HELP, can't find my cd rom.

from WinCustomize Forums
I need some real help folks...I formated my disc and trying to reload windows XP. I have been through my computer bios and have set it to boot from my cd rom drive. I am getting this message saying "not found". I have exhausted all my options to try to reload my computer and have no success any help is needed and greatly appreciated.....
8,893 views 34 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
List the hardware stats of your machine.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
HELP, can't find my cd rom.


It's one of the devices located on your computer case (tower) usually the 1st from top to bottom. j/k

Try opening the case and make sure that the power and data ribbon are well attached to the CD Rom.
It happened to me once and I was going crazy thinking the Cd Rom was damaged but after I reconected the cables everything came back on list.
Follow Gary's instruction if the problem remains. Few can help you with PC problems as Gary can.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's one of the devices located on your computer case (tower) usually the 1st from top to bottom.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cup holder
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Its possible that when formatting your cdrom.sys or mscdex.exe file was deleted. these may be needed to run your cd drive. Possibly you can copy these from another computer, or extract them of the XP setup disk.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I have been through my computer bios and have set it to boot from my cd rom drive

While Gary (yraq) awaits your hardware stats, a couple questions:

1 - Did you set the CD-ROM to first boot device before formatting?

2 - Does your BIOS currently recognize the CD-ROM device?

3 - Does device manager show any unknown devices?

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
3 - Does device manager show any unknown devices?


....only if he looks on another computer.....
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

3 - Does device manager show any unknown devices?

Yes, if it's supposed to be a newly formatted drive there ain't gonna be a 'device manager'....

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

3 - Does device manager show any unknown devices?

Okay, one down, two to go.

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is of course also the slight possibility that your Cd-rom drive is 'busted' and needs replaced.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Its possible that when formatting your cdrom.sys or mscdex.exe file was deleted. these may be needed to run your cd drive. Possibly you can copy these from another computer, or extract them of the XP setup disk.


You don't need those files to get your CD-ROM to boot a CD. All you need is a working CD-ROM drive and a bootable CD. And by the way everything gets deleted when you format.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

your cdrom.sys or mscdex.exe file was deleted.

Yes, those are Dos drivers for CD recognition by your OS....certainly not needed in a 'modern' BIOS supporting booting from CD....the BIOS pre-empts OS-calls such as Dos, etc....

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Boot from a W98 floppy, that will install drivers for a CD-ROM...
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Boot from a W98 floppy, that will install drivers for a CD-ROM...

That depends....not if the drive is formatted in NTFS...

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
now that the jokes are over the system does "see" the cd rom drive, but can not read the boot up disk to install the drives needed, it seems the format removed the drives from dos. yes it was told to read from the cd rom first.I'm trying to do a fresh reload...if the cd rom cannot read the disk, obviously it wont load any needed drivers. like I mentioned earlier...it "see's" the drive...it seems it cant read the disk.is there a bios setting I may be overlooking???? again thanks for the help....
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The format shouldn't have 'removed the drives'....not unless you damaged the MBR [Master Boot Record] of the drives....something that can be fixed via the XP CD.

'it can't read the disk'....you mean the cdrom cannot read the XP CD...to get it to auto-load?

If that's the case...the CD is possibly dirty/damaged [it's vital your OS CD is well-looked-after].

See if you can borrow another's to try....that'd be my next suggestion....

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Are you sure the CD-rom is good?

I have had many a burned CD not be recognized by a CD-rom on boot that was recognized by the OS after boot.

Things to try to eliminate possabilities:
1) Different bootable CD on this PC (Ubuntu Live CD?)
2) Same CD on another PC

Jafo, if ine is booting from a Win98 floppy, the file system of the HD is irrelavent. Boot from that floppy, load the CD drivers into memory, run setup on the CD. Done. Right?

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Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Jafo, if ine is booting from a Win98 floppy, the file system of the HD is irrelavent. Boot from that floppy, load the CD drivers into memory, run setup on the CD. Done. Right?

Yes...but it'll take the XP CD to see the NTFS HD...as Win98 on its own won't...

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have two factory disc's..both are "fresh out of the box" new. the cd rom wont read it...it'll start to then the message "not found" comes up...I know that when fomating a disk it erases everything. nothing can be read from the cd rom. not even music...nothing....before the format I did try to update drivers for it.....and realizing I had 19+ gigs of files and folders,which really confused me. its only a 20 gig hard drive, but the system ran fine?!?!?!? no slowing or freezing or anything!!!! so ,I decided to do a fresh reload. I restarted my system...went to the bios ant told it to boot from the cd rom. then.......nothing....it asks me to put a readable disk into the drive....then it gives the message..."not found". so, I'm trying different settings within the system settings to help it find the cd rom...but no success....
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

OK....if the CDs are new/good condition....and the BIOS does support CD booting....then it looks like it's an issue with your CDRom drive itself.

Does it spinup at all...and at least try to read?

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
and I have checked all the connections...and everything is connected...
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I thought the lens might be dirty....so I cleaned it with forced air....
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If you can get access to an alternate cdrom....and see if the xp cd is read on it...that'd remove one doubt.

If you then tried the cdrom in your system...that'd remove a second doubt.

It's gotta be one or the other....

Does the BIOS read the CDRom's brand/model correctly?

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
yes..it does all but read it....so it may be time to get a new cd rom