Turn off your computer. Now start your computer and keep tapping F8 straight away. This will load into Windows Advanced Options. Using the keyboard, select Safe Mode, and then Microsoft Windows XP. Once loaded into the Login screen, login is as Administrator and following that, clicking on Yes to continue in Safe Mode. Go to Start>>My computer and then see if your F drive is present. Try to play a cd. If it works and ejects ok, then it is an issue with windows. If it doesnt work, then we need to continue checking other things. Go to Start>>Control Panel. Double click on System. Click on the Hardware tab at the top and then the Device Manager button. Scroll down to DVD/CD Rom Drives and click on the plus sign at the left so it turns to a minus. Check that your cd drive has no yellow circle with an exclamation mark inside it. If it has, then it is a driver conflict. You must right click on it and uninstall it. Once done, you need to restart your machine. If there is no yellow mark, then close all the boxes. Go to Start>>Run. Type in msconfig and click on OK. Click on the startup tab at the top and then disable all at the bottom. Click on OK and then Restart. See if it works once restarted. If it still doesnt, its likely that it may be the drive. However, there is also a known issue with Itunes. If after uninstalling the drive in device manager and restarting, the yellow mark is still there, it is likely that itunes may be the cause (if you have itunes that is). Try this and post back if no luck!
Kash, July 2006
