If you declare the drive DOA, it can be replaced — more or less easily, depend-
ing on the laptop. Or it can be supplanted by an external device that connects
to a USB port. I discuss both options in Chapter 16.Rescuing resourceless discs ...............................................................
The other likely cause for problems with a CD or DVD drive is a conflict in
demand for system resources. I discuss how a modern computer manages
interrupts (IRQs), DMA channels, and memory resources in Chapter 5.All that’s necessary to say here is this: When you first opened the box for
your new laptop, it should have been set up so all the devices attached to
the motherboard — memory, hard drive, CD or DVD drive, sound, network
interface, modem, and the like — were properly configured. That’s why the
first thing you should do with a new computer is put it through its paces.
Try each and every feature individually and run as many as possible at the
same time.If your new laptop doesn’t work properly when brand new, it probably won’t
get better over time all by itself. Get on the phone or the Internet (if that’s
working) to the manufacturer’s support desk and insist that they make your
laptop work perfectly on Day One. If they can’t help you, or if you don’t like
the way you’re treated as a brand-new customer, take it back or send it back.
There are plenty of other fishes in the sea.I’m going to assume that the machine and the CD or DVD were working prop-
erly for a period of time and now have stopped. Before you do anything else,
determine the following: Is the CD or DVD drive responding to electrical com-
mands? Does the drawer open when you push the button? If you place a disc
in the device, can you hear it spinning?The other troubleshooting essential is to pay a visit to the Control Panel
under Windows and see if it’s reporting a hardware problem, a conflict of
resources, or trouble with the device driver. For details on this important
tool, see Chapter 5.Hard Times for a Hard Drive .........................................................................
Death comes to us all; we just don’t know exactly when or how. But that’s
another book. Let me get back to laptops and tell you this: Death comes to
every hard disk drive. It’s not a question of whether, just when. Before I even
begin to discuss how to maintain, repair, or replace, let me get the most
important rule of computing before your eyes: Make backups of your data.Chapter 3: Things That Go Bump In the Night (or Day) 37