XP not recognizing dvd drive

[titanik]

I'm running XP SP2 and it no longer recognizes my Sony DRU-500ax DVD drive. The drive does not show up in Device Manager or Windows Explorer. The drive bay does not open when I push it's button. Power and IDE are properly connected. No new hardware/software changes that I am aware of. I used the drive the other day and it worked fine. That night, I used Roxio to burn a video DVD. The process began and I went to sleep. In the morning, it said that there was a burn error. While attempting to re-start the process, I saw that the DVD option was no longer there - only CD. The PC was not even seeing the DVD drive. Any suggestions?

[Capmaster]

I've had that happen when the IDE cable is on backwards. Try removing the IDE cable and trying to open the drawer using the button. If it works, then you might have a bad IDE cable ...or it's just on backwards

[titanik]

The IDE cable could not have been backwards. It was working for quite some time as is. I did check the connections. I even replaced the IDE cable. Any other ideas?

[budz]

The drive is probably dead. Try removing it and installing it in another computer. If it still doesn't work then the drive is up in dvd burner heaven. Your dvd burner is quite old buy a new one it's so cheap at $29-$35.

[Scorpion King]

That night, I used Roxio to burn a video DVD

Did you get the errored dvd out of the drive? I had a similar problem years ago and until I tripped the door with a paper-clip and got the bad disk out of there the drive would not work, open, nor showup in device manager.

You straighten out a paperclip and push it into that small hole just under the drive door. When you hit the proper latching point with the paperclip the door can be pulled open easily.

Besides that...... check for power on the power plug. You can either trade that plug with some other device or check for current with a volt meter. (turn off the computer when doing either of these).

Good luck.