CD/DVD ROM Disc reading / System Hang issues. Exhausted many options, please help.

As the title states, I am currently having issues with windows vista not being able to read certain Discs, In particular my Skyrim CD. This issue of not reading game CD's and Movies (Older game CD's seem to be read fine) existed with an older CD-ROM drive; and now persists with one I've just bought.

I have read countless threads and searched for a solution to this for days and nights; to no avail.

System Specs:

DVD Drive: Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-219L ATA Driver Version: 6.0.6002.18005

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 550

RAM: 2GB

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

Update: Upon inserting a movie DvD, I got this popup:
http://i.imgur.com/5Zqrw.jpg

For those who can't see the image, it is a Program Compatability pop up box in vista. It says "This program has known compatability issues. Program: InterActual Player. Location: D:\Install.EXE InterActual player is incompatably with this version of Windows."

What would be the smartest way to go about this? Straight up uninstall this program? This program isn't listed in Control Panel>Programs and Features; why would it's install location be D:\Install.exe?

Information: Drivers are up to date (According to windows) When I insert the CD, nothing happens apart from an occasional CD flicker on my cursor. Upon clicking the DVD drive in My Computer (When the progress bar at the top of the window loads; and doesn't show the game graphic on the D: Drive), WINDOWS EXPLORER hangs. Completely. I am prompted to close explorer or restart etc. Considering that this issue is present with 2 seperate CDROm Drives, I suspect it is a settings issue or driver issue in Windows Vista.

Fiddling around with supposed fixes including editing registry files, whenever I click on the drive now, Windows prompts that I need to "Format the disk in Drive D: before you can use it". I don't quite understand. This indicates to me that windows can't support whatever format it thinks this DVD Game Disc is.

I've uninstalled and re installed the drivers, unplugged the drive physically and plugged it back in.

I have deleted upper and lower filters in the registry for the drive. (One of which contained information about InCD, a program related to Nero(?) for burning discs etc. Could this be a related issue? PC Techs installed this on my PC whilst doing some work some time ago. I have since deleted Nero and all other software related to the drive)

I have ran the popular microsoft fixit tool.

I have ran 2 Full system virus scans. Once with MalwareBytes and Once with SuperAntiSpyware.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, please. I am here all day. I will reply to anyone almost immediately.

 

Re: CD/DVD ROM Disc reading / System Hang issues. Exhausted many options, please help

By the way, I've replaced the Skyrim CD aswell. Same problem persists.

Can't find any option to edit, sorry for double post.

 

Re: CD/DVD ROM Disc reading / System Hang issues. Exhausted many options, please help

Ok, thanks. Watching DVD's is a side issue. I really want to be able to install and run my Skyrim game disc. I was only inserting other DvD"s to test the drive; and this popped up - so I was simply curious as to whether that was related or causing the problem.

 

Re: CD/DVD ROM Disc reading / System Hang issues. Exhausted many options, please help

Just tested in safe mode.

Problem still persists.

Is there anyone at all who can help me please?

I feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel with this issue.

 

Re: CD/DVD ROM Disc reading / System Hang issues. Exhausted many options, please help

Apparently it does.

I tested the CD in an older PC, that had a CDROM Driver with a date of 2001 if I am not mistaken; and it worked.

So I've taken the CDROM out of that PC and put it in mine. (Well, borrowed, I hope she doesn't notice xD) And bam, it works. I've no idea what is going on, but the chances of me having 2 defective drives are slim.

Anyways, It has installed fine and Skyrim runs perfectly on a reccomended High Settings.