Which One of You Bastards Stole My CD and DVD Drives and Where Did You Hide Them?

wolf · 12-24-2005, 01:25 AM

My DVD and CD drives are missing. I mean, I know right exactly where they are, they're right there, up near the top of my computer tower, a cupholder, and a handy backup in case the upper one gives way under the load of my customary SuperBigGulp.

It may come as a surprise for folks to find out that I can go for months without actually using the darn things. I play PC games in spurts, sometimes intently focused on them and playing every single night, other times just poking around in some adventure area or another. I have a clear preference for games that don't require having the CD in the drive, though, since I have a certain lack of key organizational skills that result in my misplacing games and such for months at a time. Sometimes years. I was going through a box in a closet and found a pile of 5-1/4" floppies with some really great old games and a full copy of SPSS statistical package on them. They've since returned to the closetamoeba. I expect I'll find them again, four or five years from now when I'm looking for my heels.

But, this past weekend I really, really had to install some new software.

Really.

A lot.

I put the install CD into the drive and ...

Nothing.

Not a damn thing happened.

No whirring noises, and certainly no autorun.

I know that sometimes autorun can be cranky, so I went to "My Computer" with the intention of clicking directly on the drive name and nudging it into working.

Yeah. Sure.

Under "Removable Storage" the words A: Floppy Drive mocked me.

No E: no F:?

What the hell?

Obviously, they were right there. I hadn't played with them. I make a point of not touching the insides of my machines, so I knew I hadn't done anything. I hadn't seen any strange error messages or warnings crop up. I tried to think back ... when was the last time I remembered seeing my drives? End of October, that was it! I had burned some CDs (approved copies of a local band's music) for a friend. What had I done since then? Couldn't really remember.

Rebooting, the geek's first line of defense, didn't do any good. Warm, cold, and with a .40 pointed at the P4 processor. No joy in Wolfville.

The Hardware Device Manager listed the devices, but both were marked with that nasty little yellow exclaimation mark. I did not greet it's presence with the same joy that once accompanied the "Interjection" song from School House Rock, that's for sure. I used a few interjections, let me tell you, as I carefully uninstalled the drivers, rebooted yet again, and watched those cute little XP thought-balloons come up above the taskbar advising me that new hardware had been successfully located and that they were being reinstalled. Ah, the excitement!! Ah, the disapointment when I checked "My Computer" only to find my lonely A: drive.

I wept, I tell you. Rarely does the imperative to install software strike so strongly. I thought of a great workaround, though, one that would allow me to investigate this problem at my leisure, but allow me to install the software anyway. I am just that smart. Off to the manufacturer's website I go, to get the download bundle that's always available ... except for this particular newly released product.

Ah shit.

Back to problem solving ... reading through a lot of drivel written by teenagers who can't bother to distinguish between a letter of the alphabet and a pronoun.

Luckily, there is no problem that someone else has not had before, and has then carped about online. I love the internet.

I still don't know how it happened, but the problem was actually fairly easily resolved, once I got over my longstanding hesitation to fuck with the registry directly and follow these relatively simple directions. I had to anesthetize myself with a couple of shots of Jack before I started though, and I was in a cold sweat the whole way through.

So finally, I got my software installed.

Oh, what was I so anxious to run?

You see, I got one of these things, and I wanted to play with it right away.

The story itself isn't all that great, but what I really wanted to do was brag about the new toy.

Beestie · 12-24-2005, 02:35 AM

Oh boy - I want pics. Goooooood pics. [/rubs hands together]

Oh, and that'll learn you to screw with Easy CD Creator. They don't call it [echo]"Creatorrrrrr"[/echo] for nothing, you know.

What I deserve is a couple lumps of coal. What I want is one of those.

Rock Steady · 12-24-2005, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

I got over my longstanding hesitation to fuck ... a couple of shots of Jack before I started though, and I was in a cold sweat the whole way through ...

I love when you talk like that to me Wolf; get on top of me, push me down, rough me up, scratch me with your nails, ... yes, bite my ear again, ... I'm all yours...

Brett's Honey · 12-24-2005, 04:43 AM

Not to distract Rock Steady, or interrupt wolf's reply to him.........but since the subject of the microsoft help site was in this thread (wolf's first link), just thought I'd mention another good help site for anyone out there who may find it useful.
http://help.sbcglobal.net/ is also a good help site. And like the microsoft help site, it has the self support tool you can download to troubleshoot certain issues yourself.

wolf · 12-24-2005, 10:14 AM

My missing drive problem was NOT the result of Easy CD Creator. I don't have it, and I know better than to buy any software with the word "Easy" in the title ever.

The origin of the problem remains a mystery.

