I have hp with xp installed. About a month ago both the Cd-rom and dvd-writer stopped working. It is a software problem, any suggestions? (I'm a computer fool)

Edit: I say they went missing because they don't even show up on my computer.

I think you shouls make sure the drives are connected properly...if they are sharing the same cable it could have worked itself out of the connector on the motherboard, making them "not work". Turn off, and unplug your computer from the wall and check all the cables first. If the cables aren't causing the problem, go in to the device manager. To do that right-click My Computer, go to properties, then go to the hardware section, and click on device manager. Once there, check under the "disk drives" for any information, an look for any problematice devices...look for a yellow question mark towards the bottom of the list. Write your findings so we can better help you. :rolling:

Did you remove any driver files? That can be the problem. Sometimes you need to completly uninstall a thing to reuse it I had it with my soundcard and Internet when I reinstalled Windows

I will try that (the cd-rom has power).

Where could I get new drivers at?

You can find drivers on the installation CD that came with the drive, or you can go the manufacturer’s website and download them. :rolling: