CD-ROMs Failing In Win2k & XP Boxes?

jptechnical writes "I have an interesting hardware/software development brewing. I have a friend with a computer shop down the way and he has had a rash of nearly a dozen Win2k & XP boxes come through with disabled or missing CD-ROM drives. They work in DOS, and are bootable, but are either disabled, not functioning or simply missing in Windows' device manager. Does anyone know of a virus that may be causing this? I cannot find any common vector from system build to software installed or anything. MS says reformat, but where's the fun in that? What resources aside from MSKB and google searching do slashdot readers use for troubleshooting strange problems?"

Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

If it works in "DOS" that means your computer can probably boot off one of these CD's. Try booting off a Linux CD. If it works, install a Linux partition. If the CD-ROM drive works under linux, erase the Windows partition and Voila!
Working CD-ROM drive. (Also, improvement in speed and security).

There was a virus that did this, in fact.

[immanis]

You could be in serious trouble. There was such a virus [elsop.com] - or at least it had the powers to do what you are experiencing.

I got infected with this virus once. It caused uncontrollable cachinnation.

Definitely viruses

[kinnell]

There are a couple of well known viruses which can cause this problem. Details here [microsoft.com] and here [microsoft.com].

My 'common vector'

[(H)elix1]

A couple years back I had a couple slot loading DVD's fail. The second seemed like a mechanical problem, so I opened it up and found a floppy disk, scraps of paper, and some thin plastic toys that belonged to my two year old. Same errata with my bride's drive. YMMV

What resources aside from MSKB and google searchin

[Anonymous Coward]

Q. What resources aside from MSKB and google searching do slashdot readers use for troubleshooting strange problems?"

A. I just post a question to ask slashdot, and have all the geeks trying to avoid troubleshooting at their jobs do it for me.

Re:Well...

[richie2000]

Just don't install Mandrake if you've got a LG drive.

Re:Same Problem

[Doc Squidly]

Maybe your drive just wasn't into jazz.

Re:Hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

You offend me [cnn.com]

Re:My 'common vector'

[Anonymous Coward]

You Mumbling Monkey Vagina.

er...actually, Your Mileage May Vary.

Re:Hmm

[Tackhead]

> My parents computer was having this problem. It occured when I have the CDRom in Master Mode on the second IDE port with a slave HD.

Ahem. In Soviet LA, it happened when you had your CDRom in Comrade Mode on the second IDE port with a Comrade HD.

Re:My 'common vector'

[Artifex]

I'll bet he was glad to get his toys back.