Computer Problems

[Destroit]

Just curious...if anyone is computer savvy and could tell me why this is happening:

It's a BRAND new computer...windows vista OS...and my CD-Rom drive keeps DISAPPEARING. Literally. One minute I'll have something in the drive, under "My Computer" it says the name of the disk in there, I can install it (in this case The Sims 2 ) I can even play it. But then I'll go on hours later to play, or a day later, it doesn't matter, I'll put the disk that is ALREADY installed (and was working earlier) in the drive, it SHOULD autoplay...but doesn't.

Nothing happens. Doesn't read it, doesn't anything. I go to manually open it under "My computer". Doesn't even have an ICON for the drive (where it JUST did less than an hour ago) to click on. As a last desperate attempt (I've been waiting to play this game again for MONTHS, so yes, desperate attempt) I did the thing where I pulled up "Run" and typed in just the drive...

Says it doesn't exist.

As a last LAST ditch attempt...I tried to do a system restore and set it back to an earlier setting, say Dec 10th...and...it worked. Kind of. I was estatic, because my D drive icon showed back up, I didn't even click it, I dropped the disc in and sure enough this time it finally pops up like it's supposed to and I play for hours until I go to bed.

I figure "sweet, I fixed my own problem, at least I don't have to call anyone". I figured it was some crazy glitch, I new it couldn't be the hardware because it WORKS, physically reads the discs, so what else could it have been but a glitch? Didn't matter to me I figure since I got rid of the problem, so I turn off the computer like normal, nothing out of the ordinary, wake up in the morning and go to play again. What happens...? No CD-Rom drive again! SAME thing. Just DISAPPEARED overnight...

Any suggestions? Do I need to have a computer exorcism? I do have a warranty on the thing, but mother FUCK that is such a pain in the ass.

All I wanted to do was play The Sims :cry :cry

plzsendhalp? thnx

[bav]

If you open up your case, make sure that the cable connecting your CD drive to the motherboard is seated properly in both the drive and the mobo.

May also want to take a look around on the net for the latest updated drivers for the CD drive.

What flavor of Vista are you running?

[freydis]

If you open up your case, make sure that the cable connecting your CD drive to the motherboard is seated properly in both the drive and the mobo.

May also want to take a look around on the net for the latest updated drivers for the CD drive.

What flavor of Vista are you running?

I wouldnt do that.

Opening the case on a new computer will void the warranty.

Call the manufacturer. They are still responsible, as it's under warranty still at this point.

This is why i dont get manufactured computers when i can help it. ;P I put together my own, and if i cant fix it, my friend Doug can....

[Rayne]

Let me guess ... it's a Dell.

Mom had the same issue with her Dell laptop. She had to shiip it back to them, they fixed it ... but not until after about 4 hours on the phone on two separate occasions.

[bav]

I wouldnt do that.

Opening the case on a new computer will void the warranty.

Call the manufacturer. They are still responsible, as it's under warranty still at this point.

This is why i dont get manufactured computers when i can help it. ;P I put together my own, and if i cant fix it, my friend Doug can....

It's been such a long time since i've thought about warranties - that's the latest trend with them? if you open the case, it's void? How does this apply to if you call their help centers and a tech tells you to open the case? Are there seals that break when you open it?

A bit of a threadjack, but I'm curious. Feel free to PM if you don't want to continue the threadjacking.

[Rayne]

It's been such a long time since i've thought about warranties - that's the latest trend with them? if you open the case, it's void? How does this apply to if you call their help centers and a tech tells you to open the case? Are there seals that break when you open it?

A bit of a threadjack, but I'm curious. Feel free to PM if you don't want to continue the threadjacking.

It's been that way since I worked computer retail in 2001. If you call their techs, they will tell you to take it back to a authorized store to get it worked on or ship it back to them, depending on where you bought it and what it is (brand). Phone support, to the best of my knowledge, will not tell you to open the case. They will tell you to take it into a store to have an authorized rep open the case.

[Rayne]

It's been that way since I worked computer retail in 2001. If you call their techs, they will tell you to take it back to a authorized store to get it worked on or ship it back to them, depending on where you bought it and what it is (brand). Phone support, to the best of my knowledge, will not tell you to open the case. They will tell you to take it into a store to have an authorized rep open the case.

From 1998 to 2001, that should say.

My knowledge only covers the big manufactures, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Compaq (before the merge) and Apple.

I don't know about the smaller ones much, we only sold the bigger ones in our store ... and I have the Apple laptop I've expierienced it with.

[bav]

It's been that way since I worked computer retail in 2001. If you call their techs, they will tell you to take it back to a authorized store to get it worked on or ship it back to them, depending on where you bought it and what it is (brand). Phone support, to the best of my knowledge, will not tell you to open the case. They will tell you to take it into a store to have an authorized rep open the case.

How weird - my experience as academic help desk around the same time period was the opposite - students would come to me saying that the Dell tech told them to get a screwdriver and open up the cases.

[Msterbeau]

Switch to XP.

[Kit Kat P]

Switch to XP.

