Cannot Get System to Recognize any CD's in my CD/DVD Drive- Inspiron 1300 with Windows XP

I have been having a problem for months.  Whenever I have some time I take an hour or two and try to solve it with no success.  I cannot get any CD's to work in my CD/DVD Drive.  I can get a DVD (movie) to play, but if I put a CD in the drive, with a program on it that I want to install on my laptop, the system doesn't recognize it.  I can't even manually get it to work. When I put the CD in the drive, it makes noises like it's trying to work, and trying and trying and then it stops...and that's it.  I can't play a music CD either.  I have tried the troubleshooting feature on my laptop and it says the drive is working fine.  I just can't get the drive to play CD's (or the system to recognize them as being in the drive).  I have to assume, although I haven't tried it, that I can't burn anything to a CD either since the laptop doesn't see a disc sitting in the drive.

I tried reloading drivers from the original discs that came with the laptop but since the system doesn't see them that doesn't work either.

I have explored every forum I can find online. Just doesn't make sense to me that a DVD with a movie plays fine in that drive, but a CD with a software program or music can't.

Please help!  Thanks!:emotion-10: