d drive has disappeared from the computer

What was the last thing you did to your pc?...have you altrered any Windows files? Have your moved your PC - has a jumper popped out?

I had this problem years ago - I never found out what caused it but a Windows re-install did the trick. Re-trace your steps before you bother with this though.

Let us know...

G

I would also recommend a quick trip into the BIOS to see if it needs to auto-detect your drive. Windows will normally not detect a drive if the BIOS (the underlying system that works out what's connected to your motherboard) doesn't realise it's there.

To get into the BIOS, reboot and, when the power comes back on, leave it 2 seconds, then keep pressing F2 repeatedly until the blue BIOS screen appears.

Use your cursor keys to select Auto-Detect Hard Disks (or a similar name) and press Enter.

When that finishes (a few seconds), go to Save & Exit (or similar name) and boot up into Windows.

This might be the answer, might not - let us know.

OK - thanks for the update

It must be one of two things then I reckon: either a faulty drive or a faulty IDE cable.

Unplug from the mains, open the system case and see if the CDRW drive is plugged into a different flat grey IDE cable to the hard disk. If it is, remove the IDE connector from the CDRW and push on the spare connector from the primary IDE cable that runs to the hard disk.

You should also check the jumper setting on the CDRW drive and ensure that it is over the correct pins to be in the 'slave' or 'cable select' positions (there's normally a diagram printed on the CDRW to show you the jumper pin positions).

Re-fit the system case, plug the mains back in and switch on.

Go into the BIOS and run the 'Auto-Detect Hard Disks' so that it can detect the position that you've moved the CDRW to. Save and Exit. Reboot. Any better?

If you only have one IDE cable inside the PC, which is already connected to both the hard disk and the CDRW, then you'll have to buy another IDE cable to run from the Secondary IDE port on the motherboard to the CDRW drive. You should be able to find these in PC World, Dixons, etc for about £7-8 or probably on www.qxl.co.uk Internet auctions for a couple of pounds.

Failing that, it could be time to go and buy a new CD-ReWriter. Is it under warranty still?

Says you need to format it? So there's a CD in the drive? Is it a standard blank CDR, a CD-ReWritable or a pre-recorded CD?

Try putting in a music CD (one that you don't like that much ... just in case!) and see if it plays the music from the CD drive (remember to switch your speakers on ).