So I have a problem that’s driving me crazy and Im worried I wont be able to fix it


My friend needed his computer reformatted so he dropped it off to my house. I did the reformatting using the windows discs and a basic installation. He had his motherboard disc so I didn’t have to worry about finding any of the device drivers for the operating system.

Everything went smoothly up until I attempted to install this DVD-Rom drive he had told me to put in it to replace some ancient CD-Writer drive when he first got the computer (computer came with a DVD-Writer and a CD-Writer drive. I used the DVD-writer to install windows).

This drive thing came with nothing, no driver disc or anything; but I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I thought I would just find it manually on the internet. Big mistake it seems.

I replaced the CD-Drive with the DVD-Rom drive and after booting up XP, windows detects it on the hardware screen saying it needed the driver. It gave me some kind of bizarre name (Mit ashi SR-8u8u) but of course this exact name does not exist on any google search I try. I later assumed it may be Mitashi (without a space) and some SR model that resembles the one on the device manager (maybe the u replaces some other digit because windows dosent know what it is) but no luck, I still cant seem to find a valid device driver to make the drive work. It turns on, the tray opens, and any disc I put in spins and seems to load but nothing pops up on my windows screen so I know its plugged in properly.

Well I thought maybe if I tried a windows update I could find it (as some of these nameless brand drivers are provided through Microsoft). I did the service pack 3 update which is unavoidable until I could get to the custom update page. Sure enough it wasn’t there but for some reason now I have no DVD-Rom drives listed on My Computer either since I restarted. Just the floppy drive and the C drive. I cant even find an unknown driver on my Device Manager. In fact I cant find ANY DVD-Rom drives on my device manager, including the DVD-Writer I never took out… wtf

Can anyone explain to me what I may have done and how I can fix it? Its fine if I cant get the DVD-Rom to work, I’ll just tell my friend to buy one new…. but if none of his drives work except his HD and A: drive, I see that as a big problem, especially if we need to do a reformat in the future. Before anyone asks I made double sure the cables were in properly and that I was showing hidden devices on my hardware manager.

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"DVD-Rom drives on my device manager" and you won't until the drive is actually recognized by OS w/drivers loaded.
How does it read on 1st system screen at powerup, bios. That should tell you what make it is for drivers.
The Device Manager is probably picking it up under Unknown Devices or something to that effect which effectively means the OS has NO idea what it is or what to do with it.

If its XP it shouldnt need drivers at all. Can the BIOS see it?

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