CD burner not recognized

I am using Windows 98 OS. My problem is I installed a CD burner Feb. 2002 and it was working just fine, but for the past month the light on the drive is on all the time and it is not recognized in "My Computer ". It is a Cendyne Lite-On 24x10x40x. If it not recognized, I obviously can't use it. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the Nero software that came with the burner and that didn't help. I have gone to "install new hardware" in "my computer" and had the computer search for it, but nothing has helped. Has anyone experienced a problem like this one before? I have used the F1 at startup to see if there was something in the BIOS settings that I could fix, but couldn't find anything that might be the problem. Could someone please help me get this working again.

 

Sounds like a faulty device MJ. If you didn't change anything and it just started doing it.

 

What is an MJ???
I am suddenly having the same problem.

Dell Inspiron Laptop
WinMe

 

Sue J Thomas=astrosue, MJ=mary651

Easiest way to test them is to set them up on another computer. If Windows may be the problem, eg. the light comes on and stays on when Windows is loading, then boot with a startup/bootdisk floppy and try to access the drive.

Matt=?

 

OH!Kay!
Cannot access the CD Rom from the startup disk.

Next, will try to remove the controller from System Props and see if that helps.
This computer has suddenly become mysterious and erratic and I am wondering if the motherboard is failing (3 year old laptop).

Thanks for your answer and any more info if possible.

Sue

 

Hi Sue

Probably(?) won't help because the controller drivers are loaded by the OS.
If you can't access by a boot disk then the problem would seem to be hardware or BIOS.
If you can try the drive on another machine it will tell you if it is your motherboard or the drive.

Luck
Matt

Edit: Could try disconnecting the drive and do a full boot without it, then reconnect and boot up again. That's what i would try in both your cases.

 

Soooo......those helpful people at Dell (I have a 2+year old Inspiron laptop) found that it was a slightly loose ***** (not) holding the cd-dvd drive in tight enough!~
This can, and did, cause not seeing the drive itself, not seeing the hard drive once (because they're on the same chain) and the screen to black out!

Thanks for you concern..

Sue