Vista won't automatically read any type of media

Vista (Premium) problem with my cd/dvd drive.
. Vista won't automatically read any type of media: (music cd, game cd/dvd, movie, blank cd/dvd). I can manualy load each of these by using shortcut icon, e.g. with games and I can usually force windows to read the disc if I open 'computer' and right click on the cddvd drive and select play or open with. All the defaults are set to autoplay.
Know it's not a hardware problem because I have a dual boot and Linux/Ubuntu automatically recognizes anything I put in the drive while vista just goes thru the appropriate noises of recognizing the drive and then my cursor sort of blinks and nothing happens with/in the optic drive.

Think it may be a Windows Explorer problem as there have been times in the past few days---this has just recently started--when i right click on the d drive and and the computer busy icon churns and then I'm informed that Windows Explorer is not responding and if I don't log off via task manager (normal shut down won't work) the computer will ultimately freeze.
Is there any way to just re-install Windows Explorer and see if that fixes the problem? Or do you folks think the problem & solution lie elsewhere?

 

Thanks for the info. it's appreciated even though a annoyance --- since when is Battlefield Band (a crazy ceillidh band from Glasgow) or Fitzcarraldo (another wonderful madman & the latest DVD I've watched) or my own bachup cds/dvds a security threat? As if vista isn't already as porous as a swiss cheese . . .
The good news then is I only have a Windows Explorer problem which so far at least only seerms to manifest (like a poltergeist) when I access my CD/DVD drive.. Will follow up on your suggestion & see what I can find out and probably post back here.
Thanks again.










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