self created audio issues(creative mixer&cd drive)

I just finished a malware cleanup here on Major Geeks, and I'm hoping there are as many geniuses here as in that forum. I'm a musician, who primarily uses my computer for uploading my music, maintaing a dozen musician sites, and networking my music. hence, my computer audio is a need. before I found Major Geeks, I had attempted to fix things myself, using links I found at komando.com. I made a mess of things trying to use "spyware terminator"(before I was lucky enough to click a link that led me here), which somehow disabled my(previously fine) cd drive(diagnostics say it's working fine) and the "creative mixer"("no audio device" under "volume", in sounds and audio devices in the control panel)
the diagnostic says the cddrive and soundcard drivers are all fine, but the drive will not read an audioCD,CDrom, or burn a disc, and the speakers will play system sounds, and stereo audio during the diagnostic test, but the volume control icon has disappeared from the taskbar. I can access a creative mixer from the start menu, but it's not the same one that used to appear when I double clicked the volume control icon, and it apparently will not send, say, audio from a youtube video to the speakers. although it seems to play mp3's in windows media player.
any help would be greatly appreciated
I'm using a Dell Dimension 4550 (please don't laugh, it's all I got)
WindowsXP with service pack3
Samsung CD-R/RW SW-240B
Creative SB Live! Series (WDM)

 

small update. while perusing various forums on my issues, I stumbled upon an answer to one of my troubles. apparently, the malware reset my default to modem#1 line playback. I was able to go control panel>sounds and audio devices>audio and reset the sound playback default device to creative sb live! series. I still don't have the volume icon back in the taskbar, but the mixer works fine from the start menu and I have streaming audio again. now if there is something that simple to restore my samsung cd drive, I'll be up and running

 

try this fix it from microsoft.

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

 

the microsoft fix it program said that it detected a probelm but could not fix it. the drive is not recognizing media of any kind it seems. during the fix it test, I tried a brand new audio CD, a burned computer audio CD, and a CD rom from my original system CD's(the creative sound blaster live CDrom) none were recognized as valid media. is it possible that the malware disabled my CD drive in some way? or perhaps it is just coincindence and the drive picked the same time frame as my malware incident to die on it's own?
I've always been pretty good about using my maxell CD lens cleaner system. I always mark off each use on the chart it came with. and the drive was functioning normally as recently as the week preceeding my malware incident.
the drive also does not recognize the cleaner CD, and I tried burning a CD on new blank CD/RW (the same ones I always used) and the prompt came up "this is not valid media, please insert a disc of the proper type"

 

That's unfortunate, my next step would be to put the drive into another computer and see if it works correctly, or if you have another drive laying around, take out the current one, and put in the other, to see what happens.

 

I'll have to find another drive to use. several local electronics outlets have what look to be compatible units for under 50 bucks. I guess it's something I've considered in the past anyway, as a cd/rw is pretty limited compared to a cd/dvd. though I'm primarily intertested in audio applications, live video stuff would be a useful addition. I'm a little concerned about installation, since the onboard drive is useless for loading software as it is.