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You can update your CD/DVD-ROM device driver in several ways. Since you just reinstalled Windows XP, try using Windows Update first because you need to update the operating system regardless. If that doesn’t do the trick, move on to the next tips.

Using Windows Update to Update Acer Drivers

After restoring a computer and reinstalling the operating system, it’s important to completely update it. Windows XP SP3 contains many updates, but not all. For example, any update released since XP SP3 will also need to be installed on your system. Go ahead and do that now. Not only does Windows Update patch your operating system with the latest fixes, it also contains a variety of updated Windows drivers for hardware. Reboot the PC once the updates have been installed and see if your CD/DVD-ROM driver is still an issue.

Downloading Acer Aspire Drivers from Acer

In most cases, the manufacturer’s Web site is one of the best places for finding updated device drivers for specific models. In this case however, the Acer Web site didn’t list any specific device drivers for the Acer Aspire 5100 series CD/DVD-ROM. You might double-check Acer.com by entering your specific country and clicking on the Driver and Download link. There may be slight differences between models by country, so it’s possible that a driver is available if you’re in a country other than the United States. 

Using Device Manager to Update Acer Drivers

The Device Manager is a tool built into the Windows operating system for situation such as this. Go to the Control Panel, click on System> Hardware> Device Manager and then double click on DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Your CD/DVD-ROM drive should appear in the list. It will most likely have a yellow warning icon next to it. Right-click it and choose Properties. Click the Driver tab and click Update Driver. Now, choose the Automatic option and let the tool search for updated drivers. If any are found, follow the prompts and reboot the PC.

Removing the Drive from Device Manager

Another Device Manager technique that often forces Windows to search for the appropriate drivers is to uninstall the device and reboot. Once uninstalled, Windows will detect the drive upon boot up and launch the New Hardware Found wizard. If the drive is plug and play, Windows will load the proper drivers for it automatically. Right-click the drive in Device Manager and choose Uninstall.

I’m guessing that this is a built-in webcam on your computer. Did you update your operating system, particularly with Vista? There are a lot of instances with this happening when updating Vista. You probably need to update the drivers and there are a few ways to do this.

Re-enable

First, you should try to re-enable it in Device Manager. Go to Control Panel and then Device Manager (in Vista, it will be Systems and Maintenance and then Device Manager). Go to Imaging and find the webcam. Right click on it and choose Disable. Go back and right click it again and choose Enable. See if that gets your webcam working again.

Uninstall and Find Drivers

If this didn’t work to get your webcam working, you can try to uninstall the webcam and then get the system to find the drivers for it. Go to Control Panel and find Device Manager. Find your webcam in the list of devices. Uninstall it and then restart your computer and let the operating system reinstall the driver on setup. Check your Programs and see if the webcam is listed.

Workaround with Acer Drivers

Several users have had success by doing a workaround using Acer drivers for their built-in webcams. This may or may not work for you, but if the above hasn’t worked, it’s worth a try. Find the Acer webcam driver online - I have linked the one that has worked with the HP Pavillion - and download it. Unzip the installer and run the setup program. Log in and let it set up the devices and drivers. Go to Control Panel and Device Manager. Find Imaging Devices and find the webcam. It may be listed as a USB device, depending on your system. Right click on it and select Update Driver Software. Choose the option to browse for driver software and pick the driver from a list. Don’t check the box for “Show compatible hardware”. Find the webcam driver in the manufacturer’s list and select it. You may get a warning that it may not be compatible, but proceed anyway. Wait while the drivers are installed and then go back to Programs and see if your webcam is listed. If you’ve downloaded Acer drivers, it may be listed as Acer.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will work and get you back up and chatting in no time.

Troubleshooting Driver Download Errors

About Windows Shut Down Errors and Driver Installations

There are a number of possible reasons why you are having problems downloading your driver that are hard to narrow down without knowing more about what version of Windows you are running, what kind of driver you are trying to download for what device and what the error is specifically when Windows shuts you down.

Update and Repair Internet Explorer

Without knowing exactly what Microsoft software program is shutting down when you try to download your driver, I can recommend a few troubleshooting ideas. If the problem is occurring in Internet Explorer when you are linking to the driver website, then you can start by updating your version of Internet Explorer. There is no need to remove your existing installation, just visit the IE website and click to download IE 7. Often downloading the latest version of the program will correct any existing errors.

Update and Repair your Windows Operating System

If this doesn’t work, or if the error is with your operating system, most likely either XP or Vista, you can begin by updating your operating system. On the Windows Update website you can find downloads for all your missing software, which could even potentially sort out your driver issue. If you are running XP, there are Service Packs 1, 2 and 3 available and if you are running Vista, you can download and install Service Pack 1. This software is important for keeping your system up to date and compatible with other programs and devices.

Confirm that your System Meets Minimum Requirements

It is also possible that your system does not support the device that you are trying to configure with the driver download. To find out, visit the website for the manufacturer of the device and find the item and its system requirements. Confirm that your computer is able to run the device. Any requirement issues might be resolved by updating the software as suggested above.

Test and Confirm your Download

There are also potential problems with your download. If the file is from an unsecured site, it could be corrupt, damaged or even malware. Even on a legitimate site file corruption is possible. It is always advisable to get your drivers directly from the device manufacturer’s website to avoid these issues and seek customer support. If you have tried the other alternatives and think that the problem is the download, visit the manufacturer’s support page to contact a service representative, especially since you purchased the driver.

