I bought a demo model Compaq Presario desktop a couple years back from Staples. Their demos come with a three year warranty, so I’m gonna pursue the matter with them, but I though I’d ask this here.
Any reason my computer would just stop recognizing my CD-RW drive? The icon just appears with a big “no” slash through it – “Direct CD – no supported drive”. The drivers that came with the thing don’t work. Is this a side effect of Music Match spyware, remnants of a virus or worm, bad luck or just a bad connection? Just wondering what I should look at here. Thanks for your advice; sorry about my ignorance.
I bought one used a few years ago and it has the same problem. I tried “removing” the drive from the Device manager and sometimes that would work. If I put a data CD in the drive, it would read sometimes and sometimes not. If I put a music CD in (sometimes having to open and shut the drive several times), it would finally read the disc.It would be okay for a while and then go back to not seeing the drive.
Emails to Compaq support were essentially useless. They just told me to do what I did above, “remove” the drive from the Device Manager and reboot.
I am not brave enought to disassemble the thing to check the plug.
Old Chinese Proverb Says… What one fool can do, another can.
Just open it up and look around. Push the connectors in place, etc. You can’g be much worse of and probably will be better for it. Lots of individuals owners poke around inside the "mysterious PC’ every day.
The drive shows up in the Bios as an _NEC NR-7800A, with a red X through the icon. Windows XP insists the drivers are installed and up to date. The drive is “disengaged (code 22)”, but Windows cannot engage it and troubleshooting says the device is not working, or in conflict and can’t be re-engaged. Why, I do not know. Maybe Staples will, maybe not.
Make a DOS system boot disk using the add-remove control panel applet. Using this to boot with CD option enabled will tell you definitively whether it’'s a windows software issue or a hardware issue.
If the drive is still not working even using the floppy boot, just pop the cover off. Most Compaq are case covers are relatively easy to remove. Unplug and replug the CD drive data and power cables (while power off). Boot up again with the system floppy. If drive stays dead it’s likely you simply have a dead CD drive that needs replacing.
I noticed you’re running XP so the add-remove applet will not create a system boot floppy as it will under ME or 98. My ysstem has no floppy so I’m not sure the system floppy making procedure for XP off the top of my head.
Your CD drive may be damaged. I had a similar problem once, so I opened the drive to find a stripped gear on the head mechanism. The head was out past where the edge of the CD would be, so I pushed it back inwards and was able to use the drive until I got a replacement.
I have an HP Pavilion 8500 which I bought in November 1999. It came with a CD-RW drive, but this was DOA. Never worked. It doesn’t show up in the list of devices. (the DVD and the zip drive both work fine, though.)
I know I should have gotten it fixed during the warranty period, but I didn’t want to go without a computer for however many days it would take to get it fixed. Also the machine is really heavy and hard to move.
(I did open up the back once and look at the cable; it didn’t look loose, but there wasn’t enough room in there for me to get a grip on the thing and wiggle it.
If Staples gives you a hard time on your warranty and you need one I have a NEC NR-7800A (black bezel) in essentially new shape and working perfectly I picked up the other day that I’ll send you free if you pay shipping cost. If it comes to replacement, however, you might want to try a DVD burner as you can burn DVDs and CDRs with them.
