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Lost the DVD ROM

Trying to help a friend that has a Compaq Presario V3018CL laptop with a DVD R/RW drive that's no longer in My Computer.

They can put a CD in and hear it running.

It belongs to their son so he probably deleted it by mistake.

What now?

XP or Vista?

Also check BIOS to ensure the drive is being detected.

One more piece of info. There's a \"cdrom.sys\" file in the \"My Documents\" folder.

Sorry, XP.

It's not in the Device Mgr either.

Once you've ruled out a hardware issue (IE: loose ribbon/sata cable)

Check this:

http://askbobrankin.com/cdrom_icon_missing.html

thewolfe wrote:It's not in the Device Mgr either.

Hmm, check the cables in the case. It is possible to have power, but the data cables are disconnected.

Then check BIOS and make sure it is detected/not disabled.

I have also run across a couple clients with dead DVD drives before, it is possible the drive itself died. I would also check the cables first, since the drive does have power and spins up. There are bios settings that can disable a drive, but not many things inside windows can make a burner vanish.

Right-Click on My Computer and click Manage, then click Disk Management. Is it in there?

Not in Disk Mgt.

buy a new dvd drive.

Can you boot off a windows cd?

Would a dead drive make it not show up?

It's a Compaq. I think they on have the \"recovery partition.

thewolfe wrote:Would a dead drive make it not show up?

Yes.

(Even if it has power and spins up, something on its board could still be "dead".)

First though, as was suggested before, check the cables, a loose data cable is probably the most common reason for this.

A lot of good suggestions in this thread.

However, odds are that the DVD-ROM has died and will need replaced. Sorry.

#1 - It's a laptop, therefore chances are likely it's not a cable/connection problem inside, especially since it obviously has power. It's possible, just not very likely.

#2 - Unless a serious software problem has occurred or a seriously incompatible DVD/CDROM related software has been installed ... it's not very likely that it's software. If it was, it's almost a guarantee that XP would at least show it as a device (if even un-identified) in the device manager. Since it isn't, it's more probably that the device simply failed.

#3 - It's not uncommon for the DVD/CDROM drives to physically fail. That significantly increases the odds that it's a hardware failure.

#4 - It's probably not a problem with anything else with the laptop. Since the rest of the laptop works (including hard disk) therefore the disk controller is probably working fine which means that since that same disk controller would control the DVD/CDROM drive ... the problem is probably the physical DVD-ROM has failed.

DISCLAIMER: You mentioned cdrom.sys file found in an un-usual location. Could be involved in the problem. Why would it be moved to the My Documents? (good question, glad you asked) ... Files winding up in the My Documents usually indicates that someone moved it. Could have been accidental. A bit unusual, but could happen. - Put the cdrom.sys file in the c:\\windows\\system32 folder. This sort of thing may also be indicative of a serious software problem or error. Why serious? Because it shouldn't have happened. Ever. Unless someone manually/accidentally moved it, the only way that would happen would be as a result of a at least potentially serious software error or user mistake.

Have you tried booting off another CD?

Try downloading a small boot disc like Puppy Linux (direct download) and burning it to a CD. If you can't boot the laptop off the Puppy Linux CD, then the drive is shot.

(If you're not familiar with ISO files, you need a program like Nero or Roxio that can burn them - just the .iso straight to CD doesn't work).

Wishmaster wrote:Have you tried booting off another CD?

Try downloading a small boot disc like Puppy Linux (direct download) and burning it to a CD. If you can't boot the laptop off the Puppy Linux CD, then the drive is shot.

(If you're not familiar with ISO files, you need a program like Nero or Roxio that can burn them - just the .iso straight to CD doesn't work).

And how pray tell would he burn it to a drive that doesn't even work in windows?

That drive is very likely toast. I've had a DVD-ROM drive just up and quit on me out of the blue before, so its nothing new to me. (It was an Acer 10x that I bought from Max_T back in 2003.) However, make sure that "cdrom.sys" is listed in "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\drivers". (If you've never been in the windows directory before, and if you don't have classic folder options enabled, it'll probably ask if you REALLY want to go in there. Just click through it.)

btw, on and unrelated topic....are you related to Scorch in any way?

Adaptors are your friend....


Seriously.... that's how I used to fix things on peoples HDD's. Just pull out the drive (unless it is under warranty), use an adapter like the one above... or gut an external USB HDD and plug it into that... give it power, plug the USB into your computer and move the file.

Do this IF and only if it isn't under warranty.... and do this BEFORE you get assume the drive is dead.

ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure it is set to master or at least don't pin it at all. That is if it is an IDE and not a SATA. And use anti-static wrap.

Almost forgot... you will need a laptop to regular IDE adapter to plug into that cable most likely.

How savvy are you at fixing hardware issues?

Messenjah wrote:Adaptors are your friend....

The hard drive is fine. He doesn't need an adapter to move the file, unless I understand you wrong.

MD-2389 wrote:

Wishmaster wrote:Have you tried booting off another CD?

Try downloading a small boot disc like Puppy Linux (direct download) and burning it to a CD. If you can't boot the laptop off the Puppy Linux CD, then the drive is shot.

(If you're not familiar with ISO files, you need a program like Nero or Roxio that can burn them - just the .iso straight to CD doesn't work).

And how pray tell would he burn it to a drive that doesn't even work in windows?

Using his computer ... the problem one isn't his, it's his friend's:

Trying to help a friend

Well... from what I understand.... the file was MOVED to the Documents folder.... so use the adapter and move it back where it belongs. Simple as pie. I've fixed many system files doing this very thing. Just convert his drive to USB, plug it into another computer that works, move the file to the correct directory and your done.

I've \"torn\" into a many desktops but not laptops and since I can't find a manual for disassembly, I'm at the end of my proverbial rope.

Thanks for the good info.

thewolfe wrote:I've "torn" into a many desktops but not laptops and since I can't find a manual for disassembly, I'm at the end of my proverbial rope.

Thanks for the good info.

Yeah, since you've never "torn" into a laptop before ... without knowing your technical assembly/re-assembly skills ... you may be right in choosing to NOT tear into it.

Got a friend who is experienced doing that sort of thing?

Finally got hands on and found out that the connector on the drive was not seated. It wasn't inserted for enough into the base enclose to plug into the laptop.

And the screw that holds the drive in was in all the way. Can't figure that one out unless the laptop had been dropped.

Now, all is well.

MEaT, I used the link you gave me to get to an \"Optical drive\" video.

Thanks to all.

Glad to see you got it working.