If you have been reading my earlier posts, the computer is unable to see the DVD or the CD RW. They appear in the device manager with yellow exclaimation points and an error 37. So I did all that was required under the unable to initialize device driver. So in desperation, I reinstalled windows xp and it still CANNOT find the dvd or the cd and they still have the yellow exclaimation marks in the device manager. ANY ideas????

Have you checked that the IDE cable both drives are on hasn't worked loose of it's motherboard socket?

Replace the IDE cables. They go for about 3 to 4 bucks each. A kit with all the drive and floppy cables will set you back about 12 to 15 bucks. You may have pulled a wire off the connector or broke a wire in the ribbon. If the IDE channel can not see either device on the same cable then logic ditates the cable is broke. All it needs is one wire to be broke and it may see it but it can't access it.