[SeaBiscuit]

A quick test after you have done that is to boot the pc with the windows xp cd if the install program starts then the drive is good and its a windows problem. Try this in both the cdrom and cdrw and if both work then the hardware is good.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Excellent idea.....

Howlin this will use the hardware of your machine the bios,cables etc....

but will use an operating system loaded in from the CD and WILL NOT use the registry on your running system....

[Revel]

"A quick test after you have done that is to boot the pc with the windows xp cd if the install program starts then the drive is good and its a windows problem. Try this in both the cdrom and cdrw and if both work then the hardware is good."

Very smart thinking. I trying to think of how you could do this with XP. It was easy when DOS was still built in. XP changes all of that. Assuming this is not a really old computer(With non bootable CD) that has been converted to XP then your method is really good.

[Cold Heat]

I am afraid the drives, both of them, are notreading.

My assumption is connector error, or I/0 slot problems but opening up these cases for a first timer is not fun.

She is going through all the BS before you open the can.