Laptop failing to recognise the 'D' drive, and so can't watch films, or anything!! Just happened...

[Pan]

I am VERY ungeek like, so please be patient.....This laptop had "Power Cinema" already installed, and it's really good. I loaded Ice Age 2 into the tray this morning and PC failed to start as it does when a DVD is loaded.
I went into Device Manager and found that the "DVD-CD ROM" drive has a yellow circle with a black exclamation mark in it. I have nooo idea what this means.
Also, the My Computer thing lists the C drive but no D drive, as if it doesn't know there is a D drive on the laptop.

Can anyone help? I have been happily watching DVDs on her for about 3 years. Then this!!

many many thanks in adv.

I did think it may be a driver issue, but there are software issues, not Hardware issues, is it not??

hey-ho

What had you been doing this morning/last night? Did you have a USB device or a camera card plugged in that you ejected? And if so, did you by any chance eject the CD drive instead? I t is possible to do this on some computers - it comes up as a option together with the USB drive & it's possible to eject the wrong one.
Usuallu rebooting the computer will solve the problem, but I had one case where a teacher had managed to eject her wireless card & iirc it took a system restore to sort that one.

also wondering if it's a driver or software issue, but it sounds like a no....
DH (Ultimate Geekiness) had this issue and ended up replacing his cd drive, not as difficult or expensive as sounds, think it was about 20 quid? Actually he stole loaned one off my ancient laptop to prove that this was the problem, then returned it [eventually]
Have you got a local geek computer shop - I mean a small one not the pc world type multiples where they will charge you 50 quid to take it out of its bag?

hi RB. No, no ejecting going on AFAIK. Didn't have any USB port usage in fact between the last time I watched a DVD and today.

in any event, how would you 'uneject' a DVD drive??

yes giggle, I do have a reasonable laptop specialists not so far away. But I'd really like to know what has gone wrong and how to correct it first before handing over cash and going without the laptop for a few days....

the device manager even lists the DVD/CD drive, with a number, but then the exclamation mark thing....

If you right click on the drive in device manager, do you get an option to Scan for hardware changes?

I do, and 'network controller opens up.

also I try driver update option and it indicates the driver is missing or corrupt. By who I don't know.

will get on with looking atthis.

thanks all!!

DONE IT DONE IT DONE IT!!!!

After a lot of messing around with my gorilla hands approach, I googled Code 39 error that was showing in device manager, and went to a site that described how to fix it through registry key deletions......

AND I DID IT!! ( have I mentioned this already?)

Thanks to you gigglewitch and RustyBear for your obs. and time.

Also, the current MsPan is mightily impressed, which always helps...

right. Load up Ice Age!!