System Restore Points Lost, DVD/CDRW not working.

Patriot Laptop
MS Windows (home) SP2
VIA Nehemiah, VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP

Something weired happened this morning, I've got Spybot teatimer running to stop any unwanted changes to the directory.
Up popped a warning, telling me something was trying to install a *toolbar* of some sort, not my doing.

Just before, I was trying to see what a pop-up on my desktop from Windows defender was.
A MS update page I found through a site gave instructions to re-configure the internet security settings for activeX.
Can't remember what tick boxes in "tools - internet options - security" were that were changed, anyway, just after this, teatimer gave the alert.
(history was wiped).

Tried to deny whatever it was, but it stuck, the whole laptop stuck/froze.

Turned it off manually, re-started but the I.E. settings i.e toolbars etc reverted back to like it was when new, not like it was set at.

My DVD/CDRW won't work, it spins the discs but if I try to burn a CD the program says there is no driver for it.
Go to Device Manager, got the yellow explanation mark alerting me to a problem.
It's telling me that the driver was loaded but the device is not connected.

Matshita UJDA760 DVD/CDRW

I have not messed with the internals i.e haven't disconnected/reconnected the drive.

Tried system restore, ALL the restore points have vanished!!!

Running:
Zone Alarm, free version.
AVG anti-virus free version
Spybot
Spywareblaster (shouldn't have messed with the activeX settings)
Windows Defender
CCleaner

Any idea where to start?

System restore points would be great, or a driver for the DVD/CDRW, but I can't find one on the net.
Don't want to use the restore disks, thats a LAST RESORT, I'd rather buy a new drive.

Weired bit is, the device manager says the driver has loaded, but no DVD/CDRW device is installed or is unplugged.
It doesn't show up in *my computer*.
When trying to burn a disc the software is telling me there is no driver.

One is saying one thing, the other is saying the opposite.

T.I.A.

h.h.

[Gypsy]

cant help much but i just tapped in system restore points lost on internet and lot of info came up...plus hardware analysis .com forum may help ,,,,good luck ...tony

[Roger]

Windows defender had a major upgrade a few days ago.

From what you describe it sounds like a reinstall. Want me to have a look at for you? I can get one of the geeks in the test centre to have a go.

Yup, what does it entail?

[S.T.Chapman]

Originally Posted by harleyhog

Yup, what does it entail?

sending your lap top to Roger

[Hawkeye]

Or altrenativley the CD/DVD writer has died. It does happen, it happened to me .....just stopped working

Originally Posted by S.T.Chapman

sending your lap top to Roger

Ah, well then that might be a problem.
No harm intended, but my sources to the moco are in it (the laptop) so....

I think I'll have to sort this one out meself.

Or altrenativley the CD/DVD writer has died. It does happen, it happened to me .....just stopped working

Still spinning, sort of loading, just not working, has got power.

Tis still in device manager, has a yellow asterix thingy.

I'll try unplugging it, cleaning the connections.
Already tried uninstalling/re-installing it, same thing.

Last resort, reformat or a new drive.

[Gary_M]

Originally Posted by harleyhog

Tis still in device manager, has a yellow asterix thingy.



Last resort, reformat or a new drive.

Sounds like malicious code has messed with your registry. If your data is intact then I wouldn't consider the reformat route. Try interupting the boot process and check if the bios is seeing the drive. You can also try removing the hardware in control panel and see if it reloads the drivers on re-boot.

A paranoid person might think the MoCo was out to get them through cyber attack

Originally Posted by Paragon

You can also try removing the hardware in control panel and see if it reloads the drivers on re-boot.

Done that already, finds new hardware bladebla, still doesn't work

Originally Posted by Paragon

A paranoid person might think the MoCo was out to get them through cyber attack

Thank god I don't smoke the weed anymore or I'd start to think that LOLOL.

[robbiemac]

Sorry to hear about your hassles HH. If you have access to another PC, try and mount the drive to it using a disk caddy (one of those portable devices).
Fit the laptop disk into it and then you can get your information that you need from it. Once you got that you would be well placed to format and do a clean reinstall on the laptop disk.

In device manager, try and remove the item that reflects the cd drive and then "scan for hardware changes", it may be picked up and reinstalled by windows after that. Best of luck.