Oatboat - did you check your device manager and storage manager to see if it were there but didnt have a volume label?
Yes tried this, no luck, it's not even listed. There isn't even a section called DVD/CD-ROM drives as there should be in Win7.

Ualaa - I like to unplug the drives that I don't want to format.
Just to be sure. Will do.
Before you do a format, a system restore might be an option. Restored at least 5 times, no luck.


ElectronDF - My thoughts, they might be too big/annoying for you, but just my thoughts. DON"T reformat a hard drive to get an optical drive to be recognized. Really, don't.

If you need help on a step or subject, ask.
First easy check, go to device manager (right-click on "My Computer" and go to properties). Are there yellow exclamation marks next to devices? If there are, that is something to fix. In "DVD/CD drives" are there any drives listed there?
None are listed here. It doesn't even have DVD/CD-ROM drives as an option in the list.

Next, but pretty much same idea, right-click on "My Computer" and choose manage. There should be a disk management section. In it should show all drives (not just drive letters). Does an optical drive show up there. It might not have a drive letter, so look closely.
No, just the C and E drives.

So if both those places don't have anything that looks like your optical drive, then try a reboot. A lot of computers might put a pretty start up screen in your face when you start up. You want to see the drives that the computer recognizes. So if there is a way to make that screen go away, do it. Maybe ESC, maybe space bar, not sure. It should show the C hard drive (SATA 1 - Western Digital 120S320 - 320 GB) (SATA 2 - Kingston 40N80S - 80 GB) (IDE 0/1 - Optica 80DVDWR - DVD), etc. That would let you know if the computer itself, not the OS, but the computer sees the optical drive.
I haven't tried this, but will on next reboot.

Next if you aren't scared you can go into bios and see if it is disabled somehow. Not much I can be specific here, since lots of bios things are different and different ways to disable an item.
I'm not comfortable in the bios, though I can look around in it. I don't want to change anything.

Next if you are tough, you can open the case (with computer turned off and powered off, not just in sleep), and disconnect and reconnect the optical cables. It shouldn't happen, but if a wierd signal got in there, it shouldn't hurt to just disconnect and reconnect the cables. Yeah, as you go farther and farther down, the things are going to sound more stupid and shouldn't happen, but better to be sure, then have to reinstall. They aren't that hard to do.
I did this wrong, but tried it with it running. Probably a mistake, but I opened the case side and unplugged the power first and replugged it back in while the computer was running. I did the same with the IDE cable. Nothing happened.

And probably last, do you have a spare optical drive. It can just be a CD reader. It doesn't have to be fancy, just same type of connector as the drive you have now. If you connect the spare drive (data and power), does it show up? If so, reconnect your old drive and if it doesn't show up, then probably the drive itself.
I will try this.

Just some things that might help. Good luck.
Thanks!

Fenril - Most of these things sounds like they would have been covered by what Microsoft should have done in their $50, 3 hour session minus the part where he would check the BIOS and swap drives. But, my guess is that the BIOS will still show the drive because Windows sounds jacked up in one way or another. I could be totally wrong though, perhaps the PSU is
causing blue screens and it's on the fritz and won't power up the optical drives... who knows.
Yes they did do all this.

Either way, I'm a fan of fresh installs because everything always runs nice and smooth afterwards. If the optical drive can't
be found in the BIOS he'll find out soon enough when he pops in the Windows reinstall CD/DVD and it doesn't work.
I never thought about that. I can't install windows again if the DVD rom doesn't work. I bought an external DVD rom, but not sure if that would work on an install.

Thanks for the input everyone. This gives me a couple more things to try. I reran the cleaner program I have and haven't had any blue screens today, but then again I don't have a DVD rom drive showing up yet either.

I'll keep trying to figure it out.

Thanks for the posts!

Malgor