Miriam Glickman wrote;
>I have a Dell Dimension 8400.  I'm having a hard time getting the dvd drive
>recognized

Several things I would think about are, how old is the system? How often has
the DVD been used?

It has been my experience that several factors apply. One may be a dirty
laser light or the motor will not spin up which means the drive needs to be
replaced. Insert a disk and observe the indicator light on the front of the
drive. You should be able to hear it spin up and see the light flicker. Not
experiencing any of this may mean the drive needs to be replaced.

> It is pretty dusty ... is it possible that is the problem?

That may be a possibility. As stated earlier, the lens may be dirty.


>Which brings me to the next question.  Would it be possible for someone to
>give me explicit directions on how to clean it up?

Due to the constraints of the list and postings, I would recommend visiting
these sites and view what they have to offer in the way of cleaning the
inside of the machine.

This site gives instructions on cleaning individual components.
http://www.computerhope.com/cleaning.htm

This site shows pictures and step by step procedures.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=60403472

You may also check the PCBuild archives for information on cleaning a PC.
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A1=ind0507
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A1=ind0507&L=pcbuild#13>
&L=pcbuild#13

Sincerely,


Frank Suszka
netTek Computers
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