CD/DVD Burner Issues

Hey everyone-

I have a weird thing happening.  I have an HP laptop dv6000 running Windows Vista with a CD/DVD burner.  It has always worked fine, and I would use Roxio Creator Basic to burn DVDs backing up my data.  I installed a freebie music editing program off the Internet (which I  know was a mistake) and I didn't like it, and uninstalled it.  Ever since then, my computer doesn't recognize my burner.  It's like the drivers have been affected, but I deleted and restored them, used HP tech support, they can't fix anything... I updated Bios, uninstalled and reinstalled the burner, searched online for hours and hours for simialr problems... nothing works.  I don't know what to do.  When I try to burn a DVD, Roxio Creator Basic says "No drive detected", and Windows Recovery Disc Creator says "This computer does not have a drive capable of creating Cds or DVDs".  When I try to burn files using Windows folders natively, it just burns and burns and burns forever... but the files are grayed out and not really on the disc.  The task menu says "There are files waiting to be burned" over and over again.  This is driving me crazy.  The funny thing is that iTunes can still burn Cds.  And I can read anything on a CD or DVD.  It's just the burner.  I'm hoping there's some simple fix that I'm just not thinking of... but I'm concerned that this will last forever.  Does anyone know what I could do?  I'd appreciate any help very very much.

-Brad

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

I tried that and it didn't work.  I think it's an XP fix. Thanks, though.  I'm trying to have a positive attitude and hope someone knows of a fix to this problem... but I have a bad feeling I might be out of luck.

I have had something similar happen (again, after downloading some freebie stuff) although not on a Laptop and not with Vista.
If you have tried the Microsoft suggestions re registry editing etc and it's still not happening, you could try this.
Check all the files (especially dll files on the CD for your program). I suspect that one or more have been overwritten and Windows has a habit of just reinstalling them rather than replacing them from the CD and then check for those files on the PC and (see below) check the version and date modified.
Uninstalling the bad program may not delete all the files (especially if shared) so they just hang on in there and, when you try a reinstall, it just accepts them without change.
You could also go through all the dll files on your pc (long job) and see if there are any needed by your burning program which have an "odd" date of modification (ie when you installed the other program) try and rename them, move them to a spare folder, and try reinstalling the burner (I suggest you physically unplug the cable from the burner and boot up rather than just removing it via device manager while you do this). Then rehook it up and boot up again. DON'T let Windows find the drivers - select from the CD instead.
That's an abridged version of it, anyway.
I wish there was a simpler way but I don't know of one and, it's pretty certain from what you say, a file has been altered by that other program.
You could also try unplugging the burner and running a registry checker and looking out for anything connected with the burning program and deleting it (with great care).
Only other suggestion is to contact the manufacturer of the burner or buy a new one and start from scratch (possibly the easiest option as the new one should overwrite all the old stuff). You should be able to get a replacement drive = even for a laptop OR buy an external burner.
Somewhere there is a file that lists all the drives that the program "sees" and that's what has been damaged/corrupted.
Needle in a haystack comes to mind and I presume a reformat of the laptop is out of the question..
Keep at it, you will be surprised how simple it was if you find it.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I think it will be time consuming, but I'm going to try it. 

Well I'm writing back to say that I have solved my problem, and thanks for the ideas.  I ended up finding a patch that fixed some driver incapabilities.  It has happened to a lot of people in Vista with Roxio EZ CD Creator, and then it effects everything else.  If anyone has any problems like this, private message me and I'll try to help.

Thanks everyone.