oh dear. DVD drive "gone" on ASUS desktop

[Someone-Else]

I had (still have) a problem with the mouse and highlighting text, so i wondered if i "defaulted" all the settings I could start again.
I figured system restore is for new software, then I found a "refresh" option that keeps all files but defaults everything else?
It has taken my DVD/RW drive away.

I hardly use it, that's why I only noticed today its "missing" Its still physically connected as it shows up in the bios as being there, but in control panel it does not exist, and like wise if i put any disc in it, the pc does nothing. (no surprise there then)

Any suggestions as to what to do to make it the DVD / RW drive work again?

[gas4you]

You could try looking on the manufacturers website for drivers to download?

[Bob225]

duff mouse - buy a new one, even poundland does them for urr umm a pound

dvd drive, does it eject ? pull the connections out the back of it and reconnect - buy a new one there dirt cheap £9-15 I have just binned 2 working ones

is it a sata drive (small plug) or a old ide drive ?

[Timllfixit]

Hi someone -else.

The basic drivers for most (if not all) optical drives are built into the bios(after all you need them for loading the OS) so the bios should "see" the drive. If it doesn't then check connections(as others have suggested) including power,and make sure the bios is set for the appropriate type(Sata/IDE) and the drive is enabled and the boot order is correct. Watch the light on the front of the drive as the computer switches on, it should flash. If it doesn't then suspect faulty drive or cables.
Are you able to check the drive in another machine?
I have a handy device that has a sata/ide on one end and a USB on the other. It's really for getting data off hard disks but it will also work with CD/DVD drives.
As others have suggested, with the machine OFF, unplug and boot up. Then turn off and install drive. then boot up again and OS should check for new devices. If you are lucky it will find it and install the driver. Sometimes the drive comes with a driver (on a disk) which you may be able to load onto a USB stick at the library or a friendly computer.

Just a thought, but is the Cable select link in the correct place? (Master/Slave/CS)

Can you do a system restore?

[Timllfixit]

Another thought.

Download and run Puppy Linux from a USB stick. It's a tiny but self contained OS that runs inside the computers memory. See if it recognises the optical drive. If it does this will prove the drive and cables as OK, that just leaves a Windows/drivers problem. Don't forget to enable "boot from USB" in the BIOS before you start.

http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20a ... tarted.htm

[Someone-Else]

Thanks.
It seems its quite a common problem. I have found out it is caused because in "refresh" the drivers for the DVD drive were removed (Although why they were removed I can not figure out)
Now all I have to do is to find new drivers. Been on the ASUS website, and as yet I can not find the drivers for my drive, its not obsolete, just no drivers. I think I may give up and try a generic driver, but it does seem daft that to refresh the drivers for a way to install software are removed.
Oh and of course the pc is just over a year old.

Why are such things so much grief?

[gas4you]

Try getting Windows to 'find new hardware?'

[steviejoiner74]

getting windows to find new hardware has worked for me in the past.

Someone-else.

Been thanked 506 times.

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[Bob225]

win 95 upwards should auto detect any hardware, if its in device manager uninstall it, cd/dvd drivers are part of the core windows system does the drive show up in disk management (disk man) ?

don't think I have installed a dvd/cd driver since the days of IDE ATA 66/100

more than likely the laser has died - so wont see a disc nor spin it up, the bios will still pick up the device tho

[Someone-Else]

Thanks all


Its all sorted now.

The DVD/cd drive was never "missing" it shows in the BIOS that it is there (I did mention this in the first post), so windows could never find it, since as far as windows was concerned, it was never missing in the first place, it just would not work, or show up in anything / control panel

Looking on YT, some bloke showed how to restore it, but not very well.
More digging around shows its not that common, but its not unusual for the drive to just ......disappear. (Mine went after a refresh)

I figured sometimes its quicker to do the "worst thing you can think of" so I did. I told my pc to delete everything and re-start. That was 2 1/2 hours ago, I am back (I know, some will wish I wasn't) I have most things up and running, no email yet, that is next on the list to install, then I will have all those "windows updates" to install, going to leave it over night doing that.

[Someone-Else]

It has now finished its 51 updates.

[transitboy]

I THANK YOU
or his that someone else

[BillyGoat]

Upper and lower filter driver - too late to claim that thanks!