CD Rom drive isn't recognised/ Can I replace registry keys?

I have an Acer Aspire 1691wlmi laptop, which has been back to acer twice for motherboard faults. I finally got it back over a week ago and the DVD/RW drive is not recognised. I try to install and reinstall it and it comes up with a 'Code 39' error.

Now, Acer have been useless in their support of this. Initially I thought it was a lack of a driver (Matsu****a 840UE - it has a history of cackiness, judging by what I have read...) and they wouldn't supply it, even though it is still in warranty.

I contacted Microsoft, as I wondered if it could have happened when I installed XP Pro over XP home. The DVD drive worked then and hasn't since, you see. Anyway, they said to delete a registry key, which I did. And now it doesn't work at all.

I have since tried a portable DVD rom drive and the same problem has happened (Code 39 error).

Anyway, a few questions:

1. Can I replace the registry key by saving it on a memory key and trasnferring it over?
2. How do I do that?
3. Can anyone supply the driver for the Matsu****a drive?
4. Why can't acer customer support get it right?
5. Is there any other way possible I can install Microsoft Office, even though I haven't got a working CD drive?

Any help would be massively appreciated.

Thanks,

Gav
Edit/Delete Message

 

Have you tried reformatting the machine back to factor settings.

A few other thoughts.

1. What registry key? You could try removing device completely from device manager and then reboot, in theory windows would properly work out that the device exists and setup appropriately.

3. DVD Drives don't have drivers anymore (I don't believe) they just work as standard IDE drives.

4. Unfortunately Acer probably has no need to do anything, perhaps if you recover back to initial position on the machine then if it still doesn't work, then Acer might be able to support (unfortunately who knows what else you have done to the machine that might have messed up the Drive (and I'm not suggesting you have but I know Acer will be thinking that)).

5. Yes, if you have another computer you can copy the office CD onto a USB memory key (or something like that) and install from there, however it's probably worth working out what's wrong with the DVD/CD Drive unless you never plan to use it for anything else.

 

greystone

Arla's advice sounds very sensible

You could also look in windows explorer
rightclick the Cd/DVD drive
click Recording tab
and make sure 'Enable recording to this drive' is NOT (repeat NOT) enabled.

Background:
There seems to be a conflict between MS CD recording and other recording software (certainly Nero and Roxio, but probaly also the GEAR/powerdvd stuff coming with Acer), which you eliminate by turning the MS recording of.
As such is is probably caused by the change of OS version.

If it works thank Frank Golden (fjgold1), if it doesn't blame me

hth

Drio

 

acer should take it back and see whats wrong anyway... :/

 

I'd have to ask why? It sounds like gavstone installed XP Pro when it came with Home, and that is the point when the drive suddenly stopped working, sounds like the candidate problem to me (maybe I'm wrong, but that's where I'd start).

The best bet for laptops (especially those that came with installed "stuff") is reset to "factory fresh" condition and see if it works, if it does, you know it was something you did to it, if not, then time to call in the techs.

 

Exactly, don't blame others when you may have f8888d up yourself (sorry for relapsing to American English).

Still it would be helpful (to say the least) if Acer themselves would have a decent support forum where they tackle issues like upgrading to another OS version. Could save alot of frustration at the users' side.

Cheers

Drio