Cannot see cd-rom in MY COMPUTER icon

[bunty18]

I have a Dell inspiron 1100 laptop with windows XP pro on it. For some reason I cannot see the drive letter for cd-rom in " My Computer" icon. I checked the device Manager and there is a exclamation Mark (!) on the cd-rom. I uninstalled it and then re-installed it but the exclamation Mark (!) is still there. I checked in the properties, it says windows could not load the drivers for it. I placed the xp pro cd in the cd-rom to see if it could boot from cd and it did. So I think there is something wrong with windows...

I did windows system restore but still it is not working.

Does anybody has any solution to it?

Thanks in advance

 

[who235]

Maybe a firmware issue?

Did the drive ever work?

If so, what has changed since then?

Have you checked the drive manufacturer's website for driver and/or firmware updates?

How about the Laptop manufacturer?

Have you tried a "repair" install of XP from the CD?

Hope this gives you somewhere to go,
Martin

 

[bunty18]

I have not done repair or reinstall on windows yet. I was just avoiding it. But if that is the only way to fix it, I will do it.

I checked and install new drivers, it is still not working.

Thank You

 

[hayes47]

Try this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/EN-US/

 

[linney]

What CD Software do you have installed on this machine?

Are there any further clues or errors in your Event Viewer?

Are the errors in Device Manager displayed in Safe Mode?

Device Manager Error Codes.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/prjk_dec_lgsc.asp

320553 - CD-ROM Drive or DVD-ROM Drive Missing After You Install Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320553&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

How to Troubleshoot CD-ROM Drive Problems in Windows XP (Q314096)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q314/0/96.asp

missing Drives in My Computer and Windows Explorer (Q191579)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/5/79.asp

Drive Letter for Newly Installed Storage Device Does Not Show in Windows Explorer (Q298207)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q298/2/07.asp

I'd like to suggest this but it requires the CD. Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[BadBigBen]

Take a look at this faq602-5358, the problem appears when you install/uninstall/upgrade Burn Software, and it corrupts the Upper and Lower filters within the Registry...



Ben

If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer...

 

[Beowulf005]

Go to Dell's website and download the latest driver for you laptop. There a couple of drives listed so make sure to match the name to the one installed in you machine.
If you boot in safe mode is the drive still not working? It might work in safe mode, if it does use the recovery cd from dell to reinstall the drivers provided by dell.

GL
Brian