Sharlie

Established the CD-ROM problem was not the hardware. Dell told me the CD-ROM was dead, which is why I bought the USB CD-ROM. Went to Microsoft Solution for XP & there was the fix for it's disappearance. Ran MS Fix it 50027. Restarted my PC & there it is, back in My Computer: DVD/CD ROM D:// Microsoft also has a fix for USB's that don't work but mine is going back to Dell. Thank you for the suggestions. END PROBLEM

I sent a reply but seem to have misplaced it. I've installed/reinstalled several times. I ran the Dell Resource cd in my CD-ROM & it passed both the CD rom & it's driver. In seek, it found. In My Computer C:// Hardware, it lists the A:// floppy & the CD-ROM w/driver but no letter designation. I proceeded to Computer Mgmt in Admin tool, then to disk mgmt, which listed drives. C:// is partitioned in 3 parts, but the other 2 partitions are listed as Basic Fat (EISA configuration) & Basic FAT32 (Unknown..) Neither have letter designations to change. My friend asks what if we take the CD-ROM out of the inside of the PC, plug in the PC so it thinks it has no CD-ROM, then re-install the CD-ROM & turn the PC back on. Will it load the CD-ROM like a new one & assign a letter to it?

Sorry about my lack of information. Also about not finding the Post & thinking this worked like a chatline! My XP had an A:// for old floppy's, a B:// for DVD/CD rewritable, & , of course, C://. My hardware mgr has a - in front of CD-ROM & an ! in front of the driver. I downloaded a new driver from Dell & installed it. The install wizard said there was nothing wrong with the old driver but I installed anyway, tried rollback, too, but still no CD-ROM & no B://. I tried to install a USB CD-ROM but it only loaded the driver so went to Dell diagnostics (iffy at best) & ran a diagnostic on the new USB: failed tests, driver passed. Ran diagnosticas on installed CD-ROM & it's driver & they both passed. The Dell resource CD worked in the installed CD-ROM in diagnostic but the CD-ROM was dead again when I started up windows. Completely uninstalled the USB CD-ROM. Have already tried the uninstall/reinstall on installed driver. Friend told me I couldn't get the B:// back until the computer recognized the CD-ROM & has gotten about 10 books on the XP to see how to solve the problem but is no tech. Is there a way to reinstall the CD-ROM in my PC? Other suggestion?

My only expertise in fixing computers is the problems I've had with my XP over the past 4 yrs. Problems have been few & small- I've always had Norton security. Now I have a BIG problem. I am primarily interested in the sciences, mainly biology & medicine, so my PC is mostly just a tool- & often a toy. Like my auto, my knowledge is limited to describing what's wrong to a good mechanic. But I never needed a computer tech before- I could always figure out how to fix the PC. I once looked up Basic Word & was astounded by the size & complexity of the volume & knew the tech details were too difficult for me. But I still feel determined to fix this thing & I need all the help I can get.

My CD-ROM doesn't work at all. I have a Dell Windows XP. In Dell diagnostics, I checked the CD-ROM & it's driver. Both passed. The Dell resource disc worked from CD-ROM in diagnostic (prior to Windows start- up.) I uninstalled & reinstalled, etc, but the CD-ROM is still dead. Tried using a USB CD-ROM but it had the same problem finding the CD-ROM. * Had noticed the B:// drive that once held CD-Rom is gone & this may be why the drivers can't find it. Yes? So how do I make the C:// or A:// drive back into A://B://C:// drives & load CD-Rom back into it?