weirdest cd problem ever

LITE-ON CD-ROM running Windows98se.
The CD-ROM drive was working beautifully. Then one day it took a while to read a cd. The next day is wasn''t reading a cd at all. the next day it would spin twice, then it would make an unnatural sound (not an acutal grinding sound, but close). Then I got the error message "drive is not ready". I thought the drive was going bad or I had some computer issue. Started to troubleshoot and checked cables, etc.... Took the CD ROM drive out of my computer and stuck it in a friend's machine. It worked perfectly in my friend's machine. Took my friend's CD-ROM drive to my machine and it worked perfectly in my machine....for one day. Then it started to exhibit the same symptoms as my CD drive did (eventually got the same error message, "device not ready). Frustrated, we swapped CD drives again. I put my old CD Drive in my machine and PRESTO! it worked perfectly....for one day. Then it went back to its same old behavior. What could cause this? Could it be corruption in Windows? A virus on my hard drive?
I am at a loss. I figure if I buy a new CD Drive it will work for a day and wuit just like the others.
Please help! I am at wits end.
Thanks

2. RE: weirdest cd problem ever
lbyard Jun-07-02 01:19 PM
In response to message 0

What is different between the two computers? Answer: probably the CDs and, perhaps, how they are being handled. 2nd answer: the cables. Larry

3. RE: weirdest cd problem ever (more info for Larry)
23rebel23 Jun-07-02 02:17 PM
In response to message 2

Larry,
Thanks for the reply. Actually we changed cables and still no dice. We used the same 3 discs to test the drives in the different computers. Since I wrote this morning, we swapped hard drives as well as cd drives.
So now, my friend's machine has my hard drive and my cd rom. Guess what? his machine (with my hard drive, my cd rom drive) is now exhibiting the same error (device not ready).
My computer with his drives is functioning properly.
To me, it's got to be something in my O/S. But for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. Is it worth trying a reinstall of windows?
thanks for your help

4. RE: weirdest cd problem ever (more info for Larry)
lbyard Jun-07-02 02:32 PM
In response to message 3

Well, indications are that it is a problem with something on that hard disk. I would check to see if DMA is enabled for the drive and that multiple drivers are not installed. I don’t have XP setup right now, so I can’t tell you how to do it. Don’t lose that friend of yours. If it were my friend, I’d buy him or her a beer or something else if that is not appropriate. Swapping parts and computers in a logical way (important) is also the primary method I use to narrow and solve computer problems. Larry