Does anyone have a good way to test if a cd-rom is reading properly, coz some of mine have wierd problems and I just want to see if they're working properly. Thanks.

With read problems, the first step is to use a lens cleaning kit at a cheapo store (cost £1 in the UK). You do not describe what wierd problems you are experiencing, but these are throwaway devices (cost £10-15 in the UK). Try borrowing a known good drive to prove yours is at fault. Good luck - Keep us posted.

How old is your drive mate? I found sometimes that my DVD drive here is disobedient...wont detect my disc inside and double clicking results in a "please insert disc into drive d:"; I'm relying almost entirely on my burner to do things. My DVD drive is about 2 and a half years old and it has been subjected to a powersurge + hot aussie summers in a fully carpeted house. It does work once in a while. I remember I had a Compaq a few years back that had the same problem with the CD-drive and one fine day it stopped working all together. My brother's CD-drive doesn't work properly as the unit requires a CD inside it to actually open. Leaving the tray empty will cause it to lock up and i need a bent paperclip to pop the emergency unload hole. The cleaners will work if its a lens problem, but if its something else, chances are you might need to get a new CD drive. Good news is, CD drives aren't all that expensive. Now can someone please check my post? lol