I have a 1.5 ghz running Windows XP Home my CD drive keeps opening and closing and vibrating at odd times, it does this even when I log out of Windows.Also I cannot play a CD on it and the autoplay runs, which then causes everything to stick. I donot know very much about computers and wonder if this is a software problem as I donot want to replace the CD if at all possible. My friend has tried to help me with no success.

First, openning/closing CD trays is not normal and is most likely caused by an infection of some sort (usually a backdoor trojan).

If it is not caused by a trojan, then the second most common cause is hardware failure...it means replacing the drive, no ifs, ands or buts about it the drive is dead.

So first use some of the links in my sig (the AV one inparticular) and scan for viruses and trojans.

Re MJC: I am the member who directed this person to the forum, and I have a question for you. If this person were to have a DVD and a separate CD - and only the CD had the problem - is this defacto proof that there is no trojan or virus? I propose this; as a virus or trojan would not discriminate between drives, but affect both of them. Just asking.....

It doesn't prove it, but it is certainly evidence that makes it less likely that it is infected. On the other hand, it doesn't eliminate the possibility and the scans are a good idea anyway, so I would suggest that quietwyatt go ahead and scan.

If it doesn't work, I would try removing the CD drivers from Safe Mode and let Windoze reinstall them. It may be that the hardware is the problem, but I would try software solutions first. If you can't solve it, the good news is that you can get a really good CDRW for $10-20 after rebates these days.

And Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

Was this an upgrade installation or a clean install?

I should have mentoned that I had already done a virus scan using Norton and there was nothing shown up

Whyzman : if you mean by clean install that it came as part of the computer then yes that is what it is

Trojans (and spyware) are not detected by A/V softwares. The last time I heard a poster having this kind of problem, it turned out he'd been hacked. Go to mjc's links in his sig and use one of the trojan removal tools. Swat It! has a free and trial version plus a pay for one also.

More than likely, you've 'been had'... :eek:


PS:
A clean install is when you install the operating system onto a harddisk with nothing else on it. If it was loaded at the factory, this is what they would have done.