Got a few problems with the laptop here...

Alienware Laptop, approaching 3 years old. For being a "high end" machine i havnt been too impressed with this thing. Not sure if i dont know how to run it the way i want, if its poor manufacturing, if its just harder to get a laptop ot be "high performance" but it's never run as well as it should and has been slowly falling apart for a while now.

Not long ago my CD drive vanished according to my computer. For a short while it would disappear, but reappear when i restarted the computer, now it just never comes back. Sometimes it hints at being there... for example when i plug in a usb drive it will register as E drive, so the computer thinks theres a D drive but doesnt display it. Other times the usb drive registers as the D drive and its icon is a CD drive, which might just be residual from having a cd drive at one point. Also, if i put a cd in the drive i can hear the drive reading the cd but nothing is being relayed to the computer, or its choosing to ignore it.

Problem 2 with my laptop is that the wireless adapter seems to have quit on me. It vanished like my CD drive yesterday, but then shortly after it went away my computer detected "new hardware" and said there was a network controller waiting to be installed. If i use the new hardware wizard to look for drivers however, it cant find any. (I do have the driver CD from alienware but im suffering from the paradox of "how do i run a driver CD to fix the CD drive so i can run a driver CD to fix the CD drive to...")

If i look under my hardware profile the "network controller" is there with a ? for its symbol, and there is no sign of a cd drive to be found. I am also wondering if these things have anything to do with losing a rubber footy from the bottom of my laptop. The adhesive failed and it was lost some time ago without me knowing it. I wondered if in the months following the laptop has become warped from sitting on my desk unevenly and thus the hardware has become disconnected... Kinda doubt it but just a thought. I thought i would look to the internet for help before taking it in to be looked at. Not to mention few people dare touch alienware, as i found out shortly after i got it and took it in to best buy to see if they could help with something.

Sorry if i rambled a bit, trying to make sure all the details are there. Any questions ill be happy to answer asap. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Hi

well to fix your cd drive using a cd drive get a plug in a play.
we will be need more info like your os, the make of the laptop snd so on>

Alienware M5500 Laptop running windows XP. I would rather not get an external drive unless that's the only option left.

Hi

might be my laptop is having the same problem, or take it to a repiar shop but do not do this unless nobody else can help!.

Hello and welcome to PCHelpForum.

We have a great Tech Team who will help you on your issue but let me get you to try a few things first.

Ok it is three years old maybe a little problem it may not.

Ok you need too power of the machine and remove plug from power outlet,open her up carefully and check all cables are fully connected.

Download required drivers from:http://support.alienware.com/Support_Pages/Restricted_Pages/driver_downloads.aspx

Check device manager to make sure they install correctly.

Ok now you say an USB hardware item registers as E: yes this does happen.An operating system assigns a drive letter but they do not usaly assign in order A,B,C,D,E.

Think of it like this:

A:Floppy.
C:Main hard drive.
D:CD drive.
E:External device.

You notice A: and C: The space or B: is missing.This because if you fit a second floppy drive it would automaticaly sign the letter B: to it.

An operating system is setup to assgin certain basic letters to newly fitted hardware.

You can use the hardware properties to assign a permanent letter to it.

So fitting several internal or external hardware items your computer may register them as A:,C:,D:,E:,L:N.This is normal behaviour.

Do you also have a disk cleaner to clean the lense of the rom drive.

Please be patient Tech Team should not be to long with helping you with this issue.

Good Luck.

JB.

Hey All,

@Indy, thanks for creating this one. Looks like you have some directions for follow. Try JBs suggestions, and then we'll see where you are at with the CD player.

TTFN

LGW