Windows XP Help CD-RW gone awol

[airfan]

Hello,

For some strange reason my cd-rw is playing up. when i start up my pc you can open and close the cd-rw, but as it gradually gets near to loading the desktop, a cd icon will appear next to the mouse cursor, like when you are loading a cd. It will do this only when the cd-rw is closed, and i have trouble opening programs and folder windows, unless i open my cd-rw, which somehow enables these programs or folder windows to open. Then the cd-rw will just stop working, won't open or close, unless i restart.

Any help will be brilliant because i haven't a clue. Thanks in advance.

P.S. Just gone to shut down my PC [i'm using a different one here to type this] and my pc wouldn't shut down unless the cd-rw was open.

 

[muckshifter]

You should NOT open & close the CD drive door whilst the PC is booting, unless you use the "Pause Break" key to pause the PC. It can confuse the hell out of the OS.


Try this ... leave the door open, shutdown & restart, press the "Pause Break" key just after you hear the single beep ... close the door, using the button, and press the space bar to continue to boot the PC

You could have a faulty optic Drive.

 

[airfan]

Thank you

Thanks muckshifter it worked. I was dreading the travel to the city to get it fixed and pay alot of money, since i live in quite a remote area, but i can't believe it was that simple. The only tip i have for you is that if you are ever cutting/chopping onions, place a spoon in your mouth and it will stop you from crying. It sounds odd, but it works. Thanks again.

Also could you tell me about what the Pause/break key did, also, will i have to do this everytime i start up my pc, or was it a one off thing. Thanks.

 

[muckshifter]

No, you should not need to do it everytime your PC starts.

At boot, the Pause Break key simply interrupts the PC ... it pauses.

There are other options that utilise the PB key ... In Windows, press the Win-Key + Pause Break calls up the system properties.

In some games, the PB key can be use to pause the game ... depends on if they use the Key or not.

There are many uses for that key, and it can be used for different things on different operating systems and different PCs such as Laptops.

I remember it from old DOS days.


As for onions, I simply use running water.


Welcome to the forums.

 

[airfan]

Hello,

Last night i started up my pc and it did that cd-rw thing i thought i had got rid of. But after a few goes of doing what you said, it worked, but i don't know how. I pressed the pause/break and left it about 20seconds before pressing space bar, so do you think time is a factor in it working, like i should leave it for so many seconds before pressing the space bar?

Thanks in advance.