CD-ROM has stoped working

Hello. I have a 3 year old PC computer running windows 7, and I recently noticed that the CD-rom on it has stopped working. I don't use the CD-rom very often (it's probably been months since I last used it), and so I don't know for sure when this problem occurred. But today I tried to put a CD in it, and the thing wouldn't even open up. When I checked in My Computer it wasn't in their either, and I think it somehow broke since my computer isn't recognizing it.

I opened up the side of the computer and checked inside to see if it somehow came unplugged. I jiggled the connection to make sure it was firm, and it appears to be plugged in but I'm not sure if these things have only 1 plug going into the motherboard, or maybe they have a second one for a power source (though I didn't see anything that looked like a second plug coming out of it).

Anyway, I'm wondering if there is anything I can do from a software perspective to double check to see if my CD drive is indeed broken and it's time to get a new one. Thanks!
 
Hey David. CD or DVD?. If it is a CD,I would say right off the bat that you likely have a bad drive since it's been DVD drives only for years now and optical drives do go bad. Any lights on the drive come on at any point?. I would verify that the cables are plugged in properly at both ends, and if no lights at all on the drive (from power on till ready),try one of the other power cables from the power supply and repeat.
 
There is a power cable and a data cable. Data goes to the motherboard, power comes from your power supply. If you don't have both connected the thing won't work.
 
CD/DVD problems can sometimes be caused by software issues. Is CD recognized in BIOS? Can you boot from a CD? If so, it may be a Windows issue, otherwise hardware issues.
 
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