Cannot find optical drives

It means the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) has failed. You will want to replace it.

Go here and enter your service tag on the back
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/DellPartsFamily.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&RPU=1&s=dfh

Optical drives cost roughly ~$100

Try booting from your Optical Drive. First insert your Windows XP Pro CD into the drive. Do not re-install the operqating system or you will lose all your files and programs! When prompted press 'R' to use the Recovery Console. You should be able to write a new boot sector to your hard drive.

If this doesn't solve the problem, you might need to re-install the operating system. If you can find a way to save all your files from your drive (perhaps by putting your drive in an external USB caddy and viewing its contents on a different computer).

If all else fails get a new hard drive and start again with your WIndows XP Pro CD. Use an external 2.5" USB caddy afterwards to get your documents and files back off your old disk. You will need to re-install your programs, though. If your disk is Service Pack 3 you should be able to get straight back on the internet via a wireless connection to update all your drivers from hp's website.

I would 'slap' Windows around, and make it reinstall the drivers for the DVD optical drive.

Vista:

[Note* All clicks are Left-click unless otherwise noted]

1) Click on Start (Windows logo button)

2) Click on Control Panel

3) Click on Device Manager

4) After Device Manager loads all the way, click on the + sign to the left of -
DVD/CD-ROM drives

5) Right-click on the name of the DVD optical drive

6) Click on Uninstall

Windows will come up with a 'squawk box',
"Warning you are about to uninstall this device"

It's okay, click on OK.

Now close all windows, and go back to the desktop screen.
Restart the computer.

When Windows has fully loaded you should get a pop-up out of the system tray,
"Found new hardware device", and perhaps another one will follow,
"Found XXXX optical drive"
(XXXX being the name of the optical drive)

If this doesn't work try cleaning the laser optical eye of the DVD optical drive.

Laptop on open the DVD optical drive tray.
Turn the laptop off.
Remove ALL power to the laptop.
(AC adapter {Charger} and Battery)
Use a can of compressed air for computers.

Or use a disk cleaning device for cleaning CD/DVD optical drives. (Power plugged into the laptop)

For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

Go to Device Manager. Uninstall the CDROM.

Vista:
Start>Control Panel>System Maintenance>Double-click on the Device Manager icon.

XP:
Start>Right-click on My Computer>Left-click on Properties>Left-click on the Hardware tab>Device Manager

In Device Manager left-click on the + sign next to - CD/DVD-ROM drives.
Right-click on the name of the CD/DVD drive.
Left-click on Uninstall.

Windows will come up with a warning,
"Warning you are about to uninstall this device."
It's okay. Click on OK.

Close all windows go back to the desktop screen.
Restart your computer.
After Windows loads you should see a pop-up out of the system tray,
"Found new hardware device"

There may be another one that follows,
"Found XXXXX CD/DVD drive"

You've just made Windows match up the driver/s for your CD/DVD drive.
If you cannot use the optical drive now, suspect the laser optical eye may be dirty.
Use a can of compressed air for computers, and clean the optical drive out the best you can.

[Computer has all power removed. Remove the AC adapter (Charger) and Battery. The optical drive tray is left open before turning the laptop off, and removing power]

Or use a device for cleaning the optical drive.

If it doesn't work past this point suspect a bad optical drive.
They are rated in hours of usage.
(Life Cycle)

For additional questions please post in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette

A) Clean the optical eye of the CD/DVD burner. If the laser optical is dirty it won't read disks.
The laser optical eye is located in the bottom of the CD/DVD drive.

You can,
1) Turn the computer on, open the CD/DVD drive tray, and then turn the computer off.
Unplug the computer from power.
Use a can of compressed air for computers, and spray towards the bottom.
After you are satisfied the optical eye is clean, let the computer sit for 3 minutes.
Then plug into power.

Open the drive, try a disk.

2) Use an optical cleaner disk. The disk usually has small brushes on it, which you are to properly apply a few drops of cleaner to.
Then the drive tray is closed, and the disk does it's job.
There are many variations of disk cleaners, the above is just one example.

