my laptop wont run a cd rom? its saying in device manager that its disabled, but wont able? also there is an un ecognised driver? both show up with a yellow exclamation mark in the device manager. im not great with computors so keep your replys simple to understand please lol. cheers

XP ??

Running I tunes by any chance ??

Although could just be knackered

Or have you installed/uninstalled any CD-burning software?

Have a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

and http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;270008

Thats what I was thinking !!

You could try updating the driver. ( in control panel / system/device manager ,click on the yellow exclamation mark, and look for update driver ). Possibly need the install CD , or it might need a driver from the maker . Otherwise ,you might get a driver from www.driverguide.net .

Edited 5 May, 201214 yr by VWD

Is the laptop running on battery power? What happens if you plug in a PSU?

I had a feeling laptops did some power management thing for CD/DVD drives when on battery power.

If there's a yellow warning, double-click on the device. In the general tab it'll give a (very) basic diagnostic. What does it say in there?

Yes its xp. No not running I tunes and no I have never burned a cd in my life so nothin to do with that. It comes up with a code with why its not working. My computer had a bit of a mad one a few week ago, had to use the bios safe mode thingy to get it back on, so I don't think It's worked since that happened

Also its plugged in not on battery

Can you remove the CD/DVD drive assembly from the laptop easily (ie. is it in a modular bay). it is possible that maybe it isn't firmly seated.

Erm its part of the lap top?

Erm its part of the lap top?

Not on mine it isn't..... A lot of laptops (maybe more top-end spec), allow you to remove the CD/DVD drive and swap it over for a second hdd, or other device.

If you put a bootable CD in the drive (like your win XP install disk), and then check/modify the boot order in the bios, does the laptop boot/read from the CD. Maybe the drive is borked rather than it being a windows / device driver problem.

im just looking at the trouble shooting guide, if i un install the driver how do i then re install it if i then have no disc drive? also to update the driver it says insert disc but i cant because its that what wont work?

im just looking at the trouble shooting guide, if i un install the driver how do i then re install it if i then have no disc drive? also to update the driver it says insert disc but i cant because its that what wont work?

Copy the driver to a folder on the desktop or put it on a USB stick

Generally windows will detect new (and working) hardware when it starts, so if you remove the device in device manager, and reboot, then windows should detect it when the machine restarts windows. The update driver - you can point it to your windows\inf (iirc) directory and it would find the standard windows driver for it (which is probably what it is using at the moment). The "Driver" tab when you double click on the CD-drive in device manager it should tell you who the "driver provider" of the driver is.... normally this would be Microsoft.

However as mentioned above, if the drive itself is physically broken (PCB failure), then windows might detect it but you will end up back in the same state. From when the last time the drive worked up til now have you installed any new software / applied any windows updates?

Edited 6 May, 201214 yr by mbames

nothin new, last time it worked i think was just before my comp had a dicky fit and i needed to use the bios thing to get it back on. i dont really know what im doin with comps, can just about scrape through and i got it workn again with help from you guys on here, thats the last time the cd rom worked though i think.

i can here it whirling as i put a disc in but then it stops if this is any help?

i can here it whirling as i put a disc in but then it stops if this is any help?

Must have power.

I would do the following:

- while in windows put in your Windows XP installation CD

- reboot laptop

- as it boots press f12 / or what ever key gives you a list of boot devices (normally a messages flashes is quickly short after turning the machine on, but before XP boots)

- select your CD drive from that list

- see if your computer can detect the bootable disk in the drive. It may well say "press a key to boot from the CD", if it does that is a good sign as it means the drive is working, and the fault is within windows itself.

i can here it whirling as i put a disc in but then it stops if this is any help?

corrupt disc perhaps, try a music CD and see if that works. If it's a blank CD and you are trying to burn to it, try another blank CD. I've bought chepo blanks before and can be hit or miss as to whether they will work. Just an idea. Lee

It's happening with all discs. I'll try re booting with the disc in, that seams like a good idea, thanks for that

If you look in the BIOS is the cd listed? If not are there any options to add it back?

by the sounds of it its either the upper filters/lower filters problem, (registry change, follow microsoft fix earlier in post) or your cd drive has had it.

if you eject the cd drive (may require a screw removing depending on type) if its connector is same as photo above see below

your cd drive type is now 2-3 years old, you would require an IDE type NOT SATA.

there are also 2 thickness types so be aware of that.

i think your gonna struggle to buy a new one :(

ebay may be your freind

if not similar then its SATA and you can buy 1 for less than £20 from eclipse computers.

also try

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316529

if you tell us laptop make and model i can probably tell you how to remove the cd drive

Generally windows will detect new (and working) hardware when it starts, so if you remove the device in device manager, and reboot, then windows should detect it when the machine restarts windows. The update driver - you can point it to your windows\inf (iirc) directory and it would find the standard windows driver for it (which is probably what it is using at the moment). The "Driver" tab when you double click on the CD-drive in device manager it should tell you who the "driver provider" of the driver is.... normally this would be Microsoft.

However as mentioned above, if the drive itself is physically broken (PCB failure), then windows might detect it but you will end up back in the same state. From when the last time the drive worked up til now have you installed any new software / applied any windows updates?

^ that's good stuff to try first. CDROM drivers are such a basic thing these days you don't really need a driver disc.

Have you had a look in the BIOS to check it's not disabled in there?

I fixed this recently on some ones laptop, i'll try and look in my notes, basically it was a corrupt entry in the registry, once you deleted it and rebooted windows did the rest for you.

fixed it! i pressed f12 on start up, put the disc in and stated it threw that start up menu. then when i shut it down and started it up again it just worked as normal.