hi kaycee

check in the bios setup that it detects the cd/dvd drive to be connected.

use a bootable cd like a windows installer just to see if you can boot the laptop from the CD drive and not the hard disk.

also check your laptop's function keys. while i dont remember seeing the option to disable/turn off a cd drive from just the laptop function keys, it may be worth double checking

if the suggestions above do not work, try re-attaching the cd drive.

again, remember that any attempt to open the laptop may void the existing warranty. if the machine is still in warranty, its best to send it back for repair.

this a sample screenshot from the HP manual.

1. Remove the battery.
2. Remove the keyboard cover/panel
3. Remove the keyboard
4. Locate the two screws that fasten the cd drive to the motherboard
5. Reattach the cd drive and see if it is now detected in the BIOS and Windows

in case a disc is stuck the drive, eject it by pushing a pin/paper clip in the eject hold of the cd drive



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this is a direct link to the HP Manual
(check the HP website for the specific manual of your HP laptop)

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00246219.pdf