(oh somewhere in the middle of the description there, I forgot to add my multiple attempts to use the system restore utility, which did not cure the issue, but sure fucked up my virus scanner.)

wolf · 12-24-2005, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

I love when you talk like that to me Wolf; get on top of me, push me down, rough me up, scratch me with your nails, ... yes, bite my ear again, ... I'm all yours...

You're married. Wolfy don't play dat.

Elspode · 12-26-2005, 06:11 AM

I recall that this sort of special Microsoft endorsed horror happened to me in the past, but not with XP. I don't recall the circumstances exactly, but it happened a couple of different times.

mbpark · 12-26-2005, 10:49 PM

This horror has happened to me. It was called Adaptec DirectCD 4.01. I had to do a lot of low-level messing with the registry to get it back.

In my case, it removed access to the DVD file system type when I ran Windows 2000 Professional on my Dell.

I will never install another "DirectCD" type product on my PCs again. The one in XP is enough, thank you

.

BTW, how is the T|X?

Mitch

wolf · 12-27-2005, 12:14 AM

The T|X is fucking awesome! This will be upgraded to completely fucking awesome once more stuff is in the pipeline as far as overpriced accessories (cases and such). As a device it is totally damn sweet, and the WiFi is just the coolest thing since baked brie.

Tonight I managed to set up my email access at work. (We don't actually have wireless at work, but the ambulance crew guys wanted to be able to go online with their own laptops and so someone brought a spare wireless thingy in and set it up so ... I can be on the phone with a nut while I'm playing on the net and not deal with the hassle of doing something accidentally naughty on the boss' desktop.

The high-res color screen is very good, easy to read text on. I've already got the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Federalist Papers downloaded, and have a line on the US Army Survival Manual.

So far I've only found one older Palm app that crashes it (a moon phase tool) and I'm continuing to search out newer and cooler toys to fill it up with.

I have only tried out the vendor supplied media files, but it seems to be a fairly decent way to view video and listen to .mp3s, not as good as a dedicated device, certainly, but nifty functionality all the same.

So, yeah, I'm diggin' it.

Rock Steady · 12-27-2005, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

... someone brought a spare wireless thingy in and set it up ...

IT nightmare. Just when they think the network is secure... Good thing you don't have any sensitive information over there.

richlevy · 12-27-2005, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

IT nightmare. Just when they think the network is secure... Good thing you don't have any sensitive information over there.

Except for Lumberjim's patient records.

Elspode · 12-27-2005, 08:46 PM

They store those on a billboard next to the highway.

wolf · 12-28-2005, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

IT nightmare. Just when they think the network is secure... Good thing you don't have any sensitive information over there.

Yeah. Especially when the IT guy sets up clever passwords like "pswd."

He used to be more inventive than that ... first time he set up my network login (13 years ago, so it's changed since) he selected the password based on the music that was playing on my radio.

zippyt · 12-28-2005, 01:27 AM

I like to take the brand of computer , or the company i am working for and spell it backwards or in numbers or backwards in numbers,
this works great untill the company gets sold to some furren folks

