This is by far the weirdest problem I have ever had. My computer recognizes the dvd drive, but it will not recognize discs. The drive works, the disc spins (I can hear it), but still nothing. I have tried several fixes: I have set the HDD and dvd drives to master and slave (both as master, both as slave, one as each and vice versa), I have switched out the dvd drive with a new one, tried several different IDE cables, updated my BIOS, sent my motherboard back to the manufacturer to have it fixed, took the entire computer to an A+ certified repairman. I even out a live Linux cd in the drive and tried booting the OS from the cd, and it still didn't work. I am at the end of my rope; I just want to play Battlefield, is that so much to ask? Conversely, I have installed the BF files to my external hdd using a different computer. Is there anyway to make a virtual image of the disc on my computer (I'm using Daemon Tools and Alcohol 52%) without having to use the disc to create the image (I also downloaded a no-cd patch to potentially use). Please help.

Hello Semper, welcome to PCHF.

Has the PC ever been able to read the DVD drive, and how long have you had this PC?

Does the drive appear in My Computer and Device Manager OK?

The drive appears in device manager and my computer with no problems; I can even eject the drive through my computer, so I know it recognizes it. The PC has always recognized the drives (I've tried multiples) but never any disc. I built the computer myself, but that's irregardless. All the cables are linked properly, everything else works like normal and functions properly. I also made sure the drive(s) was compatible with my motherboard.

Semper, assuming this is happening with all types of disc, have you considered that it may be a problem with the drive itself? Considering that the drive is recognised quite happily by Windows would rule out cabling as well as compatibility issues between the drive and the motherboard. The fact that the drive is new would rule out any wear and tear on the heads, so it's unlikely that the heads are worn or damaged. Something could have happened to the drive during production or shipping.

Some drives come with an audio port at the front of the drive. You can use this with a standard commercial audio CD, press play and see if the music starts to play.

Interesting point you make: I didn't realize until now that I was referencing the wrong drive. I was actually talking about my DVD drive. However, my CD drive just read the audio CD no problem. I'm going to turn off the computer and replace the drive with a spare DVD drive.

it seems that the device is being recognized, but it i "unknown" and none of the drivers are installed. any idea where i can get the drivers?

You don't need any external drivers for these devices Semp. All the drivers for HDD's and CD-ROM's should be picked and installed automatically by Windows. Are you seeing "Unknown", or should be "Unknown Device" in Device Manager or via the "Found New Hardware" wizard? What is the name of the CD-ROM that appears during the post screen?