My original problem is on my laptop - PB igo 5461 running XP with SP2. The internal cdrw/dvd will no longer read cds but it will read dvds. From this I can only deduce that it's had it. There is an option to replace it but it will cost and arm and a leg. Reading through previous posts on this site, I wonder whether there's a remote possibility that the registry has been corrupted? I live in hope. It's seldom been used but from other sites I gather that the Matsushita/Panasonic drive is not reknowned for it's longevity and as I have no A drive, I'm really up a gum tree.
That's the first query which is related to the next -
I thought that backing up files on the laptop before tinkering with it, would be a good idea. From the local paper I bought a s/h Freecom FX-1 cdrw which I reckoned would do the job. Not so. It's USB so plugged in, there it was in My Computer, copied the software from the cd and thought I was away. Ha ha! Why am I so naiive? It reads both audio & data cds but try to copy either from the hard drive or from audio cd - no chance. Using Windows Explorer drag and drop, Media Player and RecordNowDX (which comes on the laptop for the original cdrw/dvd, it tells me to insert disk or that it's just not there. I've been on the Freecom site looking for updated drivers but for the FX1 there's nothing for USB and XP together.
Does anyone have any idea what I should do?