12-24-2005, 01:25 AM	#1
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Which One of You Bastards Stole My CD and DVD Drives and Where Did You Hide Them? My DVD and CD drives are missing. I mean, I know right exactly where they are, they're right there, up near the top of my computer tower, a cupholder, and a handy backup in case the upper one gives way under the load of my customary SuperBigGulp. It may come as a surprise for folks to find out that I can go for months without actually using the darn things. I play PC games in spurts, sometimes intently focused on them and playing every single night, other times just poking around in some adventure area or another. I have a clear preference for games that don't require having the CD in the drive, though, since I have a certain lack of key organizational skills that result in my misplacing games and such for months at a time. Sometimes years. I was going through a box in a closet and found a pile of 5-1/4" floppies with some really great old games and a full copy of SPSS statistical package on them. They've since returned to the closetamoeba. I expect I'll find them again, four or five years from now when I'm looking for my heels. But, this past weekend I really, really had to install some new software. Really. A lot. I put the install CD into the drive and ... Nothing. Not a damn thing happened. No whirring noises, and certainly no autorun. I know that sometimes autorun can be cranky, so I went to "My Computer" with the intention of clicking directly on the drive name and nudging it into working. Yeah. Sure. Under "Removable Storage" the words A: Floppy Drive mocked me. No E: no F:? What the hell? Obviously, they were right there. I hadn't played with them. I make a point of not touching the insides of my machines, so I knew I hadn't done anything. I hadn't seen any strange error messages or warnings crop up. I tried to think back ... when was the last time I remembered seeing my drives? End of October, that was it! I had burned some CDs (approved copies of a local band's music) for a friend. What had I done since then? Couldn't really remember. Rebooting, the geek's first line of defense, didn't do any good. Warm, cold, and with a .40 pointed at the P4 processor. No joy in Wolfville. The Hardware Device Manager listed the devices, but both were marked with that nasty little yellow exclaimation mark. I did not greet it's presence with the same joy that once accompanied the "Interjection" song from School House Rock, that's for sure. I used a few interjections, let me tell you, as I carefully uninstalled the drivers, rebooted yet again, and watched those cute little XP thought-balloons come up above the taskbar advising me that new hardware had been successfully located and that they were being reinstalled. Ah, the excitement!! Ah, the disapointment when I checked "My Computer" only to find my lonely A: drive. I wept, I tell you. Rarely does the imperative to install software strike so strongly. I thought of a great workaround, though, one that would allow me to investigate this problem at my leisure, but allow me to install the software anyway. I am just that smart. Off to the manufacturer's website I go, to get the download bundle that's always available ... except for this particular newly released product. Ah shit. Back to problem solving ... reading through a lot of drivel written by teenagers who can't bother to distinguish between a letter of the alphabet and a pronoun. Luckily, there is no problem that someone else has not had before, and has then carped about online. I love the internet. I still don't know how it happened, but the problem was actually fairly easily resolved, once I got over my longstanding hesitation to fuck with the registry directly and follow these relatively simple directions. I had to anesthetize myself with a couple of shots of Jack before I started though, and I was in a cold sweat the whole way through. So finally, I got my software installed. Oh, what was I so anxious to run? You see, I got one of these things, and I wanted to play with it right away. The story itself isn't all that great, but what I really wanted to do was brag about the new toy. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-24-2005, 02:35 AM	#2
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	Oh boy - I want pics. Goooooood pics. [/rubs hands together] Oh, and that'll learn you to screw with Easy CD Creator. They don't call it [echo]"Creatorrrrrr"[/echo] for nothing, you know. What I deserve is a couple lumps of coal. What I want is one of those. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

12-24-2005, 10:14 AM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	My missing drive problem was NOT the result of Easy CD Creator. I don't have it, and I know better than to buy any software with the word "Easy" in the title ever. The origin of the problem remains a mystery. (oh somewhere in the middle of the description there, I forgot to add my multiple attempts to use the system restore utility, which did not cure the issue, but sure fucked up my virus scanner.) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-26-2005, 06:11 AM	#7
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I recall that this sort of special Microsoft endorsed horror happened to me in the past, but not with XP. I don't recall the circumstances exactly, but it happened a couple of different times. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-27-2005, 12:14 AM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The T\|X is fucking awesome! This will be upgraded to completely fucking awesome once more stuff is in the pipeline as far as overpriced accessories (cases and such). As a device it is totally damn sweet, and the WiFi is just the coolest thing since baked brie. Tonight I managed to set up my email access at work. (We don't actually have wireless at work, but the ambulance crew guys wanted to be able to go online with their own laptops and so someone brought a spare wireless thingy in and set it up so ... I can be on the phone with a nut while I'm playing on the net and not deal with the hassle of doing something accidentally naughty on the boss' desktop. The high-res color screen is very good, easy to read text on. I've already got the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Federalist Papers downloaded, and have a line on the US Army Survival Manual. So far I've only found one older Palm app that crashes it (a moon phase tool) and I'm continuing to search out newer and cooler toys to fill it up with. I have only tried out the vendor supplied media files, but it seems to be a fairly decent way to view video and listen to .mp3s, not as good as a dedicated device, certainly, but nifty functionality all the same. So, yeah, I'm diggin' it. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-24-2005, 04:43 AM	#4
Brett's Honey whatever Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 308	Not to distract Rock Steady, or interrupt wolf's reply to him.........but since the subject of the microsoft help site was in this thread (wolf's first link), just thought I'd mention another good help site for anyone out there who may find it useful. http://help.sbcglobal.net/ is also a good help site. And like the microsoft help site, it has the self support tool you can download to troubleshoot certain issues yourself.

12-26-2005, 10:49 PM	#8
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	This horror has happened to me. It was called Adaptec DirectCD 4.01. I had to do a lot of low-level messing with the registry to get it back. In my case, it removed access to the DVD file system type when I ran Windows 2000 Professional on my Dell. I will never install another "DirectCD" type product on my PCs again. The one in XP is enough, thank you . BTW, how is the T\|X? Mitch

12-27-2005, 08:46 PM	#12
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	They store those on a billboard next to the highway. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-28-2005, 01:27 AM	#14
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	I like to take the brand of computer , or the company i am working for and spell it backwards or in numbers or backwards in numbers, this works great untill the company gets sold to some furren folks __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

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