HELP!!!! my cd drive has gone!!!?

goto start button

right click on My Computer

Properties

Device Manager

Action

Scan for Hardware changes

I don't think you need to reformat, necessarily.

Try to follow these steps, to the letter, first:

1. Go to the following Internet page:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts/xp_cd_dvd_fix.v...

2. You will see a bunch of text that looks like programming language. Right-click on the text and pick Select All. Make sure all the text on the page is highlighted and then right-click again and pick Copy.

3. Start Notepad on your computer. It's usually under Accessories. If you can't find it, click on Start and go Run, then type in "notepad" and hit enter.

4. In a blank page in Notepad, right-click and select Paste. All the funny text from the web page should paste into Notepad. Don't make any changes to the text.

5. In Notepad, go to File (in the menu) and select Save As.

6. Select the root of your hard drive (or any other hard drive location you can easily find) as the location, then name the file whatever you want, as long as the file extension is .VBS. For example, name it cdfix.vbs

7. In the Save As Type pulldown menu, select to save it as "all files" instead of text file, just to make sure the .txt extension doesn't get put in by accident.

8. Click Save to save the file.

9. Go to Start menu in Windows. Select Run. Click Browse and find that .vbs file you just created. Select it, and click Open.

This should run the vbs file, which is a visual basic script file. Once it is done running it will pop up a little window saying the cd drives should now work. You probably need to restart your computer first before they will.

If this fix doesn't help, then you may need to try System Restore, or in the worst case scenario, reformat and reinstall the entire Windows.

I would recomend to buy a new CD drive they are very cheap less than 20 bucks. Dont struggle too much with the old drive.

Sounds like you should re-format and start from scratch. It seems you may have deleted something you shouldn't have and that is the reason it won't work now. also the reason that the CD drive isn't showing up.

Try a re-install and see if that fixes the problem. I'm sure it will.

1: You should never erase any program that you don't know what it does!

2: See #1

3: Read #1 Again

4: Try to reset your computer to an earlier date using system restore!

You can put up a reward for it. Try calling its name or putting up posters. Go to the local cd drive pound. They collect stray cd drives that have run away.

Good luck with your search

more on device manager ... If it actually shows up in device manager. Delete or remove in device manager. Then restart computer. Windows will detect as new hardware and reinstall driver. If that doesnt work check your cables.

may be you must have deleted some files of the CD Drive

You should have a restore CD that came with your PC just pop that in it that should take care of it.