Computer question

[Stu]

The other day, for some unexplainable reason, the CD Rom on my PC quit working. The computer aparently doesn't read it. It was working fine, because I was listeningto a CD, but then it quit. When I load a CD, I just get a note saying "F is not accessible. The device is not ready."
Is there an easy fix for this, or perhaps a download?

 

[ken]

Maybe a software conflict. The first thing I'd do is install the latest drivers for your cd-rom. Go to the manufacturer's website and look for the page with drivers. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Download and install the newest one. Post again if that doesn't work.

 

[Stu]

Thanks Ken. I did a search and found a site. But I found out that the maker of my PC, Cybermax, apparently went bankrupt, and the links to Cybermasx drivers sites were down. Is there a generic driver that would work? It's a CD/DVD player, so I would think there should be a compatible driver. Any ideas?

 

[ken]

Most likely the drive is made by a different manufacturer. Go to your control panel then click on system. Choose the 'Hardware' tab on top and then click on the 'Device Manager' button. Click on the '+' sign next to "DVD/CD-ROM" drives. You should see the brand name of the drive come up. While you're there, double click on the drive and check its status. It should say "This device is working properly" and under 'Device Usage' it should say "Use this device. (Enabled)"

All those instructions are for Windows XP. If I remember right, other versions of windows should be very similar.

 

[Stu]

Thanks Ken. I found out it's a Toshiba. After much searching, I found that it is a discontinued drive. But I still found a driver, which I have downloaded to my desktop. Now I can't figure out how to install the damn thing. What kind of utility do I need? Thanks again.

 

[ken]

Go to the same place as before and double click the Toshiba drive. Then click on the 'Driver' tab on top and then the "Update Driver" button. A Wizard will come up. Choose "Install from a list or specific location" then click 'Next.' Browse for the name of the file and follow the rest of the instructions.

I guess I should warn you that this probably won't fix your problem, but it's as good a place as any to start looking for a solution.

 

[Alias]

I remember the last time I had a cd drive fail on me. I ended up buying a new one. That fixed things really quickly.

 

[Stu]

Alias: That's where I'm heading. For the few dollars they cost these days, it's not worth the aggravation of trying to track down a solution.