Computer problems...help needed!

[sam100]

Hi

Up until a month ago i have always been able to play CD's and DVD's in my disk drive and had no problem with burning etc. All of a sudden i now am unable to do any of the afore mentioned and i dont know how to rectify it!

When i insert a CD it shows within my control panel that i have a CD in the drive but when i go to open it to view the info no data is showing.

Also i am now unable to burn CD's from Itunes or media player as it goes to load to burn then says canceling burn. (new version of itunes was installed recently?)

Im finding it really frustrating and i just want to put it right.

My machien model is E system for reference.

Thnaks in advance

[Lil O'lady]

Sam - have you got the installation disk for the CD player? If so you could try going to control panel > uninstall hardware > unistall the cd player, then insert the disk and reinstall it.
If the cd player was part of the pc as provided, and you don't have separate software, it could still be in guarantee - check the date you purchased it and if under a year, get on to the firm and they should (!) assist.

[sam100]

Hi Thanks for your reply. Its my actual cd drive thats not working so its all part of the overall computer software (xp). The computer is just out of warantee by a few months so no luck there. My impression is that i dont think its broken more like a missing file or setting??

[Lil O'lady]

This might help but looks a little scary:
http://inquirer.philly.com/newsroom/faq/pages/ fdb7df9-30.html

[spaced]

Sam, the best and easiest thing to do is a System Restore to the last known date when the CD player worked.

here is a guide on how to do it

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084

[sam100]

i've tried doing a system restore already and it wont let me do it.

Thanks for the reply.

[Lil O'lady]

Sam - why will your pc not let you do system restore? You shd have been provided with disks when you bought the pc.
If it is one of those bloomiin cop-outs that advises you to 'create system restore disk' for yourself - and like most folk you didn't - you can only do a restore if you buy the relevant disk.
In the recent case of a son that may be mine, Acer charge �50 for these.
On t'other hand, my cd writer at work did the same thing yours is doing. The techguys just fiddled with it ( I have no access rights) so I assume they did a procedure similar to the one in the link I gave you above.
The inability to do system restore is a big prob - get back to the supplier and ask about this one for future reference.

[spaced]

sounds like a virus to me. Download AVG

[gucciman]

ive got exactly the same problem now with my 3 yr old sony vaio, if i try to back up my photos onto a cd or dvd it says"unable to complete operation"
last time this happened i was still under warranty and it was sent back to france for repair.
recently my computer wouldn't let me do a system restore, or a defrag, i took it to a comp buff and he said the operating system was corrupted and he restored it all for me, perhaps you have the same problem.