it was working fine a few weeks ago but now it wont read any sort of disc can some one please help me i have no idea what to do. even if i click on my computer the icon it won't show up(the disc drive icon on the my computer screen)
+ it is a disc drive built into the tower.
2007-08-09 22:11:48 · 7 answers · asked by mardaveboy 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Check the cables (IDE) connected between your motherboard and the drive. Since you're saying that the icon won't show up in My Computer, but the drive itself is working, then it should be a problem in the connecting cable...Check if it's loose...also you can try another one...
2007-08-09 22:15:57 · answer #1 · answered by alihsalem 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has worked before but it isn't working now. That means something has changed. Nine times out of ten, computer problems are caused by faulty connections.
There are three connections to a CD-ROM drive: the power (large 4-way connector from power pack), data (40-way connector to motherboard, near southbridge chip) and analogue audio (small 4-way connector to motherboard, near sound chip).
If you can open and shut the drive, then the power cable is fine. And the analogue audio cable won't cause the problem you are having if it is disconnected. So you need to check the 40-way data cable. Make sure it is inserted properly at both the motherboard and drive ends.
NB. While working on the insides of a computer, you should have it plugged into the wall but switched *off* at the socket, so the earth connection is maintained -- this will discharge any buildup of static electricity on your body. (Yes, this is entirely safe. All the mains voltage stuff is concealed inside the metal box of the power pack.) Or you may be able to use an extension lead, and insert the plug in such a way so only the earth pin is making contact.
If all the connections are sound but the drive still isn't working, go into BIOS setup and check there that the drive is being detected. If it's not detected at all, then it might actually be faulty; the easiest way to be sure is to swap it with a known good one. Also try your drive with another motherboard. Swap the cables too (they can fail, sometimes; it's rare but *very* annoying).
If the drive is showing up in the BIOS but not in your operating system, try and see if you can boot up a Linux Live CD (such as Ubuntu, Knoppix, Slax or DSL; you may have to change the boot priorities in the BIOS setup.) If that works, then you have problems with your operating system or drivers. (You didn't say what OS you were using. If it's Linux, and this happened right after you compiled a kernel, then you must have missed out a module. Boot up your old kernel and check if the drive is recognised. Compare your config files and look for anything related to ide, ata or scsi. If you don't understand the preceding three sentences, ignore them.)
The worst case is if your drive works on another motherboard, but neither your own drive nor a known good drive works on your motherboard even with a known good cable. This means your motherboard is faulty.
But having said all this, it's still most likely that your problem is really just a loose connection.
2007-08-09 23:29:49 · answer #2 · answered by sparky_dy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A question would be how old the cd drive is.
Because the drive is not showing up in My Computer, your driver might be corrupted or a cable is loose, as suggested by other answers. If after trying their suggestions, and it still does not work, then the laser might be dead. Hence the question of age.
My CD Rom on my old PC had the same issue too, but I was still able to see the drive, but it would not read anything at all, at time ejecting the disk right after I put it in. I swapped it with a new one.
2007-08-09 22:22:29 · answer #3 · answered by Wild Bloom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it powers on then my best guess is that one of your wires is no good, since you computer isn't even detecting a disc drive. My second guess is one of the connectors on the drive itself is busted (this is on the inside of the tower). You are either gonna need a new wire or a new disc drive. Hope this helps.
2007-08-09 22:22:29 · answer #4 · answered by KayOne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say its a burned out cdrom But you should do a system recovery to an earlier date say 4-6 weeks ago. The laser in your cdrom is burned out. It will never again read a disc.
2007-08-09 23:43:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be a loose power connection to your CD/DVD ROM, or somehow driver has been uninstalled from the computer.
I would bet its a loose power connection or something to do with loss of power.
Oh wait, if you can still open it, then there might be a lose connection with that ribbon cable....
2007-08-09 22:15:49 · answer #6 · answered by ArachnidDemon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the inside of your CPU, maybe the cords are loose. Check the IDE cable(the big cord) or the power cord.
2007-08-09 23:17:16 · answer #7 · answered by buGGedDown 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