if i insert a disc, it wont read it, or anything. all after using nero and getting an ERROR i dont remember but it failed to write. then after it would no longer read anything. the Drive appears in explorer but it just doesnt read disc and asks to insert a disc. same on trying to boot to reinstall vista. it wont even boot from the drive...could it be damaged?

Check the physical connections, if they are connected properly (which it sounds like they are) then I would remove the cd drive and test it in another machine, or test a different cd drive in the current machine. Then atleast you know where you stand.

it wont read this disk or any other one for matter of fact. uninstalled drivers in Device manager and reinstalled...STILL NOTHING. it still shows up in BIOS

im not sure whats wrong...there was a similar issue related to REGISTRY KEYS but for me those keys dont exsist so im stuck...and cannot WIPE my comp. this is insane

Disconnect the hard disk and try to boot from the Vista disk.
if it cannot be read then the problem is with the DVD drive not Vista. try updating/reinstalling the firmware of the dvd drive

Login with an admin account and run Nero Burns rights and give rights to everyone. We saw this same issue happen in Windows XP after last months Microsoft updates.

For some reason Nero Burn Rights hosed up the ability to view contents of the CD drives.

Ok...Listen closely...Vista incorporates many operations within various services and should any of these crossed services be disabled such as to optimize your vista,as some web pages advise it will disable all services associated with the service as well, so if vista fails to read dvds,or cds yet you can see them in the drives the following method will restore the reader....go to control panel,system and maint..,admin tools,services, and turn on all services, set preferences to automatic...some will not be able to start so those that do not set to manual instead of automatic then restart your computor and your cd reader will be restored.

I must comment I have not found a solution hopefully in the www somone will respond to this one. I have the ultimate issue. I cant get past boot manager nor will the cd do crapshizzi either just grunts get a black screen with a curor flashing. I cant use any other OS to boot from to fdisk the sucker I have no usb drive no lan boot naddaizzi. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THAT HAPPENS. I HAVE THE BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH

cant we all just get along. the black screen of death gives me 2 options that dont work continue=enter and esc=whatever or call some dude which is me or put the dumb cd in which it cant read obviously. NO FLOPPY WHY IS THERE NO FLOPPY ANYMORE. The bious gives boot options i have no usb drive. the boot to lan is BS and HD doesnt work so now all thats left is cd. Xp does the super nadda. At this point it takes a magnet. which it prolly had in my truck with the 12in subs bangin. BUUUUT i think it did work after that. BIOS is a trick! like in the streets. I refuse to take it in. I refuse to take it out and rub it like a genie so zzzzzuck wit dat. I have research for over an hour and everybody else seems to get the install cd to work my doesnt so what now. Is there a disk doctor that will bypass or go to the bios first so I can take a lava dump on the sucka so Vista (crap) will never bear fruit again?