Rick,
It never occurred to me that the problem with my DVD drive could have been caused by updates to Vista. It stopped working more than 3 years ago (within the warranty period, I think). Actually it's possible it never worked because I can't remember ever using the drive -- my OS and software were installed by Dell.
The computer recognizes the drive, but it doesn't recognize a disc in the drive. When I put a disc in the drive, nothing happens. When I go Computer > DVD drive and click on it, it ejects the disc and tells me to insert a disc. Does this sound like a software problem? I'm reluctant to proceed with the MS "fix it" program unless I think there is a chance it might fix the DVD drive. I try to run as few applications as possible because new apps often mess up other things. But it would be great to have a working DVD drive.
Thanks!
Sheila