If you think that the download could be flawed or malware, make sure to run a comprehensive virus scan right away to contain and remove the problem.

If none of these suggestions address your problem, please write again with the specific information that I mentioned at the beginning for more help.

Lenovo Device Drivers

I went to the Lenovo Web site and entered “9686A12″ into the product search box and was able to find 52 device drivers for this particular computer including an Ethernet driver, “Marvell Ethernet driver for Windows Vista, XP, and 2000.” If this is your model of computer, then these drivers should do the trick.

Update Windows

I don’t think it’s necessary to first activate your version of Windows XP before updating your drivers, but it might be smart to go ahead and do so and then update Windows to the latest version. Since device drivers are operating system specific, it’s possible that the drivers in question address Windows XP service pack 2 or above. In addition, by updating Windows, you will also receive a number of built-in driver updates as part of the process as well as ensure that your system has all of the latest security enhancements.

Device Driver Software

Device driver software is handy in situations like this where finding the right driver is a challenge. For example, if your Lenovo computer is no longer stock, that is, you’ve added hardware to it since it left the factory, then the Lenovo drivers won’t address your additional hardware. Most driver utilities will scan your computer and identify all of its installed hardware as well as list suggested drivers for free. You’ll need to purchase the full version of the software in order to get the recommended drivers. Whether or not you decide to buy the product, using the demo scans allows you to identify the hardware in question and determine which drivers are appropriate. This is useful in confirming whether or not the Broadcom Netxtreme drivers or the Marvell drivers are the right ones for your device.

We recommend DriverCure, Driver Detective, and Driver Genius. Any of these tools will help you find the correct device drivers for the specific devices on your system.

Typically, sound cards and drivers are included with computers. Check to see if you have any. If you don’t or want to upgrade what you do have, you’ll have to purchase a sound card or check for updates on your existing sound card. The following information should help you with what you need to know.

Sound Cards

Sound cards are also referred to as audio cards on occasion. They are expansion cards for computers that ease the transfer of audio signals to and from a computer. They facilitate audio input and output. Sound cards are auxiliary items or accessories that you need to purchase and install on computers. You cannot download them from the Internet. However, once you have installed a sound card, you can download updated drivers for it from the Internet.

Are Audio Drivers Installed

Check your computer system to see if you have an audio device installed on it. Navigate to “Start” and open the “Control Panel.” Next, select “Sound, Speech, and Audio Devices” and select “Sound and Audio Devices.” Select “Hardware” and find out what sound card you have and look through the troubleshooting tips if your device isn’t working properly.

Installing Sound Card Drivers

In order to obtain or update sound drivers for your audio device, you need to visit the website for the manufacturer of your sound card. You should have this information from the previous directions. Alternatively, if you have just purchased a sound card, the drivers should be included with it.

Locating Hard to Find Sound Card Drivers

Sometimes, especially with older machines, it is difficult to find the sound card drivers that you need. If this is the case, you can visit the website for any of the following in order to search for the sound card drivers that you need: Driver Files, Free Driver Download, or Driver Zone. If you prefer software that automatically finds drivers, we recommend DriverCure and DriverGenuis.

Purchasing Sound Cards

Sound cards are sold at most electronic stores as well as stores that specialize in computers. You can also obtain them online at any number of websites. Before doing so, check into the system requirements for the sound card so that it is compatible with your computer.

This is an all-in-one scanner, printer and copier - are the rest of the functions working okay? Does the Lexmark connect to your printer okay? Does the copier work well? If the other functions work, then we can narrow it down to a problem with the scanner itself.

USB Cable

If you are finding that you are having a problem with the connection to the computer, then you should check your USB cable. A malfunctioning USB cable can cause the printer to have problems communicating with the computer. If your USB cable is working fine and the computer is printing, but not scanning, the problem is likely the driver associated with that function.

Device Driver

You can try downloading the driver for the scanner from the Lexmark website. A driver is the piece of the program that allows the data to be converted to the specific program that the printer or scanner is using. If you don’t have the driver installed properly then you may get this kind of load error on your scanner. You can see if you have your device drivers installed by going to Start and then My Computer. Under System Properties go to View System Properties and click on Hardware. You will see the Device Manager and you can go in and see if you have the drivers installed for the scanner.

If you need to get a new driver for your Lexmark printer, you can go to Lexmark driver downloads, put in your computer information and it will allow you to download and install the driver for that printer/scanner.
Install Disk

There is one instance I found of someone fixing a scanning problem using the install disk. Put the install disk back in your computer and go to the OCR (optical character recognition) folder. Find the ABBYY FineReader and choose to reinstall it. For several users, this has solved their scanning issues.

Reinstall the Printer

If none of these suggestions helps you using the scanner, you might want to uninstall and reinstall the printer. While you might be able to reinstall without first doing an uninstall, it can’t hurt. Go to Start and then All Programs and then Printers and Faxes. Uninstall the printer in this folder and then use the CD that came with the printer to reinstall it completely.

If you still can’t use your scanner, you might want to contact Lexmark directly. They have technical support available on the Lexmark Website.