So am I correct in assuming that Windows actually sees the drive then? Because if it's not even showing up, that would be a different issue than just not reading a disc.

It's a DVD/CD-ROM. Before I had to restore my computer (due to a corupted explorer.exe) it worked fine with no problems both with cd and dvd discs. And it was made in 2007 I don't know if that is new enough to not need a special driver. But then again it was bought from Wal-mart.

Well i know the computer sees the device because when I was trying to install one of my other games the first time i tried to install it, it did what i said earlier. Froze up and i had to close out of my computer through task manager. The second time I tryed it, which was right after the first time, it brought up the install screen and then froze at that point so I had to close out of that. So I know my computer sees the drive its just having trouble read the discs I think.

Let me guess - it is a sony dvd/cd-rom driver?

go to start, computer - right click and select manage... then select device manager... click on dvd/cd-rom drives and is the drive listed there? if it is right click the drive and uninstall it. Then right there at the toolbar for the device manager on the rightside of all the rest the icons hover over it and it says scan for hardware changes - click that icon and it will scan and install the drivers again for the drive. Those drivers are provided via windows - there are very few dvd/cd- rom drives that reguire special drivers.

But I've found that a lot of new installs for hardware get corrupted and this should solve your problems.

They are all about the same and will have this same problem - reinstall the drive.

[quote who="Shelbygt_the_Car~!" reply="8" id="2392729"]They are all about the same and will have this same problem - reinstall the drive.[/quote]

I reinstalled the drive like you said and when I install the game, or try to, it still freezes

I thought about that but i can't find any bootable cds.

Can you install or run any other dvd's on that drive that read correctly? not cd but dvd this is important you find another dvd and see if it will run. If it does then the drive is ok and your disc sounds like it could be damaged. If that is the case you need to try and copy the disc with like IMGBURN to a .iso file and then burn another disc with same program from that image [.iso] provided it will make an .iso image. You will have to do this on another system since it will more than likely not read on the one you are using now.

But you need to find out if another dvd will run on that computer first to determine if the drive is working. Thus that dvd that you are trying to use maybe damaged.

Also as yrag has asked - do you have nero installed and what other security software are you using? For that matter what burning software is installed?

Open tray door and use compressed air to blow out the inside of drive.

What makes you think they can't......?

The drive is either bad or the jumper is set wrong (if it's an IDE) . My money is on the former.

You're right....hell, it could be an anomaly in the cosmos....

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll try harder to expand my horizons the next time.....

reaper, you could try googling for un-installer and look fo the free ones

harpo

No....I didn't touch his computer....even once....

It wouldn't be the first dvd/cd rom/rw drive to go belly-up.....they are built to a price, not a quality......think about it.....$20 or so buys you one these days....so they are going to be essentially crap.....waiting to fail.

They are throw away technology....swap it out and see what happens....

Well that's partially true, although none of my drives has ever gone belly-up on me. Not like the harddrives. I've got one optical drive pushing ten years now, two more around the 5 year mark. The laptop though, the dell, I expect whatever cheap piece of crap drive they put in there to start to give me trouble any minute now. They're cheap though, time to get another one. Although it sounds like you have bigger fish to cry if you have explorer issues too.