B) You may have driver problems.
A Driver is a small piece of software that the Operating System uses to 'communicate' with a device.
{Windows XP is one example of an O/S. A CD/DVD drive is one example of a device}

Sometimes Windows is a 'funny animal'. Files tend to be corrupted. A Driver file may be fragmented.
You have to 'slap Windows around' a little bit.

1) Left-click on Start, then Right-click on My Computer. (Windows XP)
2) Left-click on Properties at the bottom of the list.

You are now looking at the System Properties window.

3) Left-click on the Hardware tab at the top.

4) Left-click on Device Manager in the middle.

5) When Device Manager loads, left-click on the + sign next to > DVD/CD-ROM Drives.

6) Right-click on the drive's name.

7) Left-click on Uninstall.

A Microsoft 'squawk box' will come up.
"Warning, you are about to uninstall this device, ya-da, ya-da"

Click on OK.
(It is Ok)

8) Now close all windows, go back to your desktop screen only.

9) Turn your computer off. WAIT 1 minute, then turn your computer on.

After Windows loads you should see a pop-up of of the system tray at the bottom of the screen,
"Found New Hardware", and perhaps another pop-up after that, "Found XXXXXX CD/DVD drive"

If your CD/DVD drive doesn't work now, I suggest it's tiem to buy a new one.
Mechanical devices in a computer are rated in hours of usage, and your optical drive, (CD/DVD drive) may be at the end of it's 'Life-span'.

Example,

http://www.amazon.com/Notebook-Burner-Drive-Latitude-Optiplex/dp/B0042WQ3QC

Dell Inspiron E5400 Service Manual from Dell Support,

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/late5400/en/sm/index.htm

Click on > Optical Drive on the right side.

Regards,
joecoolvette

Go to BIOS Setup, and in Boot Options change the first boot device to CDROM.
Windows doesn't like to have the same version written over it, or a lesser version written over it..
Forcing the computer to boot from the optical drive, (CD/DVD drive), corrects this.

What is the model number?

the two operating systems are not compatible. I assume that you are trying to rollback to XP on the computer. The problem is to remove the Vista o/s and install XP.

I think your computer displays a message that ntldr is missing.

Use the following steps to replace these files. Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the optical (CD or DVD) drive and restart the computer.

1. When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD , press any key on the keyboard.
2. Once in the Welcome to Setup screen, press the R key to repair Windows.
3. Press the 1 key and then press Enter .
4. Type the Administrator password at the prompt.
5. Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory using the following steps:
   1. Type copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\ (assumes the optical (CD or DVD) drive is d) and then press the Enter key.
   2. Press the Y key at the Overwrite ntldr? prompt.
   3. Type d:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\ and then press the Enter key.
   4. Press the Y key at the Overwrite ntldr? prompt.
6. Once both files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the optical (CD or DVD) drive and type exit at the prompt and then press the Enter key. The computer will reboot.

its simple:

1. Get Windows XP Booteble CD from a friend or simple download it
for example "WINDOWS XP PRO sp3 x86 32 BIT"
2. Burn it on CD
3. Switch on your Laptop/PC
4. Press F12
5. Put your Windows XP to your CD/DVD drive
6. Choose from a manu DVD/CD
7. Press any key to start instalation
8. wait a couple minutes and pres R for Repair
9. wait until you will se C:\
10. and finally type "chkdsk c:"
11. after all restart laptop/pc
12. Enjoy

hi there,
this is simple "yes"...i don't see why not...i would load Windows 2000 Pro or even XP Pro on there .. it will run nicely .. just look at the Specifications:-

Hard Drive Size:
80 GB
System RAM:
512 MB
Operating System:
gOS
Processor Type:
VIA C7-D 1.5 GHz
Graphics Controller
Integrated
Graphics Processor / Vendor:
VIA UniChrome Pro
Optical Storage
CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo
Expansion Slots Total (Free):
1 ( 0 ) x processor ¦ 2 ( 1 ) x memory - DIMM 240-pin
Networking:
Network adapter - integrated
Modem:
Fax / modem