Problem with the CD-Drive

ok well among alot of problems with my computer, my Cd-Drive is the most needed to be looked at (i dont care that that doesnt sound right) well about a month ago my cd drive wasnt showing up in my computer. and if i put my ear to my computer, i could hear it spinning really fast. so one day, i kept it out and put a disk on it. well i left it slightly ajar (i have one like on laptops where it isnt automatic) well after about 20 mins, i heard it start spinning really fast, so i pulled it out, to see what it was doing. well anyway it would keep doing that untill i restarted the computer. so now nothing will read. but i can take it out which i could not do normaly when it was spinning. all i want is for my drive to read. can someone please tell me what i did?

p.s. my computer is a dell dimension 4600c and its 3 years old

Make and model of the drive? Use something like Nero Info tools to pull that info (link for it Questions 101)

ok i did that but i have no idea what im looking at. im sorry im such a n00b

Look where is says:

that part with the red box is shaded over on mine

the red box? There's two of them.



And if the big one is shaded over that mean you dont have an optical drive (or you've not selected one)

yes, the big one is shaded