USB and DVD/CD Burners Won't Read Anything??

[MatrixClaw]

Ok guys, I'm seriously stumped here...

Over the past year or so, my desktop has been slowly deteriorating. First, the USB inputs stopped working, both the ones on the motherboard themselves and the 2 located by the power button on the case. At first, they just wouldn't run USB 2.0 anymore, but would still run 1.0. After a while, they just stopped reading anything and when something is inserted in any input, the computer says that there was a problem recognizing the device, before it would say "This device can performer faster," and run on 1.0.

Probably around the same time that the USB completely went out, I noticed that my DVD burner started to read on My Computer as "DVD RAM," but my CD Burner still displayed "CD-RW." However, both of them were very selective on what they would read. If I put a disk in them, you would hear the disk start spinning and then nothing would show up on My Computer. You could actually click the drive and it would open, like there was a blank disk inserted. If I ejected the disk and then closed it a couple times, usually it would read the disk eventually. Now, the CD RW drive doesn't read disks at all, and the DVD RW drive is even more selective.

I thought maybe it was an issue with Windows (running XP), so I formatted and reinstalled XP probably 5 times, no luck. I tried updating BIOS/other software, no luck. I tried deleting the drivers for the disk drives and usb drives and reinstalling/updating them, no luck. Tried reverting to legacy drivers, no luck. I tried removing the battery from the motherboard and reinstalling it to reset the BIOS, no luck. Tried a different hard drive (though the only spare one I have isn't SATA like the one in this computer is... so I just got a BSoD). I even ran DBAN on the hard drive today (after finally getting the DVD Burner to boot off it), and after 6 1/2 hours of the disk being completely wiped of everything on it, still no luck. Now I can't even reinstall windows.

Anyone have any ideas here? I think I've pretty much ruled out that it's a software problem by using DBAN. I'm seriously at a loss here, considering just replacing the motherboard and hoping for the best?

Here's my system's specs:

Asus P5NSLI mobo
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300
Corsair XMS 2gb
320gb Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm
eVGA GeForce 7600GT
Ultra 500w PS
HP LightScribe DVD Burner
Samsung CD Burner

I consider myself fairly computer literate, but I just can't seem to figure this one out, any help would be GREATLY appreciated, because I'm getting extremely frustrated

 

[MatrixClaw]

Ah, I forgot to mention - I've tried the drives on another computer and they work fine. I've also taken drives out of another computer and they still function the same way.

I'll try the PSU in my other computer, I hadn't thought of that!

 

[pjmelect]

To fix your CD/DVD drive problems try clicking on the run now button on this Microsoft web site.

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cd_dvd_drive_problems

As for your USB problems enter Device Manager and delete all of the entries for USB devices then restart the computer and let windows reinstall the drivers.

 

[MatrixClaw]

To fix your CD/DVD drive problems try clicking on the run now button on this Microsoft web site.

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cd_dvd_drive_problems

As for your USB problems enter Device Manager and delete all of the entries for USB devices then restart the computer and let windows reinstall the drivers.

The problem can't be with Windows though?

I completely wiped the hard drive (there's no OS installed), both DVD/CD drives are recognized in BIOS, but when I place a bootable disk in it (ie: Windows XP to install it on the hard drive), neither will read it.

I've also tried the USB fix many times, and still they continue to not work

 

[pjmelect]

Sorry I misread your original post. I would try another power supply before condemning the motherboard. If the problems are still there even after you change the power supply then I would look very carefully at the motherboard for bulging or leaking capacitors. It is relatively easy to replace any suspect capacitors if you are handy with a soldering iron or you can get a new motherboard.

 

[MatrixClaw]

That's the biggest problem - The motherboard looks perfect. I've inspected everything closely and nothing looks bad, it was pretty dusty on there when I took all the parts off it, but nothing looked off. Looked like a brand new board once I blew all the dust out.

I went ahead and bought a new computer anyway, since it was insanely cheap and had double the specs of this one. I run a semi-pro music recording studio and needed something quickly, as running my Laptop with Windows 7 wasn't cutting it (nothing runs well on Win7 in the recording industry yet ), so I needed XP back.

I'd like to keep this one as my workhorse computer (using it for everything but recording), so I guess the next step is to shell out for a new motherboard. Any suggestions that will run all my old hardware just fine? I was a big Asus fan until now, not sure if I want to go that route again if this thing died after 4 years (though only 2 of those years the computer was ever really being used).