optical drives disapear

[Chiapensis]

I updated Spybot search and destroy two days ago to V1.4. The next time I started my computer I saw the following message before Windows loaded:
"Secondary hard disc drive 0 not found
press f1 to continue or f2 to enter setup"
In the setup utility the options for secondary drive 0 showed "unknown device"or "off"
After starting Windows neither of my two optical drives appear in Windows Explorer or in the list of devices in the device manager control panel.
I did a "recovery" of the registry files listed in the recovery window of Spybot but to no avail.
Is it possible that Spybot has somehow altered settings that would account for this problem?

If it is, as someone has suggested, a problem with the drivers, any idea how would I update/re-install them since neither of the 2 drives appear in the device manager window?
Any ideas on how to fix? I'm at a loss.
System: Dell Dimension 4550, Win XP pro-sp2 with CD (Dell) & Benq DW1640 DVD drive

 

[Lord Evermore]

This is not a software problem, it's a hardware issue. The BIOS can't determine what type of drives you have connected, so it doesn't inform the operating system that they exist. If one drive on a cable fails, it often makes the other drive not work properly.

You'll have to open the case of the computer. Determine whether both optical drives are plugged into the same cable (they probably are) and make sure the cable is seated properly in both drives and onto the motherboard. If that's okay, then one of the drives may have failed (albeit at a coincidentally misleading time). Unplug the data and power cables from one of the drives and see if the BIOS will detect the remaining drive properly. It seems likely that it's the "master" drive that has actually failed, which is usually the one on the end of the cable.

If the one drive works fine, then you know it's okay. If it doesn't work, then you know it's bad and can verify the other one is good. Plug the cables back into the other drive, and unplug them from the drive you just tested. Turn it on and see if it works; that will give you a definite answer on whether the drive has failed.

 

[Chiapensis]

Well Lord Evermore you have hit the nail on the head. I had wondered if the solution could be so simple but didn'y understand how anything could have worked loose as well as a recent similar experience with antivirus software removing a system file because it was "infected" resulted in crippling my system. I feared that I was heading down the same road again.
As you suggested, I re-seated the power and ribbon connectors for both drives and restarted. Voila! Both drives were back and working again. One odd thing happened as I was putting my desk back together though; The computer restated and I saw the same message about the secondary drive being "unknown." With my fingers crossed I restarted again and happily all has gone well since.
Thanks very much for taking the time to respond to my plea for help.

John