What I was going to say.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Try this... it cant hurt... unless you do something wrong while in regedit....

Step 1: Start Registry Editor

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. Registry Editor starts.

Step 2: Delete the UpperFilters registry entry

1. In Registry Editor, expand My Computer, and then expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

2. Expand SYSTEM, and then expand CurrentControlSet.

3. Expand Control, and then expand Class.

4. Under Class, click {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.

5. In the right pane (topic area), click UpperFilters.

Note An UpperFilters.bak registry entry may also appear. To delete the UpperFilters registry entry, you must click UpperFilters and not UpperFilters.bak.

6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.

7. When you receive the following message, click Yes to confirm the deletion of the UpperFilters registry entry:

Are you sure you want to delete this value?

The UpperFilters registry entry is removed from the {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} registry subkey.

Note Do not exit Registry Editor. You must have this program for the next step.

Step 3: Delete the LowerFilters registry entry

1. In Registry Editor, expand My Computer, and then expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

2. Expand SYSTEM, and then expand CurrentControlSet.

3. Expand Control, and then expand Class.

4. Under Class, click {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.

5. In the right pane (topic area), click LowerFilters.

Note An LowerFilters.bak registry entry may also appear. To delete the LowerFilters registry entry, you must click LowerFilters and not LowerFilters.bak.

6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.

7. When you receive the following message, click Yes to confirm the deletion of the LowerFilters registry entry:

Are you sure you want to delete this value?

The LowerFilters registry entry is removed from the {4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} registry subkey.

8. Exit Registry Editor.

Step 4: Restart the computer

[Fierce Critter]

Listen to Gaf. He is wise in the ways of computers beyond many.

As for opening the case, there's no seal on the brand-new HP I just got. We've already opened it and installed a new graphics card. The display model at the store pretty much was available to be opened, too.

As for Vista, I have thusfar only run into two problems. One, this model came with a 20" flat panel monitor. I tried to install the software for it when I set it up, and the install failed. Then, every time I'd boot up the computer, it'd ask to install that software, and I'd try, and it'd fail. So I downloaded the software from HP's website, and it still failed. I finally gave up and stopped the error message from coming up.

The other issue is yesterday I went to install Photoshop CS2, and when it was finished and asked me to register, no matter what answer I gave, it told me it wouldn't continue because I wasn't authorized to perform that action. Even though my account is set-up as an administrator. So I tried safemode, still wouldn't work. So I created a new account that actually has the NAME "Administrator." And voila, it worked. That's really stupid.

Otherwise, I'm not having the problems or frustrations others said they had over Vista. I'm liking it a lot thusfar.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

as SP1 comes out within a few months.

[Scales]

Switch to XP.

I agree.

It'll be difficult and it all depends on if your P.C. hardware has the drivers, which you'll have to have someone find manually. But it will be a life-changing event, like King Midas touching a Golden Retriever's crap.

[Destroit]

Otherwise, I'm not having the problems or frustrations others said they had over Vista. I'm liking it a lot thusfar.

Yes...I don't want to go back to XP. I have come to far to give up the sexy graphics and fringe programs that come with Vista...much much too far.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Did you try it? Did it work?

[Destroit]

Did you try it? Did it work?

I'm going to later when I get off work and go home. If it works, I'ma fly you down a pony alllll the way to Florida, I swear.

I hope you don't live in apartments...

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Cool.

I'l be home after 7 if you need help and happen to use MSN.

[Der Nister]

If all that advice doesn't work, try kicking it a few times.

[Kit Kat P]

If all that advice doesn't work, try kicking it a few times.

lol

[Necromanta]

Microsoft Works, the largest oxymoron I've ever heard.

Windows updates are taking the old bugs out and putting new ones in. ( I so stole that from my friend Amy.)

[Destroit]

I tried it and there is no "lowerfilters" there was upper, which I deleted and stuff, but no lower

I deleted the upperfilter and restarted the computer and still nothing. Makes me mad too because the drive was there JUST 15 minutes ago . Like I said, it will disappear and come back sometimes and now it's doing it with the other drives (i.e. SD drive, you know card drives, I think I have four)

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

This is sounding more and more like a mother board problem.

[know_buddy_kares]

Well at least you got rid of your old lap top (the one that was exactly like mine) Because if you stuck with that one, you'd be doomed to having it spontaneously catching on fire (like mine did) then having the exhaust vent explode in a small *POP* and get to see flames shoot out a good foot then watch it instantly magically turn into an overpriced paperweigth.

[Destroit]

This is sounding more and more like a mother board problem.

I'm starting to think the same thing actually.

Well at least you got rid of your old lap top (the one that was exactly like mine) Because if you stuck with that one, you'd be doomed to having it spontaneously catching on fire (like mine did) then having the exhaust vent explode in a small *POP* and get to see flames shoot out a good foot then watch it instantly magically turn into an overpriced paperweigth.

I still have my laptop, yours probably caught fire because you never had it cleaned out like I did with mine and it was probably full of dust and tobacco resin