Support Information:
Device Type: CD / DVD
Manufacturer: HP
Model: cdwriter/dvd
Interface: IDE
Operating System: Windows ME
Age of Device: < 2 years old
FCCID:

Type of drive: cd-rw, dvd (rewriter &amp; dvd rom combo)
Location: internal
What recording software are you using?: Easy Cd Creator/version

Find it on DriverGuide (http://members.driverguide.com/index.php?action=srch&sm=b&aax=&qa6=0&qa5=3&qa7=1400&dp=2&qm0=cdwriter%2Fdvd&jmd=and&fzz=d) | Find it with Google (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=HP+CD+%2F+DVD+HP+cdwriter%2Fdvd+Windows+ME+)

Optical drives never require a driver when used in any Windows OS beginning with Windows 95 and going up thru Windows Vista. Windows ME provides native support that allows this drive to read a data or music disk. It does not offer any burning support or support to play a dvd movie disks. For these additional tasks, compatible 3rd party recording and dvd decoding software is required.

example: Nero or Easy Cd Burner and WinDVD or PowerDVD.

windows does not pick it up but it is shown in the BIOs

Not sure what you mean by "it is shown in bios". do you mean that during bootup, the bios is identifying the drive? And is the drive listed in My Computer and Device Manager?

Some history? Has the drive ever worked? Was working and suddenly quit? New installation? Is it jumper'd properly and connected to the secondary ide port? Please give us something to work with?