Can not read disk in cd rom drive?

The cd rom drive will not read a cd. You can see the drive in "My Computer" but the cd looks blank when it is not. How do you know if your CD-ROM is good? 1. Is it detected in the BIOS screen when your computer boots up? 2. Does Windows recognize it in the device manager? 3. Does the LED on the front blink when you put a disk in? Have you tried cleaning the laser lens? The first step is to run a pick up a CD/DVD ROM cleaning disk to make sure there is no dust, hair, or other particles on the lens. For about ten bucks, you can pick up a CD/DVD cleaning disk that has fine hairs on the underside. This will remove dust from the lens. Another option would be to make sure the IDE cable is firmly seated on the motherboard and on the device. Reseating these cables sometimes do the trick. Be careful doing this because it is possible to unseat something else. If you're not comfortable with opening your computer, your best bet is to take it to a professional. Another option for you is to make sure you have the latest BIOS update for your CD-ROM drive. Find the drive manufacturer's website and do a search for your model. Make sure you have the correct BIOS file because if you don't, it will make the drive inoperable and you will need to get it repaired/replaced. Again, if this is something you're not comfortable doing, take it to a repair shop. Before you go and try formatting and reinstalling your operating system, I'd try all of these other things first. Chances are, it's not your OS. Good luck. Try this workaround to rectify the problem..... Note: If you have any CD-writing software product/s [such as, Nero™.] installed on your computer, you need to uninstall the software before you remove the registry keys. You can do this in Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Scroll down the list for the particular program/s and follow the prompts to uninstall the software. Please Note: In CD is a program that's associated with CD-writing programs, and will need to be removed as well.Then:..... 1. Click Start, > Run. 2. In the Open: box, type regedit, > OK. 3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/Class/{4d36e965-e325- 11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} 4. On the File menu, click Export. 5. In the File name box, type savedkey, and then click Save. 6. Click the REG_MULTI_SZ data type UpperFilters, and then click Delete on the Edit menu. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes. 7. Click the REG_MULTI_SZ data type LowerFilters, and then click Delete on the Edit menu. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes. 8. Exit out of regedit, and then restart the computer. Reinstall your CD-Writing software, and test the devices.