LABTOP does not recognize my external dvd-rw or cd-rw drive.

[renee24]

I'm having a problem with my computer recognizing my cd & dvd-rw drives. Device manager displays a yellow exclamation point for both external burning drives with the following message (Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37)

Can someone help me please?

[benbryant]

What OS does your PC have - 98 or Me? Windows XP shouldn't have any problem with recognizing the device. Please go to your device's website to look for and download its new drivers to the hard drive, right-click on the yellow exclamation marks and select Update driver and go to where you save the drivers

Regards

[renee24]

My OS is XP. When I try to do the firmware upgrade on either of these devices the downloaded program says no device detected for update.

[benbryant]

The driver and firmware are two different things. The firmware can help your burner recognize the media. The driver is a program that determines how a computer will communicate with a peripheral device. Your OS is Win XP and it should be able to recognize and communicate with your external drives readily via windows native driver without the need of installing the driver. Try to update your PC first, uninstall the troubled drivers from the Device Manager, restart PC, and then plug it in to see any difference

Regards

[Chewy]

do you have nero installed on the laptop?

[JimS]

...
If your pc is new, take it back.
If your pc worked before and this is a new problem, clean your pc.
Check your startup group for bad crap.
Clean, defrag, antivirus, antispam programs should be run.
Follow benbryant's advise above, but cold boot to safemode to see if the driver installed.
Remember, Windows collects crap like my wife collects nic-nacs.
(Now I can't walk in a straight line across any room.)
Good luck.