CD/DVD ROM not recognized by device manager of XP

[Serena]

I have a M115 Satellite Laptop with XP and I noticed two days ago that my
cd-rom isn't working. It does not appear in the device manager at all.
There is a spot in systems that says cd-rom, but when I click it there is
nothing. I tried the "fix it" to no avail. I looked to try and find the
upper and lower registery keys and they are not there either. I even tried
to reinstall the cd-rom, but there is no listing for it. I tried to boot by
cd drive and it did, but the drive didn't light up, it just booted.
Fisically, the drive appears to work, when I put a cd in the drive it lights
up as if it is going to work but doesn't. I can't find it any where, it is
as if it has completely disappeared. I can't find it in run either. I
rarely use the drive so I know it isn't worn out. I have tried to access
other programs that would use the drive, like dvd movies and windows media
and they say the drive is unplugged or not there. I have not upgraded to
Vista, so it's not that. I still have XP. Do you think that a security
update could have wiped out the ability to find the cd-rom? If so, which one
is it? I don't have a virus that I know of. My antivirus can't find
anything and neither can Windows online care. No infections. I would wipe
the pc out with a clean install but it won't read my disc!!! I am at my whits
end! Any help at all would be deeply appreciated.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Serena

See the following and implement

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314060

 

[Serena]

Dear Peter,

I had found this fix before and implemented it. It did nothing : ( I even
found another XP DVD/CD FIX that I found here and it didn't work either. I
tried to go to systems once more to find the cd rom, it has a listing but
nothing comes up when I highlight it. I did however find Infared port with
Code 43 error. I don't know what it does, but I deleted it, and then went
through install hardware, reinstalled it. I kept hoping it would find the
dvd/cd rom. Well now, It not only didn't find the drive, I have three
Standard Infared Ports with error code 43!

I know the drive has power, it lights up...I even cleaned it, still nothing.
I wonder if I fiscally removed it and then put it back in, if that would do
anything. This is driving me nuts!!!

Do you think that restoring the pc to an earlier date would help? I
installed microsoft word veiwer, microsoft power point veiwer and openoffice
online a few days ago, decided I didn't like them and then uninstalled them.
That is when I realized my drive didn't work, cause I was going to install
another word program from a disc.

When I go to install new hardware, it asks for a manufacturer, If I knew,
maybe I could find a way to reinstall the drive. Out side of, pulling it out
of the laptop, I can't find anything tell me you made the dvd/cd drive.
There is no listing for cd or dvd in the install hardware! I'm going crazy!
Any suggestions are deeply appreciated.

Serena

 

[Serena]

An update....I tried to restore to several different dates and it will not
allow me to, so there goes that idea!!! I tried using another program DVD
FORM and it says the drive is not connected or the disc is not inserted. I
know it's working, I see the light and hear it working. Please, someone help
me.

Serena

 

[Malke]

An update....I tried to restore to several different dates and it will not
allow me to, so there goes that idea!!! I tried using another program DVD
FORM and it says the drive is not connected or the disc is not inserted.
I
know it's working, I see the light and hear it working. Please, someone
help me.

The fact that the light is on doesn't mean it isn't broken. You are putting
in an awful lot of effort for a replacement part that is only a few dollars.
Swap the drive out for a known-working one. If things work now, discard the
original drive. If things don't work, you know the issue is with Windows.
But this certainly sounds like a bad drive to me.

Malke

 

[Serena]

Well, after hours of trying to find out the part number of my drive to
replace it, I decided to remove it to get more information. I hadn't noticed
that the tiny little screw that held the drive in place wasn't really
attached to anything but the case. The drive came out so easily, so I put
it back and replaced the screw. Tadah!!!! The drive works and it is
recognized.

Lesson learned! Check to make sure the drive is actually in place before
freaking out! I have no idea how it wiggled out, and even though it appeared
to have power, it wasn't completely plugged in. Oh and FYI, it's more
difficult than I thought to find a replacement cd/dvdrom drive to fit a
laptop and the prices are so different from one place to the next. But the
next time the drive acts like it doesn't work, I can take it out....much
easier than a tower! Just one screw...easy as pie! My main fear with this
laptop was taking it apart, but no worries now.

 

[Bob]

Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or
other programs

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

 

[Serena]

When I tried to find the dvd/cd rom type to replace it, I found that the
drive was not completely plugged in. The drive light was working, but it was
not being recognized. All that was holding it in place was a tiny screw.
Once I put the drive back in and replaced the screw the drive works
perfectly. It was simply unplugged! I don't know how it came unplugged, but
that will be the first thing I check the next time a drive doesn't work,
before I go changing programs.

Laptop drives are much easier to remove and check than tower drives....one
screw and it pops out! Easy as pie. The hard part is finding a drive that
fits in the same slot.

Hope this helps other laptop users. All the suggestions I read about on
here helped me, but in the end, the drive just needed to be put back in place.

Thanks,
Serena

 

[Paul]

When I tried to find the dvd/cd rom type to replace it, I found that the
drive was not completely plugged in. The drive light was working, but it was
not being recognized. All that was holding it in place was a tiny screw.
Once I put the drive back in and replaced the screw the drive works
perfectly. It was simply unplugged! I don't know how it came unplugged, but
that will be the first thing I check the next time a drive doesn't work,
before I go changing programs.

Laptop drives are much easier to remove and check than tower drives....one
screw and it pops out! Easy as pie. The hard part is finding a drive that
fits in the same slot.

Hope this helps other laptop users. All the suggestions I read about on
here helped me, but in the end, the drive just needed to be put back in place.

Thanks,
Serena

Connectors without latches, can work themselves loose by thermal
expansion. That is one of the reasons the main power cable and
processor power cable have latches, on a desktop computer system.
It takes many "heat up" and "cool down" cycles to work loose,
but it does happen occasionally. I had a CRT monitor, where an
internal ribbon cable worked itself loose. I don't think it
was like that from the factory.

At least some connector families, are available in latching
and non-latching versions. For example, this device is
a ribbon cable connector with integral latch "ears". This can
be used to ensure a ribbon cable never unplugs by accident.
You don't normally see these on desktop computers. And in a
laptop, with the tiny version of ribbon cabling, there
wouldn't be room for latches. Everything is crammed in.

http://www.morethanall.com/images/products/768098816482cf768291a7.jpg

Paul

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Laptop drives are much easier to remove and check than tower drives....one
screw and it pops out! Easy as pie. The hard part is finding a drive
that
fits in the same slot.

What you say may apply to your laptop but not to all laptops. Some of them
require complete disassembly, including removal of the keyboard, in order to
remove a CD drive or a hard disk.