
> forums and noticed that this is happening to other Dell
> owners. The problem seems to have started somewhere
> around Aug 20.
>
> I have tried deleting the upper and lower limit in the
> Register Keys as per suggestion on Dell Forum with no
> luck.
>
> Any other suggestions. Don't want to reformat as I am
> unable to backup any data files.
>
> Thanks,
> Marc
>