CD RW vanished!?!

[worzel]

My CD RW drive has disappeared. According to my computer I haven't got one.

The thing is I know that I have got one, its always been there, and its still there now, I can see it.

Any ideas how I can persuade my machine that its there and perhaps get it to let me use it.

worzel

[RadarContact]

Done anything special that may have caused the disappearing trick? Try to run the search for new hardware in your Control Panel (assuming you're using some version of Mr. Gates' "Mega-Virus").

[worzel]

I've looked in the device manager and its not there.

I've tried add new hardware to see if anything was found and nothing came up.

I'm running up to date Virus and Firewall software, and nothings been found.

I've even taken the tower apart to look for lose connections etc. Nothing.

It makes no sense to me, although, I dont know anything about computers. I'm hoping for inspiration here, if not I'll have to restore the whole system which I really dont want to do. I've got most stuff backed up, but thats what I normally use the CD RW for.

Any ideas really appreciated.

Cheers
worzel

[pinkie]

Worzel,
If you're running on Windows ME or XP, there is a windows program called "system restore" which you should try before you reinstall all your bits. If you run it, you will not lose any inportant info. What it does it to restore the computer settings to a previous date. If it doesn't help, you can easily undo the restore operation.
Go to START on the toolbar, then PROGRAMS- SYSTEM TOOLS-SYSTEM RESTORE. Choose "restore my computer to an earlier time"
Pick a date when you are sure that the CDRW was okay.

PINKIE..

[What_does_this_button_do?]

Let's do a simple test.

Can you put a CD in your drive and read from it?

Can you go to your preferred CD writing software and perform a test? (What software is it?)

B

[25F]

When you restart the machine, the BIOS should tell you what hard drives / CD-drives it's found. Hitting the delete key at this time (lots of plain text black and white nerd speak) should take you into a BIOS Setup screen, which may give you more information.

This might let you know whether the drive is dead.

[worzel]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Pinkie
I'm running Windows 98, there doesn't appear to be a system restore on my system.

What_does_this_button_do?
I cant even open the drive to put a disc in. Its as if theres no power getting to it. My RW software is Adaptec, it just tells me that I dont have a RW drive.

25F
I think if I try anything to do with black and white nerd speak, I'm likely to cause myself even more problems.

I guess its time to lug the whole thing off to the menders.

cheers
worzel

[TR4A]

If you can not open it then I would say there are two things:

1. Power plug is not connected properly.

2. Drive is dead.

[What_does_this_button_do?]

If you need to recover a CD from the drive there is a hole no bigger than a pin head on the front cover, typically near the volume control, insert something in there and this releases the drive door so you can pull it open and get your CD out.

Whilst the drive door is open turn your machine off and on - the system should autmatically close the drive door upon boot up - if it doesn't, as mentioned above the power is dead or the drive :(

B

[BOAC]

Worzel - I had a similar 'experience' with a windows 98 re-install -drive there, light flashing, draw not opening or closing and not in Device manager.

(Subject to trying WDTBD's alive/dead test), and if you are feeling brave enough to poke around inside the beast, gently pull off the multi-pin connector (not the white power one) on the back of the CDR and then boot up. Close down, reconnect the plug and reboot. It just MAY find it this time? Might be worth a try.

You can setup an 'autoexec.bat' on a floppy drive to run the CD rom in DOS to check it too.

[worzel]

Thanks again. I found the pin hole and released the door, but I can't get the drawer to slide out. Armed with my trusty Leatherman I've pulled and poked around but it seems to be stuck fast. Luckily I dont think that there's a disk in there at the moment.

So now, feeling brave I'm going to remove the cover and pull plugs out.

This may suddenly get expensive......

worzel