Why wont my computer recognize a new cd or sometime read a data or cd that has photos or other info on them.my computer is an hp pavilion a1129n, it has Sonic Record Now program,  some time I have to put the cd in the dvd slot and it will read it but it will not read a new cd to copy or burn  in the cd slot. If it is going to read the cd I can hear it speed up, if not it just sits there making its usual noise. I have tried everything, even as far as going to safe mode . Hp or Sonic wasn't   any help, Thanks Pat

Is this a new problem? Has the drive worked previously and just stopped working?
Do you get an error message when the drive fails to read a disk? Error message when you insert a blank disk?
If you are getting an error such as "the drive is not ready", this could be a hardware failure.

Things to check.
Look for a firmware update for your drive on the manufacturer's web site.
Check device manager [Control panel\system\hardware] to see if it shows any problem with your drive.
What version of Sonic Record Now are you currently using? Is your drive supported by this version? You may need an update to the software.
When you put a disk in the CD slot to read, if it fails to read it try going to start\run and type in the drive letter [D: or whatever it is]. Will the computer then read the disk?

It would also be helpful to know what version of Windows you are running.

Thanks for the rep;y, haven't had time to try these new things, but I will as soon as possible. Will get back to you later. Thanks Pat